Court of Honor

[commish3]

It is not that the BSA doesn't support instant recognition, its that too many unit leaders fail to send in the advancement reports if they have the awards on hand. The council has a responsibility to its members to maintain advancement records. It has become necessary for the BSA to require that advancement forms be submitted in order to recieve the awards. This has been the procedure for many years.

This practice also helps control the misuse of scouting emblems. I believe you can find this policy in the front pages of the Insignia Guide and on the Advancement Report.

Many units do not live in close proximity to the local scout service center. I have never known one to be unwilling to mail the awards to the unit, and postage is not so expensive as to make that prohibitive.

[ASM-142]

I agree that awards should not be on hand and only issued with Advancement Reports. It only takes a couple of minutes to complete an advancement report. This report can be hand carried, faxed, email, or postal mail to Council. At that time Council can mail out awards or have them available for pick-up.

[optimist]

You should use your time and put miles on your car because that is the position that you volunteered to be in.

Ah, I see. I'll be sure to let all future volunteers know that they must abide by a non-existant rule by spending their money, taking time off from their work, and putting wear and tear on their cars so that the Scouts are not denied immediate recognition that they should have already received in the first place.

[ASM-142]

You should use your time and put miles on your car because that is the position that you volunteered to be in.

Ah, I see. I'll be sure to let all future volunteers know that they must abide by a non-existant rule by spending their money, taking time off from their work, and putting wear and tear on their cars so that the Scouts are not denied immediate recognition that they should have already received in the first place.

That is part of volunteering. As for wear and tear on your car, mileage used is a tax deductable expense.

If I remember correctly, adult leaders also take time off from work for summercamp and have wear and tear on their cars for other activities to include going to weekly meetings.

[Lynda J]

We announce that a scout has earned a rank after his BOR. Then at the next meeting he is given his rank patch. Then at COH he received the card. This way he gets to wear his rank patch. We have had scouts earn 2nd Class and by COH have already earned 1st Class. This way he gets to wear each rank patch for a while. On badges as soon as the boy turns in his Blue Card to the SM it is announced he has completed the work for
_____badge. Then if we do have the badge in our inventory we present him the actual badge at the next meeting. We don't make a special trip to the Scout Office for one badge. Then at COH he is presented with the badge and/or card. Before our current SM took the troop they had built up a large inventory of badges. When we give a badge that we have we replace it when we turn in advancement paper work.
With badges earned at summer camp. When we get back from camp we go over all the paper work. If a scout hasn't completed a requirement on on badge we give him the paper work and give them a month to get it completed. We will do Elections and COH normally in August. Badges earned at summer camp are presented them. The main reason for this is that our Council Office is closed for two weeks starting July 1and we always do summer camp the last week of June.

[optimist]

they must abide by a non-existant rule

That is part of volunteering.

[t305spl]

I have to agree with optimist here. As I said before we dont give awards out immediately. I like the way optimist put it "they must abide by a non-existant rule". Its very true and i beleive I said it before that its not printed anywhere.(Yes I read Pauls post) but it still says to be recognized. I can recognize them, as I do, at the troop meeting by letting the troop know that they completed it, I dont need to have someone run out and get a new badge. This is another issue that the BSA has left for the Troop's to decide the way to do it. My troop does it one way, maybe not the way you feel is right but we do it and it works for us and we are not wrong for doing it that way. Each unit has a different way of doing it. As we have heard here there are several ways to do it. Many have strong feelings about this and others feel that if it works it works, but no one is wrong. Until the National Office tells someone that it has to be done a certain way and no other it is up to the unit to do it their way.

[ASM-142]

Like I said earlier - it is like you doing work and then your boss telling you you earned your paycheck but since he is not going to go to the bank for a couple of months you have to wait to get paid.

THIS IS NOT RIGHT.

[optimist]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

[t305spl]

No its more like you finished the work early and the paycheck wont be given to you until the end of the quarter. The COH is the time when the award is given. You have until that time to complete the work to get the award. But if you complete it early you will be recognized for completeing it before the time they are due in but you still wont get it until the time that was mapped out at the beggining of the year.

Do your bosses pay you early for completeing work faster than assigned? You get paid when the date is set on the calender for everyone in the company to get paid. You might get a pat on the back or an extra bonus for completeing it early but the money comes at assigned times.

[commish3]

Do your bosses pay you early for completeing work faster than assigned?

Do you really see your Scout leaders as your bosses who assign you advancement? That would be very sad indeed.

You are an independent contractor, you are free to choose your tasks as you please and you are paid as your work is completed. Your leaders work for you, not the other way around.

The only thing stopping the scouts in your troop from recieving their awards in a more timely manner as prescribed by the Scouting program is a single decision by an adult in your unit. If that decision changed tomorrow you would have your awards by the next troop meeting.

If your unit leaders followed the program as described in the Advancement Procedures Policy and Procedures manual, and from page 122 of the Scoutmaster's Handbook, then they would make that change.

Someday down the road when you take on the responsibility of serving others you might think back to this lesson of who is the servant... and who are the served.

[ASM-142]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

I will let you know in 2-3 months if I agree with this.

[ASM-142]

Do your bosses pay you early for completeing work faster than assigned?

The answer to this question is yes in the form of raises and and a bonus.

[ASM-142]

Also, pay raises and bonus' come during no set time of the year to include being out of sequence with the normal pay cycle.

[t305spl]

You get paid when the date is set on the calender for everyone in the company to get paid. You might get a pat on the back or an extra bonus for completeing it early

Yes exactly what I said. But your main payment comes on a cycle and no earlier.

[ASM-142]

You get paid when the date is set on the calender for everyone in the company to get paid. You might get a pat on the back or an extra bonus for completeing it early

Yes exactly what I said. But your main payment comes on a cycle and no earlier.

My main payment comes on a cycle which is when the work is completed. Just like a MB should be awarded when the work is completed.

[t305spl]

But what if the work was done early. Lets just imagine that all the possible work you could do until the next cycle was completed, you will still get paid when you are scheduled to be paid. No earlier. Same with MB's the COH is payment day and the MB's are the payment. You will get a bonus or recognition for completeing the MB's early but you still get paid(MB's) on the scheduled payment day(the COH)

[ASM-142]

But what if the work was done early. Lets just imagine that all the possible work you could do until the next cycle was completed, you will still get paid when you are scheduled to be paid. No earlier. Same with MB's the COH is payment day and the MB's are the payment. You will get a bonus or recognition for completeing the MB's early but you still get paid(MB's) on the scheduled payment day(the COH)

Where logic in your scenario fails is that MBs do not have a due date (except for age 18) where work does.

[Mick Scouter]

I think we are making some comparisons that are difficult and not related. I believe that immediate recognition is deserved but give the boys some credit for understanding. If you explain the process to them and you are consistent with that process that is what they will come to expect. These are not Cub Scouts.

Yes, I believe at times we need to agree to disagree but don't let emotions run to high. Remember scouting is for the boys.

[Woodbadgegirl]

I'm kinda in the tail end of this but I would like to tell you how our troop does this. They award the boy with the badge the night they earn it, but don't give the card until the COH. This way the boy can get it on his shirt or sash and enjoy it now, and put the card in his folder the night of the COH. That way it's a win win situation.