BisonBison

The Patrol method breaks down if those signing off ranks don't have the skills themselves. Post-COVID (or for whatever reason), I've inherited a Troop that has a significant attenuation of skills - knots included. I know what the handbook says, but I chose to use the SM conference to assess knowledge. If a Scout isn't adequate, he gets some on the spot tutoring. If the deficit is too great, he gets sent away to review and refresh. He can come back the next day or whenever he is ready. I don't look for perfection, but if rank is to mean anything and Scout knowledge has any value, there has to be some part of the system that creates accountability. Nobody's Scouting career has been derailed by having to spend an extra bit of time learning the square lashing.

Greetings. I am a new Scoutmaster for a century-old Troop in the mid-Atlantic region. I was a Scout in Canada many years ago, but the program is very different from BSA Scouting. I look forward to learning from this forum.