How long to Tenderfoot or First Class?

[Mrw1]

Our average is about 4 months for Tenderfoot and up to 2 years for First Class. They have the opportunity to make 1st class/1st year, but few do. Our SM came back from wood badge a couple years ago with 1st class/1st year as a goal, but has backed off as it doesn't really seem to work that way for most boys.

 

On the other hand, we have one who has been with us for 3-1/2 years and has yet to earn Tenderfoot. He conveniently doesn't show when we try to get things scheduled around finishing that last requirement. He has been asked and couldn't care less about ranks and badges, but enjoys the camping. He is pleasant and is not disruptive when he is there, so it is his choice and we a are glad to have him around.

[Beavah]

Our SM came back from wood badge a couple years ago with 1st class/1st year as a goal, but has backed off as it doesn't really seem to work that way for most boys.

 

This has been my experience in a lot of units as well. Unless the troop is very active, and the boy in question is comin' on everything offered, it's just hard to get there for most kids and still have time to be boys, have fun, and do all the other stuff besides advancement that Scoutin' offers.

 

Or yeh do what Aquila describes, and you have a bunch of kids who have First Class on paper, but really never learned the stuff. They just parroted it for the signoff.

 

Beavah

 

[SR540Beaver]

We have the advantage of size on our side. We have a roster of about 63 boys. We crossover about 20 boys per year. Obviously, we have a little drop off of new boys each year. Maybe 4 or 5 boys who decide scouting isn't for them. I'm the ASM who coordinates our 1st Class, 1st Year program. I have 4 other ASM's and 4 Troop Guides who are all 14 year old Life Scouts. We usually create 2 patrols with 2 troop guides each. I've paired each troop guide with a mentor ASM and this team has a portion of the boys for teaching and sign off purposes.

 

While the whole troop meets together for opening, announcements, game time and closing, the new scouts do a seperate skill period. They have different needs skill-wise than the boys who have been scouting for several years. On campouts, we often do a seperate program for the new scouts that is geared towards advancement requirements. They are on the same campout and doing the same things such as flag, patrol cooking, campfire, etc., they are just doing a 5 mile hike with map and compass while the older boys are on the climbing tower.

 

None of our advancement is a gimme. If the book says show, demonstrate, do, explain, etc., that is what they have to do. We provide the opportunity. If they show up and participate, they can easily obtain 1st Class in one year. That said, we have some on again, off again boys who don't.

 

Our COH is tomorrow. I believe we have about 15 boys who came in around the February to March time frame getting their Tenderfoot. A good portion of those have about 90% of 2nd Class complete. Most of them have about 50% of 1st Class complete. We plan on moving them out of their new scout patrols to mixed aged patrols duing the October to November time frame.

 

I realize we are unique due to our size and being blessed with an abundance of adult and older boy leaders. Regardless, providing a program to make earning 1st Class within a year is more than possible if that is what a unit desires to do.

[gwd-scouter]

I can't really say what is typical in our Troop. We've changed so much these past few years. I will say that in the past, most guys in our Troop were made 1st class within their first year. I say "made" because our new guys went through the Pathfinder Program offered at summer camp where they were instructed on almost every requirement from T-1st. The problem was that they were instructed in these things, didn't actually learn or demonstrate themselves, but were signed off after camp as having completed the requirements. Lot's of 1st class Scouts that didn't know a thing. I speak from personal experience here because my younger son was one of those "pencil-whipped" first class scouts.

 

I can give a clear picture of what's happened the past couple of years. In 2006, we had four Scouts join our Troop. First guy joined in March 2006 and just had his 1st class BOR, so that's about 18 months.

 

Two more joined in May 2006, one earned 2nd class this past June, the other is having his 2nd class BOR next week. Fourth joined in July 2006, is second class and only has a couple of requirements remaining for 1st. He has been a very active Scout, always reading his handbook and will reach 1st class sooner than the others have.

 

This year we got two new Scouts. Both just completed their requirements for Tenderfoot and have SM conferences next week, about five months since joining.

[Aquila]

Grey, being able to do something to a minimal standard ONCE and having it signed off by some 14 year old at summer camp who just wants to get to the next kid doesn't really help a Scout. The push to make First Class in a year sees MANY boys cheated out of really earning something. And it negatively impacts those Scouts who actually DO master the skills.

 

It will be interesting to see how long a 12-year old Eagle sticks around ...

 

[OldGreyEagle]

How do you assume that what you describe is the sign off tradition in the troop I serve I serve?

 

There is no such thing as the minimum requirements, there is the requirement no more no less. There is no sign it off once and lets move on, the scouting experience is built on learning skills and being in situations where those skills are used. If the troop program does not allow for use of the skills, then there is a problem, in the troop program, not in First Class First Year. If as you say items are signed off and the scout doesnt know the requirement, then that is a failing of the Troop and the way it signs off items and not of the scout or of First Class First Year

[Gunny2862]

OGE is correct!

The Scout Learns, is Tested, is reviewed, and recognized.

 

I've had Scouts come to me to be signed off on a skill where they were still looking at the book and obviously had just read off on the skill; but when trying to show it to me, either took several tries and attempting to get a hint or wanted to use the book to guide them through doing the skill. If I had accepted their accidentally getting it right as having learned it then I would have perpetrated a fraud on Scouting and the Scout himself by accepting that kind of non-performance. In the above situation, I explain that they don't know and that they know they didn't know it when they came to me and that they need to realize that this isn't a "just get it signed off" thing but something they really need to learn, so go look at it during the week practice as necessary and come back and you'll probably get a successful test done next time.

We as a troop refuse that kind of learning and are careful to ensure that those we allow to sign off know that if the Scouts they sign off on are unable to review those skills that they will lose that privilege.

 

I still think that First Class in a year is possible, and a decent goal but it shouldn't be a paper exercise at the expense of learning the skill. We AVERAGE first in a year but only because they pressure each other to work to make that milestone.

We are seeing a lot of 17 and 3/4 or 11/12ths year Eagles though. Which is just as much of an issue for me. I'd rather they took longer on the T-2-1 trail and sustained a better pace going on rather than hitting a snag and having to do a hurry-up job on Eagle or not get it.

[Aquila]

OGE, nowhere did I assume that your troop does this. The summer camp my boys went to did.