Definition of Active

[jrcarley]

I am looking for the specific definition of "Active" as it pertains to rank advancement, especially Eagle. Any help or guidelines would be appreciated.

[David L. Perkins]

The next to newest Scout Handbook lists requirements for advancement in rank at each level. And, ofcourse, in order to achieve some of the requirements, you would have to have meet with the Troop at their meeting location on a number of occations within the time period stated for the rank specified. (As in Star Rank; take part in service projects - Troop promoted, or a position of responsibility - all listed - which would normally involve interaction with the Troop in meetings or campouts during the active four month period.) Or a Scoutmaster-assigned Leadership Project to help the Troop. Either way, the interaction between the Scout and the Troop membership are necessary to complete any of these requirements. Leadership certainly "says" more than one person is involved, the leader and the follower(s). Positions of responsibility can not be completed without making "contact with" other Scouts - meaning being at Troop meetings and/or campouts.

 

I am sure there are cases of a historian working alone but I can not imagine the solidarity of an individual Scout meeting any of the other position requirements. Hence, "Active" to me means "interaction with the Troop and membership thereof". If the Scout has not come to Troop Meetings and has not attended campouts, I can not rightfully concede that the Scout as met the "Active" requirement. This is really for the good of the Scout's development in the long run - as I believe Lord Baden-Powell would agree.

[Mike Long]

In Our Troop a boy must attend at least 75% of our troop activities to be considered active, otherwise we will not sign off the requirement.

 

I hate the fact that we had to put a number value on what is considered active but we had a series of kids that would show up every blue moon and then wanted to to advance to the higher ranks. So we ask them,"What have you done in the last six months?" If they can't answer a simple question like that then they obviously have not been active, and could not possibly have completed the the leadership position requirement. I then assign the inactive scout to be troop historian. In order to do the job properly, the scout must be very active. When his term is up he presents us with his scrapbook, proof positive that he has completed the requirement and has been an active member of the troop. I have used this method about three times and have always had favorable results.

[OldGreyEagle]

I think active should be defined according to your troop and the value the boy adds to the troop. We have some scouts that due to other activities are only around once every 6 weeks, but when present are a fine example and know their stuff. Other kids who are always there also always cause a distraction. Quality has to be as issue as well

[scouter659]

We have a very elaborate attendance system. If a Scout misses more than 1 meeting a month without contacting either the Scoutmaster or attendance officer, we don't allow him to go to the next campout (and we go on a monthly basis). We use basically the same criteria for Scouts we consider to be 'active'. Sports are somewhat seasonal & if we have a boy who participates well with us when he's not involved with sports, that's fine. But if we feel that a boy is missing a meeting because we think he'd rather see how many points he can rack up on a Playstation game at home, we consider that young lad to be inactive if it happens too often.

[Scout1946]

Most troops play this one by ear, however, I was doing training at our local "Show and Do" program,(this is like the Pow Wow only on the Scout level) and we were discussing "rules" as they pretain to the Troop. I told the group that a Troop Constitution developes when boys and parents take advantage of the program. This "give and take" session discussed the definition of "Active" and put legal verbage to the word. After the Constitution was formalized, it was passed out to all the parents and new parents were given a copy and sat down with the Committee Chairman for a frank discussion upon entering the troop. Your Constitution can include rules for parent participation, money issues, uniforming requirements, and behavior in the troop. But until you put things in writing, it will never hold water with the violators.