AoL = Automatic rank advancement?

[JMBadger]

I have heard that a boy who earns his Arrow of Light as a cub can start Boy Scouts as a Tenderfoot, skipping the Scout rank altogether.

 

Can anyone verify this? And if so, can you quote a source?

 

The AoL award does seem to cover most of the Tenderfoot requirements, but not all, most notably the physical test (with 30-day improvement test). A similar test exists in the Athlete Activity badge, but that badge isn't required for AoL.

 

 

[OwntheNight]

No, While AoL requirements prepare the boy for joining Boy Scouts. The requirements for the Scout badge still have to be met.

( From the Boy Scout Handbook, 12th Edition)

 

1.Meet the Age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old.

2.Find a scout troop near your home.

3.Complete a boy scout application and health history signed by your parent or guardian.

4.Repeat the pledge of allegiance

5.Demonstrate the scout sign, salute, and handshake.

6. Demonstrate tying the square knot ( a joining knot)

7. Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or promise,Scout Law, motto, and slogan, and the Outdoor Code.

8. Describe the Scout Badge

9. Complete the pamphlet exercises (With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parents Guide)

10. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.

 

These can be done pretty quickly, and then the scout can begin to work on the requirements for Tenderfoot.

[insanescouter]

I don't know of any units that will give both Scout and Tenderfoot to a new Webelos. However I know of some that do say AOL = Scout.

 

Just keep in mind that experience has shown me not all Scouts crossing up remember everything they learned. Maybe they forgot part of the Scout law, oath or how to tie a square not. What I find works well (as a Boy Scout Leader) is to just sit down with the Scout a bit and go through the requirements. Most of the time they quickly blow through them all showing they do deserve and have earned the Scout rank. But sometimes they need to work a bit more first.

 

Hope my wacky 2 cents helps ...

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

http://twitter.com/insanescouter

 

Helping leaders one resource at a time....

[ScoutNut]

AOL is earned by a Cub Scout.

 

Tenderfoot is earned by a Boy Scout.

 

NO they are NOT the same. They are in fact, VERY different. Nor are they interchangeable.

 

The Boy Scout Joining Requirements for the Scout badge are the closest to the AOL. Some Troops will give the Scout badge to new Webelos joining the Troop. Personally I feel that the Joining Requirements should be gone over again as a Boy Scout to reinforce them. Also the YP pamphlet in the Boy Scout Handbook must be completed.

 

 

[insanescouter]

ScoutNut I agree that they are different I think I failed to make that clear in my reply ... but that doesn't change fact that some units do award Scout to any boy who had earned AOL ... right or wrong it does happen ..

[evmori]

Another one of those Scouting myths. Boy Scout isn't a rank.

[GKlose]

I don't have either the current handbook or the prior handbook in front of me, so I can't quote verbatim (or to see if it has changed in the current handbook), but the prior handbook had a statement just after the joining requirements that says that an Arrow of Light recipient has met all joining requirements except for the Scoutmaster conference. My crossing-over son pointed it out to me as he was reading through requirements in his first handbook.

 

Then again, I've heard of troops that more or less turn the joining requirements into a test. If the AoL/Crossover Scout doesn't pass, they start over.

 

Guy

[evmori]

Scout Badge Requirements

 

 

1. Meet the age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old.

2. Find a Scout troop near your home. (To find a troop, contact your local Boy Scout Council. The Council name, address and phone number can be found on BSA's Council Locator Page.)

3. Complete a Boy Scout application and health history signed by your parent or guardian.

4. Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance.

5. Demonstrate the Scout sign, salute, and handshake.

6. Demonstrate tying the square knot (a joining knot).

7. Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or Promise, Law, motto, and slogan, and the Outdoor Code.

8. Describe the Scout badge.

9. Complete the pamphlet exercises. With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet "How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide".

10. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference. Turn in your Boy Scout application and health history form signed by your parent or guardian, then participate in a Scoutmaster conference.

 

As you can see, there is a little more than just having a Scoutmaster Conference.

 

AOL is a Cub Scout award, not a Boy Scout award.

[Buffalo Skipper]

The only thing which could possibly be tested are reqs 4, 5, 6 & 8.

 

So what, if they fail to addequately describe the scout badge, they have to start over beginning with finding a troop and a filling out a new application? Seahorse puckey!

 

AoL requirement 6 states:

After you have completed all five of the above requirements, and after a talk with your Webelos den leader, arrange to visit, with your parent or guardian, a meeting of a Boy Scout troop you think you might like to join. Have a conference with the Scoutmaster.

 

The last statement, "Have a conference with the Scoutmaster," is typically (though does not have to be) done with the SM of the troop with which they want to join. Commonly, this is just a few weeks before crossover. When I have this conference, I do things like greet the scout with the scout handshake, review and discuss the scout oath and law and discuss the scout (first class) badge. If they have just attended a meeting, I have seen them demonstrate the scout salute while reciting the pledge, as well as the scout sign while the troop does the scout oath and law.

 

I do follow this with a SMC once they join the troop, but having covered most of the points, I do not repeat requirements unless I see they were having trouble the month before. This process is quick and painless, and the scout is often presented his scout patch by the end of the first or second meeting once he officially joins the troop.

[JMBadger]

It seems pretty obvious that the Scout Badge (not rank) requirements are met by a boy who earns his AoL, and during the AoL/crossover ceremony the boys were given their Scout Badges at that time. It is just that the Scoutmaster came up to me later and said he thought he screwed up, that the boys should have been given the Tenderfoot badge right away. I told him I didn't think that was right but would certainly look into it.

[evmori]

It seems pretty obvious that the Scout Badge (not rank) requirements are met by a boy who earns his AoL, and during the AoL/crossover ceremony the boys were given their Scout Badges at that time. It is just that the Scoutmaster came up to me later and said he thought he screwed up, that the boys should have been given the Tenderfoot badge right away. I told him I didn't think that was right but would certainly look into it.

 

A boy is not required to earn the AOL to join Boy Scouts. The Scout Badge requirements are to be done as a Boy Scout, not a Cub Scout.

[moosetracker]

It has been years ago, and memory fades.. But I know when my son was earning the AOL.. The two troops in the area, collaboratively come to one of our last scout meetings and did a round robin where they tested the boys on their knowledge of the oath, law, knot tieing.. I know there were other things like the uniform, & meaning of some symbols on a badge (maybe scout badge)..

 

Anyway, they were tested by the troops they were joining to get awarded the AOL.. I don't remember though if this meant they only needed all required forms completed and the Scout master conferience when they joined the troop. I know the scout badge was not given at the crossover, they hadn't had a SM conference yet (at least..) and I think that one-on-one with your new scoutmaster is critical for the two to get to know each other and what is expected.

 

I do think the troops should re-test the scout knowledge for the scout badge, AOL or not.. You never know what Webloes leader handed out AOL for just showing up to the meetings the info was discussed at, rather then the boy really knowing the knots, law etc..

[Gunny2862]

A Scout Learns, is Tested, Reviewed, and Recognized.

 

I often consider not that the prospective Scout has earned his AoL but that if he did it right, he can walk through the Scout requirements in paperwork time plus about five minutes - that's pretty close to automatic. Tenderfoot if he did all of his AoL activities and read his Cub Scouting books (a stretch but certainly possible) is not all that much further away.

 

But, we don't recognize the prospects as Scouts until they complete the testing/review processes with us, same for Tenderfoot - although I'll certainly take another Scoutmasters signature for it if they transfer in AS Scouts.

[NJCubScouter]

Our troop gives the Scout badge to a boy who has earned Arrow of Light, once they submit the application and their parent signs off that they have completed the pamphlet requirements regarding child abuse. Personally I see nothing wrong with asking them to recite the Scout Oath and Law, tie the square knot and the few other requirements, even though they have already done them as Webelos.

[Eagle92]

Once upon a time, if memory serves, a CS who received AOL automatically got Scout AND had the 2 months as a scout requirement waived for Tenderfoot. This was back in the 1980s, and I got Scout as soon as I joined, and Tenderfoot within a month of joining the troop after meeting the requirements.