The requirements for TENDERFOOT should be...

[Stosh]

OR???!! the Scout badge gives the new guy something to wear on his rank pocket like everyone else while he works on TF rank. I always have the parents sign off on the Child Protection pamphlet. It gives the boy a bit of "homework" to do, take the responsibility of setting down with his parents and going through it. I had one over-achieving boy that didn't get his pamphlet signed off and we had a little discussion and he informed me his parents "didn't have time." We talked about it's importance and his parents came in finally and thanked me. They said the boy insisted at dinner time that they get this done, scheduled a time when to do it and made sure his younger sister sat in on the discussion. Always expect the best out of your boys and you will get it.

 

I always let the new Scouts go through a BOR for the Scout rank. It didn't count for anything and it gave a chance for each boy to sit down with the Board and learn what they are before anything became official. My committee people liked it too because they could show the boy that this is not an inquisition but a friendly chat to review their scouting experience. It helped them work up the courage to ask for a BOR, schedule one, participate and go through the motions without the pressure of it being "for real". Some boys opted out of this saying I couldn't add to the requirements, but over the long run, they tended to me more nervous with the BOR's than the boys who took me up on it.

 

As far as the requirements go, I do think that the speed at which the SM's tend to rush the boys through leave them lacking in basic skills down the road. I have even experienced Life scouts that can't start of campfire and would starve to death in the field. The skills that are taught should prepare the boys to be used for future activities, not demonstrated once and then forgotten.

 

Along with every requirement, I would also give examples of where this requirement would come into play at a later date. The physical fitness requirement was not just a test, wait 30 days and then retest. It is supposed to be a test, practice every day for 30 days and then retest. The boys were all informed that this practice everyday was going to be the same thing they would do for 6 months as they prepared for a Philmont trek in a few years. Once it made more sense to them why they were doing it, they would retain the information better. We teach HOW, but not very often WHY. Big difference in the attitude of the boys. Unfortunately we as adults don't often know why. The TF requirement on the Buddy System. It's not just for safety reasons, it's the first step in Servant Leadership. All the boys are expected to be able to take care of themselves and should be there by FC. However, taking care of somebody else, i.e. their Buddy, starts the process of eventually taking care of a half dozen others i.e. PL, and when they get really good at helping others, SPL, QM, etc. These positions take on functionality if properly trained.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Stosh

[Kudu]

 

All bad requirements are caused by bad Scout theory: The so-called "Aims & Methods."

 

Baden-Powell designed Scouting to be the opposite of school: The aim of each rank is a demonstration of Scoutcraft competency through a series of Journeys and Expeditions of increasing difficulty:

 

http://inquiry.net/advancement/traditional/journey_requirements.htm

 

Instead of Traditional Boy Scout activities such as an "Advancement" based on a series of Journeys, and a "Patrol Method" based on monthly Patrol Hikes, we have "First Year" checklists designed to meet abstract "Aims" through increasingly non-camping activities: Gym class pull ups to meet the "Aim" of "Fitness," for instance.

 

Instead of Baden-Powell's "Practical Christianity" (pure volunteerism--because "to help other people at all times" is the right thing to do) the 1972 fake Method "Leadership Development" teaches Boy Scouts to demand compensation for hours of public service and months in Positions of Responsibility. Why not just pay our kids to go to church?

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

[dkurtenbach]

Service requirements teach youth that (a) service is one half of a transaction -- he or she does service, and in return gets something of value (such as rank advancement or school credit); and (b) you only need to do service up to the amount of the requirement, because that is all you're getting paid for (and save any additional service until you need it for the next rank or credit next semester). The Scout spirit requirement is a broader application of that same principle ("To complete this requirement, give me examples of how you have been Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, and Friendly in your daily life."). An ironic turn for an organization inspired by the story of a Boy Scout who refused to accept a tip.

 

Dan Kurtenbach

Fairfax, VA

[NJCubScouter]

I would complete the sentence that is started in the subject line of this thread as follows:

 

...left alone for awhile, preferably until the NEXT new addition of the handbook comes out.

 

And more generally, I wish they would leave ALL the rank requirements alone for awhile. This does not mean I think the requirements are perfect. Some of the changes suggested above might be an improvement. However, for me, the benefits of most "improvements" to the rank requirements are outweighed by the difficulty the BSA has communicating those changes to the "field." Right now we've got some boys with the 11th edition of the handbook, some with the 12th, and every annual printing seems to change the requirements a little, or add a new one here or there. So we have Scouts who have up to seven different versions of the requirements in their books (and I'd bet that the actual number is at least five) but for their next rank they are all supposedly following the requirements in the current printing of the current handbook - a book most of them don't have. All of the kids who have made Star in the last 2 years or so have been working out of a book that does not have one of the major requirements for their next rank (the EDGE requirement for Life, which I know is a favorite in this forum, but it is still a requirement.)

 

I realize that sometimes National comes up with a really nifty idea and wants to get it into the requirements right away, but I wish they would resist the temptation (unless it is really, really necessary) until the next handbook comes out (at least.) So for those you who are suggesting a major rewrite of the requirements for Tenderfoot, or any other rank, well, the 13th edition of the handbook should be out in 8 to 10 years or so. There's your chance.(This message has been edited by njcubscouter)

[qwazse]

In my opinion most kids in Scouting enjoy camping. So to follow your line of thinking why count the number of nights camping as a requirement? T - 1 and Camping MB all require nights camping.

 

Because the purpose of T - 1 is to become qualified to take your patrol hiking and camping.

 

There's nothing wrong with a boy learning a little accountability in terms of setting aside a few hours for service. It's just IMHO not a First Class skill.

[acco40]

Attend a minimum of two overnight campouts without a helicopter parent present.