New BSA knot

[Eagle92]

If I can find the link, I will post it. Somewhere I read on a site that the 'reserves" are district/council level positions.

[Old_OX_Eagle83]

The key here is understanding why knots exists. Just like with the scouts recognition, the adult recognition is designed to encourage, and reward performance. If you look at the award requirements they are a toll order, and have very tangible program benefits. If only 1000 Alumni completed the requirements for this award the benefit to the scouting movement would be on such a scale to be clearly noticed. Ive questioned the addition of many adult, and youth, awards, but I dont question the reason, or benefit of this sward, and program. Examine it a bit more closely, youll see what I see.

 

The color choices ... I'm less excited about

[Eagle92]

OOE83,

 

For the most part I do agree with you on the use of knots. But some knots like the NESA Lifetime Eagle knot, the Alumni knot I have reservations with. I think making NESA membership a requirement for Alumni is pushing NESA, and appears to be a "moneymaker" Ditto the NESA Eagle knot.

 

 

[Woapalanne]

NESA membership is not a requirement for Alumni for most.

[Woapalanne]

But I do have to ask: why is the name of this knot PLURAL? It's for individuals, right? It should be "alumnus" knot.

[SeattlePioneer]

I know National has ambitious goals for increasing the numbers of new adult leaders.

 

Does anyone know how this award fits into that goal? Will "Alumni" be considered to be adult leaders in the future?

 

I'm all in favor of increasing the number of adult leaders, but not if you do that by counting people who aren't actually doing things.

[nolesrule]

" But I do have to ask: why is the name of this knot PLURAL? It's for individuals, right? It should be "alumnus" knot. "

 

The award is for individuals, but it's about trying to recruit in the PLURAL. Besides, "alumnus" would not necessarily be accurate in regards to the award earner since women are also eligible.

[Eagle92]

Nole,

 

If ya want to get technical, "alumni" is also masculine. Alumnae is the feminine plural.

 

 

 

[nolesrule]

And if you really, really want to get technical, the masculine plural form is used when there is a combination of males and females (even if there is only one male) or when the gender makeup is unknown.

 

So that brings us back to "alumni" being appropriate. :-)

[Ohanadad]

It's been a year or more since the award came out. Does anyone know if anyone sucessfully completed the requirements for this award? My council's website doesn't even have an Alumni section much less alumni activities. Looking at the requirements, I immediately felt it would be mission impossible for me and the people who earn it are also the same ones who earned every merit badge avalible.

[BartHumphries]

Well, you're not going to be able to earn the award without working at least a little bit with your local council alumni committee, so contact your council, ask who's on the committee and how you'd talk with them, and how you can join. Then you're going to have to serve on that committee for one year.

 

While you wait to get on the committee, with the permission of the committee chair and the Council Executive, you'll also have to do the following:

-If you're not already a registered Scouter, pay $35 to become a registered alumni.

-If you're an Eagle Scout, become a member of the National Eagle Scout Association and register on the NESA web site.

-Visit the Alumni Connection web site and complete the alumni scavenger hunt.

-Become an Alumni Ambassador by successfully completing the online alumni volunteer training.

-Upload two of your own Scouting-related photos to the BSA Alumni Scrapbook section of the BSA Alumni web site.

-Share your favorite Scouting memory through the Rekindle Memories section of the alumni web site and send an ecard to at least five unregistered alumni. Write down who these five people are, because you're going to have to do more with your five unregistered former Scouts/Scouters (and you'll also need three more, but I digress).

 

Now that you're on the committee:

-Assist in planning an alumni activity at the district, council, or community level (could also be regional/national, but honestly how many of us will that apply to).

-Grab those five people that you sent an e-card to, engage them in a serious discussion about the Scouting program, provide them each with an Alumni Connection card and follow-up to see if they have visited the web site.

-Obtain at least two scout profiles or stories (get two of them to tell you a story about when they were a scout), use them in local council alumni promotion and forward a copy of the profiles/stories to the national alumni office.

 

And finally the salesmanship part (this will require you finding even more alumni, as it'll take at least eight people to do the following, since they all have to be different people):

-Two people must attend a "big" Scout activity (any activity, anywhere, as long as it's more than just your unit)

-Two people must volunteer at a "big" Scout activity (any activity, anywhere, as long as it's more than just your unit).

-Two people must become registered members of the BSA.

-Two people must give Friends of Scouting gifts (after you personally asked them to).

 

See the requirements at http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Alumni_Award or http://www.scouting.org/Alumni/Association.aspx(This message has been edited by BartHumphries)

[HawkUH60]

I know one guy who has earned it and its not in my council. A year ago I personally asked my Scout Ex if we had a committee. He said no. I said ok, let me start one for you. Never heard back from him. I am military and fairly new to the council but I couldnt beleave that a SE would turn down help on something national has put time and effort into.

 

I never earned all 120 something merit badges but I would ahve gladly work on the alunmi committiee just becasue I want to do something different. Oh well. I go abck to FT Bragg NC soo where SEs dont turn down help!

[ssgjbroyles]

While you wait to get on the committee, with the permission of the committee chair and the Council Executive, you'll also have to do the following:

-If you're not already a registered Scouter, pay $35 to become a registered alumni.

 

looks like on the website they want you to pay the $35 even if you ARE a registered Scouter.

 

A worthy investment

[BartHumphries]

That would explain why I've never received any alumni items.

 

I actually think the website just isn't equipped to handle people who are already registered as volunteer Scouters and who already have a website profile but who then sign up as alumni. If I click the login heart-link in the alumni area after logging in with the website in general, it takes me straight to the "Thank You" page. Either that or I signed up before they got the form working that asks for payment information, back when the alumni section was first introduced, and slipped through a loophole. I honestly don't remember, but I know I didn't pay any additional money and it sure acts like I've logged in to the alumni bit when I log in to the website in general.

[HawkUH60]

Oh I have paid my $35 to the alumni site. I just hate to say it but my current council is not the best. Maybe in a few more years after the settle legal issues and get more out of debt. National needs to work on its web sites....why cant I have one log in (MyScouting.org) and be able to access things like the alumni site and my other tools like speakers bank and unit commissioner stuff? Just saying....