Advancement / Graduation

[fauxc]

This year we held our advancement banquet in April and had our graduation in May which seems to be what is typically done since we only have 2 den meetings per month and we don't have enough time to advance in February. The vote came up whether to combine the advancement and graduation ceremony into one because a lot of people don't understand the difference between the two, but I do. I voted against it because I think that it would be rushed and not everyone moves to the next rank because they may decide to drop out. I also believe that having them seperate allow special ceremonies to be performed for advancement and graduation seperately. We have about 45-50 boys.

 

After the vote, it was a tie and the CC got to make the deciding vote which was to combine them in May. Since I'm the CM, I have to plan for these two to be together and somehow seperate the two which means the ceremony could get quite lengthy. I just wanted to see if others had this issue and if so what they have done to resolve them.

 

Thanks

[horanmm]

I hope this means you still have the blue and gold in February.

 

The ranks should be awarded at the next pack meeting after they are earned. Many of the requirements for Wolf and Bear can be done at home, which means that many can be done before the Blue and Gold. Tigers can take a while to get started and require the den activities. Most Webelos requirements are done as part of den activities.

 

The is no need to make them wait, or to do it as one large group.

 

The Webelos ready to bridge to boy scouts should do so in March or April, depending on what the local troops prefer.

 

The rest of the Pack should graduate to the next level at the last event of the school year. They should be given books during the ceremony so they can start working on the requirements for the next level during the summer.

[ScoutNut]

>>"not everyone moves to the next rank because they may decide to drop out."

[fauxc]

horanmm,

 

We did not do a blue and gold in February. We do the AOL ceremony and crossover at the pack meeting and have a cake for the scouting birthday. I'm trying to change this and do more of a blue and gold although it will probably still be at the pack meeting since we do our advancement banquet in May.

 

ScoutNut,

 

What I meant by everyone does not move to the next rank is that they decide not to continue and they don't get their colors because they are not at the graduation ceremony.

 

We do not make them pay dues until the school year in September.

 

In the past, we have not done any type of awards at the pack meetings, I awarded all of mine immediately at the Tiger den meetings, but this year I am doing advancement at the pack meetings for all of the dens.

 

If some of your cubs earn their rank in February, then you do a special ceremony for them then right? And if some earn it in March, you do it again and the same for April?

 

I like your idea of doing advancement first and then graduation after with the indian theme.

[ScoutNut]

>>"If some of your cubs earn their rank in February, then you do a special ceremony for them then right? And if some earn it in March, you do it again and the same for April?">"What I meant by everyone does not move to the next rank is that they decide not to continue and they don't get their colors because they are not at the graduation ceremony."

[fauxc]

ScoutNut,

 

I started out with 12 tigers and lost 3 along the way. Two of them did not show up at several meetings so I contacted their parents and they said the boys were involved in sports. The third one has an older sibling and they just show up once or twice a year and apparently have done that for a while now.

 

I had the other 9 advance and 8 of them wanted to move on. The one didn't want to be in it anymore, but his older brother is still in and the parent is very involved.

[5yearscouter]

We try to wait to give out any ranks earned in prior months in February. Mostly cause November has really low attendance right before thanksgiving, December is a parade with short christmas party, January is Derby which takes a lot of our time, so there isn't a lot of time in the mtgs to do a good ceremonial rank advancement. we talk to den leader and parents if they are ok with that, and if not we work it in somewhere. we do give out belt loops and other awards but they tend to have no ceremony attached, call on stage and give em a cheer kind of thing.

 

Then we have 1-2 ranks tend to be earned in March, April and May where there is a SMALL ceremony used--april is probably better ceremony wise cause it's a campout, and it's always cool to get your rank award at a campfire program.

 

May we focus on giving out those last minute ranks and other awards.

then we have polled the parents to figure out who is continuing and who is not. If not continuing often they either don't come to the advancement/graduation to next rank, or they leave after they get any of their last awards.

 

Then we make a big deal of calling the webelos 1 on stage and give them a scout coin to thank them for continuing the next year, wish them luck as webelos 2's, read a thing about what they can look forward to in the coming year.

 

We ask them to stay on stage and help us turn the bear's into webelos. Read a thing about what they will be doing in the coming year, the webelos 2's change out their hats, neckers, slides and give them a new book and turn them into webelos.

 

then the webelos 1's stay on stage and introduce the wolves to what they'll be doing as bears (read a little script) and then change out the hats and neckers and slides and give them a book.

Repeat turning tigers into wolves.

 

Then we ask if we have any new tigers in the audience, call them up and give them hats and neckers and a book too. and tell them what they can look forward to in the coming year.

 

Then we have a quick announcement about our summertime events and enjoy cake and punch.

 

It doesn't take a lot of time, it's mostly hands off to the adults, the kids promote the den to their next rank. they all get recognized for sticking with it.

 

oh this year I gave them all a homemade bug neckerchief slide to wear when they are running around so they don't lose the new cub scout slide they just got, with a little card that says just any old bug can hit a windshield, but it takes guts to stick to it. Thanks for sticking with scouts this year, look forward to next year with you in our pack.

 

something like that.