The boy scout uniform

[christineka]

Your son can technically start working on merit badges as soon as he becomes a registered Boy Scout, but as others have said it is not the most critical and can be somewhat overwhelming for a new scout. Merit badges involve asking the scoutmaster for a "blue card" and contact information for merit badge counselors, contacting those merit badge counselors to ask them for their help, and arranging a meeting between at least 3 people (the counselor, the scout, and the scout's buddy). That can be a very difficult series of steps for a youth to accomplish, and all of that happens before he starts working on a single requirement. The system is designed that way to challenge the boy, but it is often best to let him concentrate on the Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, and 1st Class requirements early on to build up his skills and confidence.

 

As far as the lone scout being made to not "repeat the rank stuff", I cannot begin to express how much I disagree with that. The skills learned on the trail to 1st Class are the bedrock of a good scout experience, and should honestly be repeated for the scout's entire career. Learning enough basic first aid to pass the rank requirements as an 11 year old is a great thing. Retraining and relearning those skills year after year could mean remembering them in time to save someone's life one day. The same idea applies to essentially all of the skills needed to earn those ranks.

 

Velcro for the unit numbers is a very good option. If you look around, you can find velcro made in roughly the same tan color as the shirts, which works great if one troop has 3 digits in its number and the other has only 1 or 2 digits.

 

Green loops have been current for Boy Scouts for a couple of years, but there are still plenty of Scouts and Scouters happily walking around with red loops on their shoulders. At this point, it would actually be harder to find the red ones than the green anyway. Just don't go for yellow, silver, blue or orange!

 

By the way, for the necker and hat questions: those are up to individual troop decisions as decided by the youth members. If the LDS troop doesn't have any standards yet, your son may be able to start the discussion and help make the decision once he joins up. Of course, if he does end up joining both troops, he may end up needing two different hats and two different neckers to switch back and forth along with those unit numbers on his sleeve!

A fourth boy will join the troop this summer. The scout leader intends to have the older three teach the younger boy when he comes into the troop.

[AKdenldr]

I've often wondered why boys start out in cubs' date=' having to do a relatively large amount of work just for one badge (we didn't do beads), and then the year before boy scouts, get awarded for every little thing he does. It just seems backwards. I would think the younger the boy, the more immediate rewards would be needed. [/quote']

 

That's why the call them "immediate recognition beads".

[qwazse]

Thanks all! We went to the local scout shop and picked up numbers, loops, the handbook, and a second arrow of light badge. (Boy lost his between ceremony and home.) I meticulously picked out the old numbers (second hand shirt) and added the new numbers (for the lds troop) and the arrow of light. At this point, I am not sewing it on the cub shirt for a few weeks to just have to pick out the stitches to move it to the boy scout shirt. I'll move the knot when he changes shirts. The thought of numbers held on by velcro, sounded like a recipe to lose numbers. Boy has a second, slightly larger shirt. (I bought a large lot of shirts, sold all but two, and essentially got the two for free.) He can have community numbers on that one. If we do two shirts, would you go buy a second set of arrow of light and religious knot or just not worry about it?

Leave it up to the boy. Have him take it out of his allowance.

[qwazse]

Oh- boy looked at the book. I showed him where the rank requirements were. I think he is shocked that in boy scouts he won't be awarded for every little thing he does. I've often wondered why boys start out in cubs, having to do a relatively large amount of work just for one badge (we didn't do beads), and then the year before boy scouts, get awarded for every little thing he does. It just seems backwards. I would think the younger the boy, the more immediate rewards would be needed.

Yep. He actually has to read all those chapters! And I honestly feel sorry for him because I think the '70s versions of the handbook was a much easier read. (Fewer colors, more plain-spoken.) Plus we got skill awards (belt loops), but I think they were more trouble than they were worth.

 

Brought my old book in last month. It really interested the boys. They liked comparing what I did (MBs I chose to earn) to what they were planning to do.

 

Anyway, as it looks like his LDS troop will be working on some required-for-eagle merit badges, he will have about half of those skills down before he knows it.

[baggss]

District and Council exeutives receive the "I cant believe they bought it" award

[Oldscout448]

District and Council exeutives receive the "I cant believe they bought it" award

looks like they couldn't afford flak vests

[SSScout]

I've often wondered why boys start out in cubs' date=' having to do a relatively large amount of work just for one badge (we didn't do beads), and then the year before boy scouts, get awarded for every little thing he does. It just seems backwards. I would think the younger the boy, the more immediate rewards would be needed. [/quote']

 

That's why the call them "immediate recognition beads".

AKd: You may meet a few old timers, such as myself, who can remember making the pen holders and cork thunderbirds in the Denleaders rec room, and all we received "immediately" was a "good job!" from our mom or dad. The book got signed,, the smiles from the DL and our folks, THAT was immediate. The Arrow Points or Bear badge came at the Pack meeting two or three weeks or a month later. We were having fun and seeing the pleased look on our folks face and my dad's hand in mine was our "immediate" reward. When did a plastic bead become more important than that?

[AKdenldr]

I've often wondered why boys start out in cubs' date=' having to do a relatively large amount of work just for one badge (we didn't do beads), and then the year before boy scouts, get awarded for every little thing he does. It just seems backwards. I would think the younger the boy, the more immediate rewards would be needed. [/quote']

 

That's why the call them "immediate recognition beads".

SSScout, I didn't say I liked the bead system. We used an den doodle and that seemed to work better with my scouts. I do think the pace of life is faster today and parents have a hard time zero-ing in on what is important. If some beads or stickers help today's parent focus on participating with scout or getting him to those activities, I'll all for it. In my experience it took about 5 months for a boy to earn rank in our pack. That is a long time for a 6, 7, or 8 year old boy. Arrowheads, as you know, are awarded after rank, even if previously earned.

 

(Are you active in a pack now? If so, there are many things that the CM can do to "tone down" excessive awards if this is a pack problem.)

[Pack18Alex]

When I was Tiger Leader, I was pretty meticulous about the beads, the boys LOVED them. When we did a Go See It in Activity Shirts (once or twice), I awarded the bead at the beginning of the next meeting, then another bead at the end. One time I did two at the end (as I was getting a handle on things), it worked marvelously.

 

I found it ridiculous, the boys LOVED IT.

 

The new Tiger leader didn't bother with the beads, the boys are haphazard on attendance and our Tiger retention from month to month is lower than I'd expect.

 

Young boys will sit through the most boring of meetings to earn a bead.

 

The Wolf Year I learned that the boys start to complain of being bored in meetings... but when I remind them that we HAVE to do this to earn their next bead, they stop whining and sit attentively like life depends on it.

[Stosh]

Pack18Alex,

You are probably correct in your assessment of beads and how they affect the boys. This works well for the Cubs and accomplishes the short term desire of the DL. Well behaved boys, give them a bead. However, that process only works for a while. Next they'll want bigger and better awards for paying attention, maybe candy, or a small prize. Then it escalates to the point where in Boy Scouts, the bead at the end is Eagle. If I just keep following the process, I'll get the reward.

 

Nowhere along the line does it create one iota of leadership or character development on the part of the boys. If they just follow directions, pay attention, and do what the leaders say, you'll get your Eagle. As a result we have seen many concerns expressed on the forum of how well that works.

 

I would think for Tigers, it is a god-send because the boys don't know the ins and outs of the program yet, but by the time they get to AOL that system needs to be totally abandoned, maybe even by the end of the Bears year.

 

Stosh

[blw2]

District and Council exeutives receive the "I cant believe they bought it" award

now that's just plain funny!

 

..... "Medals, the new armor."