Question About Scheduling Eagle Courts Of Honor

[Stosh]

 

Also, the SM does not have to be at every ECoH. If you are having that many Eagles coming down the pike, an ASM can step up as master of ceremony.

 

Better yet have the SPL do the MC of the ECOH.  Seriously I would think the best person to present his Eagle rank to him would be his PL who has presented him with his Scout, TF, 2C, FC, Star, and Life.  Why should some adult step in and take over for the final presentation?

 

I've attended every ECOH and ALWAYS just sat in the audience.  SPL MC's the program and PL's make the presentation to their members.  If a PL is receiving honors, the SPL presents them to him.

[Gone]

Better yet have the SPL do the MC of the ECOH.  Seriously I would think the best person to present his Eagle rank to him would be his PL who has presented him with his Scout, TF, 2C, FC, Star, and Life.  Why should some adult step in and take over for the final presentation?

 

I've attended every ECOH and ALWAYS just sat in the audience.  SPL MC's the program and PL's make the presentation to their members.  If a PL is receiving honors, the SPL presents them to him.

...or some scout that needs the COH emcee job for the Communications MB.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Bad Wolf

[pargolf44067]

Better yet have the SPL do the MC of the ECOH.  Seriously I would think the best person to present his Eagle rank to him would be his PL who has presented him with his Scout, TF, 2C, FC, Star, and Life.  Why should some adult step in and take over for the final presentation?

 

I've attended every ECOH and ALWAYS just sat in the audience.  SPL MC's the program and PL's make the presentation to their members.  If a PL is receiving honors, the SPL presents them to him.

 

Actually, as SM I have never MC'd the ECOH program.  The Eagle Scout and his family come up with the program and usually I am asked to present the Eagle award, neckerchief and parent pins (give to the scout to give to the parents).  Usually it is one of the Eagle's buddies doing the MC'ing and some of his other friends or adults that are important to him that do the other parts of the program that he came up with.

[Stosh]

In this case, it appears it's prideful unit leaders that are the problem, not the family or scouts. 

 

Barry

 

I don't buy the conclusion.  A high school graduation reception is not the responsibility of the school and if they don't place enough emphasis on the occasion to suit the family, too bad.  A religious "coming of age" ceremony reception is not the responsibility of the religious organization either.  No reception, no big deal it has nothing to do with the religious leadership.  So for Scouting and an Eagle everyone is supposed to jump through a ton of hoops to make it happen or there's something wrong with the adult leadership of the unit?  Nope, the world does not revolve around Eagle scouts, Confirmands or high school graduates regardless of the struggles one goes through to get there.  The program did it's job, the leaders did their job, and if the family wants to celebrate, they do it on their own time and dime.

[pargolf44067]

@@Stosh,

 

I usually agree with you, but in this case the family is the one making the arrangements and it is the committee members that are complaining about when it is.  I think Barry is right that it is the CC that is trying to put his will on the family as to when they should have it.  It doesn't sound like they are asking the troop to do anything for it, just trying to line up a weekend that is available at the church.  If the Eagle Scout wants to have it when his mom is in town and that doesn't work for the CC, who cares.  We have had a few occasions where there are a couple of things going on the same day as an ECOH, and whoever can make it makes it.

[Stosh]

@@pargolf44067  Why is the family even in dialog with the troop other than the boy's PL and maybe the SPL?  Boy-led, means talk to the boys.  Patrol method means, for sure talk to the PL.  Adult-led, means talk to the adults.

 

My daughter graduated from high school and her mom did up the biggie reception thingy for the family and her friends.  They came for about 10 minutes, said hi and ran off to the next party, they had to get back to their own, too.

 

So in late August I offered my daughter a second graduation party.  She could invite her friends for one last time before they all head off to colleges all over the country.  They started at 11:00 am, sat out and chatted, made kabobs on the charcoal, chatted some more and eventually did some more kabobs and chatted until about 7:00 pm. when they all went their separate ways. My daughter and her friends thought it was the best graduation party ever.  I didn't care, it was super easy to clean up...

 

Go with what's important to the kids, not what society (aka adults) thinks it needs.   

 

If I misunderstood Barry, my apologies, I was assuming the troop was supposed to be following the boy-led, patrol-method program of the Boy Scouts.  Obviously that doesn't sound like the case.

[andysmom]

The reason the scout is talking to an adult is because the SM is the only person the pastor will speak with regarding reserving rooms at the church.  The entire event is planned by the Eagle Scout and his family with the exception of booking the church and ordering a cake.  That is all the troop does.  The scout writes the ceremony and asks whomever he wants to emcee, do readings, present the Eagle badge, Eagle oath etc.  The SM usually is asked to present the rank, the CC is usually asked to speak about the Eagle process and BOR.  I generally help set up and clean up because I am usually there early because my husband has a key to the church and he unlocks the building to let everyone in.

 

We have never had this come up before because the Eagle Scout tells us what date he wants the ceremony (if he wants it at the church) and the SM checks to see if it is available and reserves the rooms.  If there is a project going on the same day, so be it.

 

The ONLY reason this is an issue now is that last weekend we had an Eagle COH and an Eagle Service Project on the same day and the new CC told the SM that in that he did not want those two types of events scheduled on the same day again.  He was told that "WE" did not schedule them, the scouts did.  He told me that I needed to strongly encourage another scout to change the date he wanted his COH because we have another Eagle project work day scheduled for the same day.

 

This is simply the case of one leader trying to impose his own perceived power over everyone else.

Edited June 2, 2015 by andysmom

[resqman]

Most boys probably could not tell you who the CC is in my troop.  The lads interact with the SM and ASMs.  CC and the committee are totally behind the scenes and have virtually no interaction with lads other that BOR. 

 

I would acknowledge the CC's request and thank him for the input.  The scouts understand that there are multiple events and are willing to accept limited turnout.  Scouts in our troop either have the ceremony after a regular COH or have one at another location at the day & time of their choosing.  The scouts and leaders they want to attend usually get a special request and confirmation they can attend.  The rest of the troop receives a general invitation with the understanding that many will chose to not attend. 

 

The ECOH is not about the CC, it is about the Eagle Scout.  If the CC told my son he could not have a ECOH on his chosen date, my sons would shrug their shoulders and say So, don't come.  

 

I have two sons.  One had his after the standard COH.  Much less work with planning.  Other one had his at the local state park at the site of his Eagle project.   Both had a ceremony.  Both got the award.  Both are pleased with what, when, where, & how it happened.  CC and committee had no involvement in the ECOH. 

[qwazse]

Better yet have the SPL do the MC of the ECOH.  Seriously I would think the best person to present his Eagle rank to him would be his PL who has presented him with his Scout, TF, 2C, FC, Star, and Life.  Why should some adult step in and take over for the final presentation?

 

I've attended every ECOH and ALWAYS just sat in the audience.  SPL MC's the program and PL's make the presentation to their members.  If a PL is receiving honors, the SPL presents them to him.

Because the boys ask for adults to take a larger part in the ECoH. Ours are typically 18 at the time, and long past being bothered by the youth-adult distinction.

 

I strongly suggested to two scouts that their CoH's should be in a panel discussion format (with them *and* a couple of key adults fielding questions from the audience). They liked the concept, but weren't willing to push that hard for the change.

 

Breaking tradition is tough. Not a hill I need to die on. The cost: there are some boys who refuse to have a court of honor because of the fuss. (One told me he stopped advancement at life for this reason.)

 

...or some scout that needs the COH emcee job for the Communications MB.

 

SPL is Sergeant at Arms.

[Stosh]

@andysmomThe ECOH does not need to be in the church.  Resqman illustrates a variety of settings are equally nice.  The issue with the pastor is very unprofessional.    Changing an Eagle project work day is not as important as a ECOH.  Family might be coming in from all over and travel arrangements and flights are to be moved because some scout has a work day?  Sorry, not good enough, move the work day.

 

See what happens when adults get in the way?

[fred johnson]

"Piggy-Back" ECOH: When this follows a regular COH. We close the standard COH and then convene the ECOH. If there are special things the ECOH family wants done they work with the COR and scout running the COH to coordinate, otherwise, the Eagle family is responsible for anything else (see stand alone ECOH) they may need.

 

I am a huge proponent of having ECOH as part of a normal COH.  IMHO, it has numerous benefits.  I don't care so much for close one COH & open the next COH.  I'd rather just have a slightly longer COH that includes eagle rank recognition.  It's just a rank, not a crowning.   

[fred johnson]

I will admit that I am biased because our committee in the past has scheduled BOR etc on their schedule, giving no consideration to the scout's commitments.  We had one scout sick on the day of his 2nd class BOR and the committee refused to meet with him any other time because "if you make an exception for one, they will all expect it".

 

IMHO, this is a fully different and larger issue.  IMHO, BORs should be made available as soon as possible.  Scout asks for a SMC.  Scoutmaster and scout chat.  "IDEALLY" ... scoutmaster immediately walks the scout over for a board of review.  If not, the scoutmaster works to make it happen as soon as possible.  The SMC is the last "requirement".  The BOR is paperwork and to benefit the troop as much as the scout.

[Twocubdad]

Ultimately, this is a chain-of-command issue to be worked out between the pastor, the CC and the SM.  I assume the pastor is the head of the Chartered Organization.  If that's the case, I would suggest the troop accommodate his request that scheduling requests go through the SM.  Without the CO, the troop program doesn't exist.  I think it's a pretty good lesson for the Scouts to learn that their program doesn't exist in a vacuum.  Everyone is answerable to someone and you need to remember who signs your check. 

 

That said, our PLC schedules troop activities, including ECOHs and work days so as to avoid conflicts.  First come, first served.  The second person to request a date that's already taken is out.  Sorry that's the only weekend Aunt Sue can come.  You should have asked earlier. 

 

Our troop tradition is that ECOHs are troop  functions.  The presentation belongs to the troop and is conducted by the troop.   All the parties, receptions, dinners and related swirl are up to the Scout and his family.  It's like a wedding.  The minister administers the rite of marriage according to the tradition of the church, but all the rest is up to the couple.

 

Consequently, ECOHs have several moving parts, including the schedule and availability of all the key participants.  As Andysmom's quoted her CC in one of her posts, "we have lives outside Scouting."  There have been occasions when we have devoted four, five or six consecutive weekends to Scouting,  so I've had to say enough, we're taking a weekend off.. 

 

On occasion, if a Scout still chose to schedule something over top a previously-approved activity, that will result in a conversation regarding the meaning of Courteous.  I don't consider it to be Scoutlike to schedule an activity over someone else's ECOH or workday, intentionally causing a conflict and forcing others to choose between the two.  There's always another weekend.

[Troop185]

  There's always another weekend.

 

Not always in a large troop.  We had an Eagle Ceremony last weekend, one next weekend, and one the following weekend.  We had two Life Scouts present their Eagle projects at the Committee Meeting last night.

 

Good luck in going to everything! ( I am going camping with the New Boy Scouts, and then the Webelos in the next couple of weekends.)

[Stosh]

Three ECOH's in June?  What a waste of good weekends of camping.  Sorry private ECOH's aren't encouraged and if one does want one, they need to work it out with the boys because all COH's are held by them.  Our troop holds 4 COH's a year, on the 5th Tuesday of the month.  The family can have their reception/celebration any time they wish.