What Is Your Troop Doing To Prepare For The 2016 Requirements?

[Gone]

The new requirements will not necessarily be effective with the "next rank". It depends on what rank the Scout is working on on Jan. 1, 2016. If that rank is Scout, First Class, Star or Life, then yes, for the "next rank" (Tenderfoot, Star, Life or Eagle respectively) they must start using the new requirements. But if the rank they are working on is Tenderfoot or Second Class, they may continue to use the old requirements until they make First Class.

 

During 2016 only, though.

 

If you are Tenderfoot on January 1, 2016 you may continue to use the 2015 requirements for SC and FC until December 31, 2016. If you don't make FC by then you MUST use the 2016 requirements. Same goes for any rank. If go the entire 2016 without completing your "current" rank requirements under which you were grandfathered with the old requirements, you must use the 2016 requirements as of 1/1/17.

 

At least that's how the BSA guide reads to me.

[fred johnson]

During 2016 only, though.

 

I am a stickler for "knowing" the rules so we can better implement the solution and support our scouts.  A key part is avoiding creating dependencies on the adults.  Requirements changing every year does more damage than good because it injects adult nit-picking into scout managed advancement.  

 

This problem was created by a BSA contradiction.  

 

    - Fixed - Printed in the scout handbook

    - Changing- Annual revisions with rules for effective dates

 

IMHO, BSA needs to clean this up.  I see two possible better answers.

 

    - Scout is answerable to the handbook requirements he received when he joined

    - Requirements are not printed in the handbook.  BORs hand the next requirement set when the previous rank is completed.

 

In any event, our troop has scouts that use their handbooks.  We don't use TroopMaster or anything else.  We don't have an adult auditing Boy Scout handbooks versus current requirements.  It's what it is.

Edited September 1, 2015 by fred johnson