Maybe clear SOME stuff up regarding changes for 2016

[skeptic]

This is offered as an aid, but likely will generate much more, especially people looking for nits.
http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/2016BoyScoutrequirementsFAQs.pdf2016BoyScoutrequirementsFAQs.pdf

Edited December 29, 2015 by John-in-KC
Added the file, as well as the link.

[NJCubScouter]

One thing I think it makes clear is that if a boy has the option of whether to do a rank under the new or old requirements, it is the boy's choice. There have been some past comments that suggested that leaders might be making the decision that a group of boys will follow. It is supposed to be an individual choice.

[Krampus]

This jives wth the other discussions around when the requirements take effect. The only "choice" is if a boy working want to transition earlier he can. I suspect most units will "request" boys in the first year program all stay on the same curriculum.

[Stosh]

I don't see why there's going to be any problem with mixed requirements even for the new boys.  Joey needs 1 hour of service hours, Freddie needs two.  After a 1 hour service project, Joey's done and Freddie is not.  After another hour everyone's happy.  Mark the books, sign off and date.  Done  No one is on the needing service hours list.

 

Better yet, do an 8 hour roadside cleanup with the troop and get everyone at every rank all done at the same time.  Joey only needed 1 hour and left at noon.  So what.  One year a boy found a $20 bill.  Since then attendance has been great and they stay the whole time.    As a matter of fact they now do the clean up a couple of times a year. 

 

Thinking back over what I just wrote, it just dawned on me I could have salted the ditch with a $20 my first year and things would have gone along a lot better right from the beginning.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Stosh

[Krampus]

I don't see why there's going to be any problem with mixed requirements even for the new boys.  Joey needs 1 hour of service hours, Freddie needs two.  After a 1 hour service project, Joey's done and Freddie is not.  After another hour everyone's happy.  Mark the books, sign off and date.  Done  No one is on the needing service hours list.

Managing 20 boys on the old requirements and 25 boys on the new requirements -- plus another 40 either on one set or the other -- will be a major headache.

 

If units can channel them by groups it will help the burden.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Krampus

[Stosh]

Managing 20 boys on the old requirements and 25 boys on the new requirements -- plus another 40 either on one set or the other -- will be a major headache.

 

If units can channel them by groups it will help the burden.

 

It's called the patrol method where the PL takes care of his boys on this issue.  He shouldn't be worrying about more than 6-7 boys and their advancement and looking for troop opportunities for his patrol to get involved with that are addressing those advancement issues.  I'm sure if one adult is doing all this work, it would be a headache.  But when did it become a job for the adult?  It's a job I wouldn't want to be doing and in fact shouldn't be doing either.

 

I'm sure that if the job is too big for the PL to handle alone, he has his APL there to help and the patrol Scribe could get involved along with the ActivityMaster.... Now half the patrol is working on the issue.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Stosh

[Eagledad]

It's called the patrol method where the PL takes care of his boys on this issue.  He shouldn't be worrying about more than 6-7 boys and their advancement and looking for troop opportunities for his patrol to get involved with that are addressing those advancement issues.  I'm sure if one adult is doing all this work, it would be a headache..........

Meanwhile back at the ranch.

 

We went through this I think in 1998 and it is important that everyone, SCOUTS and adults, understand the changes because it can be a big mess at BOR. Trust me. The risk, at least back then, was record keeping, which is no big deal until Council has to verify a scouts records for Eagle. I think record keeping is a little better now at the council with computers.

 

After we experienced the problems at BOR, we did some training to get everyone (even interested parents) up to speed. In our troop, training is considered important for patrol method.

 

To simplify it for us, we drew a line, those who started on the old system stayed on the old system. Everyone else started new. It not only made it easier on the adults who do have to verify the records at BOR, but also on the scouts and patrol leaders.

 

Barry 

[Krampus]

@@Eagledad, we did the same in 2010. It was suggested that the new scouts used the new requirements, existing scouts stayed on the old requirements until finished with the current rank. Worked well.

 

I can't imagine a Scout (or adult) having to manage too many kids on different paths.

[Stosh]

@@Eagledad, we did the same in 2010. It was suggested that the new scouts used the new requirements, existing scouts stayed on the old requirements until finished with the current rank. Worked well.

 

I can't imagine a Scout (or adult) having to manage too many kids on different paths.

 

My one ASM kept track of what was reported to him for advancement by the PL's.  He was nothing more than a data entry person.  The PL's had a TroopMaster printout of what his boys needed for advancement and would report back to the ASM when the boys accomplished a requirement.  If the paper the PL had got mucked up with things being crossed off or a bit confusing, he would simply ask the ASM for an updated report and keep on going.  My SMC's were my opportunity to sit down with the advancing scout and make sure everything looked Kosher for his BOR.  I never had a boy question his PL about his advancement records and nothing ever came up in the SMC that would raise any eyebrows.

 

A PL having to keep track of 6-7 boys didn't seem to be a daunting responsibility for even the weakest of PL's.  I and my ASM worked out the details at a troop level for council reporting and the PL's and APL's did the same on a vastly smaller scale for the patrols for troop reporting.  It always seemed to run smoothly for us.

 

Obviously the heaviest responsibility for advancement would always fall on the shoulders of the NSP PL, but along with his APL, he also had the older TG to help him get squared away.  That is three people keeping an eye on the progress of the new boys (and none of them over the age of 18). It encourages the older boys to do more than just teach scoutcraft skills to the younger boys.  They also teach how to be a leader and run a patrol all at the same time.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Stosh

[perdidochas]

I don't see why there's going to be any problem with mixed requirements even for the new boys.  Joey needs 1 hour of service hours, Freddie needs two.  After a 1 hour service project, Joey's done and Freddie is not.  After another hour everyone's happy.  Mark the books, sign off and date.  Done  No one is on the needing service hours list.

 

Better yet, do an 8 hour roadside cleanup with the troop and get everyone at every rank all done at the same time.  Joey only needed 1 hour and left at noon.  So what.  One year a boy found a $20 bill.  Since then attendance has been great and they stay the whole time.    As a matter of fact they now do the clean up a couple of times a year. 

 

Thinking back over what I just wrote, it just dawned on me I could have salted the ditch with a $20 my first year and things would have gone along a lot better right from the beginning.

We often salt with a $5 for camp policing. It's scary how often it's not found by Scouts. 

[Stosh]

We often salt with a $5 for camp policing. It's scary how often it's not found by Scouts. 

Oh, that's rich!

 

I always tell the boys we leave when the camp is clean. I can do that because I have the car keys.  Then they police it and I follow along behind them.  If I find anything I tell them I guess I'll have to stay and go over it inch by inch by myself so that it gets cleaned.  Once we cleaned a city park we camped in and it was of course full of cigarette butts.  None of the boys wanted to pick them up.  Well I went back and for almost an hour picked up butts (it would have been 5 minutes if everyone pitched in) while they sat around making noises like they had sprung an air leak.  Even the other adults refused to help out, but they didn't make any noises.    When I got all done I washed my hands in front of the boys and then finished them up with hand sanitizer and then announced it was time to go. No one got yelled at, no one got punished, but we NEVER played that game ever again.   As a matter of fact one police line through the camp seemed to always do it and in record time.  I'm sure that story got passed down as new boys came into the troop, but I never heard it.

[Eagle94-A1]

^{I admit, the adults made the decision for the Cross Over we got 2 weeks ago: wait until January 26th to get the new book, and just start using the new requirements.  Since his Cross Over, all we had was the Christmas Party. Next Week is the next meeting.}

 

^{For the rest of them, We've informed them they have until December 31, 2016 to get to First Class or the next higher rank under the current requirements.}

 

^{What I hope does NOT happen is that units ignore the changes and have their Scouts keep working on the old requirements. Had a troop do that, and when they folded, some transferred Scouts had some advancement challenges. One of those Scouts had to appeal for an extension to get Eagle!  Thankfully, he got it.}

Edited December 30, 2015 by John-in-KC
Changed font size for readability.

[JasonG172]

I wonder who dropped the ball on this one.  I went to my scout office to pick up my son's very first Boy Scout book (earning his AoL next month) and they didn't have any on the shelf and was back ordered until the 20th.  Went to the website and same thing, backordered till the end of the month.  Someone missed that projections huh lol

[Krampus]

I wonder who dropped the ball on this one.  I went to my scout office to pick up my son's very first Boy Scout book (earning his AoL next month) and they didn't have any on the shelf and was back ordered until the 20th.  Went to the website and same thing, backordered till the end of the month.  Someone missed that projections huh lol

 

The new handbook comes out on 1/22. The old one's, if still in stock, I wouldn't buy.

[blw2]

yeah, my son already has earned his AOL and crossover is set for Jan 24th.  A bit early in my opinion, but just as well.  everyone is finished and ready to be done with it already!

I went ahead and ordered a book since I don't know when I'll be able to get to the scout shop.  I wonder how long it will take to make it to my mailbox....