Merit Badge aand Rank Badge Stash

[NWScouter]

Not picking on MK9750, but he mentioned that he carried merit badges and rank badges with him. I have seen others make mention of having stashes of badges. I believe their idea is that they can present the rank at the campfire or what ever and honor the Scout right then. As a former District Advancement chair I have problems with that. We are instructed by the BSA to present the badge to the Scout as soon as possible, preferably the next Troop meeting, but not before the paperwork is turned in. In another thread we have a scout claiming that he has 38 more merit badges than his record. Now I can't believe a troop could lose that many records but the handing out badges without turning in the paperwork first is a good way to 'lose' the records. The council record of the advancement sheets is the proof of the work of the scout.

 

[NWScouter]

I for some reason could not get this thread submitted from work, so I sent it home to do later. I did not notice that similar thread had been started before I submitted it.

[Fat Old Guy]

See this is where BSA literature conflicts with itself. The Advancement Committee P&P books says that you can't recognize the Scout until the paperwork is filed. However, in an article from the March-April 1986 issue of Scouting titled "The Board of Review" it says, "He is entitled to wear the badge of rank as soon as he has passed the Board of Review."

 

The current SM Handbook says, "A Scout should receive his new badge as soon as possible after his achievenment has been certified bya Board of review."

 

I've seen other comments (I don't want to do the research a 1:30 AM) that a Scout should receive his badge at the BOR and then be recognized at the next troop meeting.

 

Did the policy change sometime in the not so distant past?

 

 

[evmori]

We don't give out rank badges until the paperwork has been filed at council. As a matter of fact, I am doing that today for one Scout. We also have a stash of badges but not for the purpose of instant recognition.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[KoreaScouter]

My last Troop kept a stash, more out of necessity than anything else. We were at the end of the supply line, 2 hours from the service center, and our service center was frequently out of various items. My current Troop doesn't, because we're 15 minutes away, and they always have everything we need.

 

KS

[Fat Old Guy]

Also, doesn't making the Scout wait unitl someone drives to the Council office make him dependant on the strange goings on in some adult's life. "Sorry Bobby, I thought that I was going to get to the Scout shop on Monday but I couldn't because I had to put out a fire at a client's office."

 

I suppose mail is an option. Now that's an idea. Mail it in but that still delays things for too long. Let's say that Jimmy has his BoR Saturday night at a Campout and the next troop meeting is Monday. Mailing the report Sunday night doesn't do any good and because of work obligations, no on can drive to the Scout shop on Monday.

[EagleInKY]

I'm with you on this FOG. I've read/heard several times that instant recognition is best. As SM, I don't present the badge unless the BOR comes back to me with the signed paperwork. I will then go ahead and give it to him that night.

 

Our council has a trick to help encourage turning in paperwork. Cloth badges are free when the advancement report is turned in. Therefore, I always make sure to take it into the Scout Shop on my next visit (which is always within the next month).

[mk9750]

No offense taken, NW.

 

If I were perfect at my job as Advancement Chair, I'd find no reason to have badges in inventory. This is the same as in business. If they plan perfectly, and everything goes according to plan, they should not carry safety stock.

 

But I ain't perfect, and I'm not willing to let a boy go without being recognized for his effort. I ask the Council for the Troop's Advancement Status Report 3 or 4 times a year, and reconcile my records with theirs. Once in a while I find I've made an error, but not too often.

 

I replenish my stock when I run out and have a badge I need. When I do, the Advancement Report is being sent in, with, say, 2 Basketry MBs earned, but me asking for 4. They know what I do. Frankly, although I think we all know it isn't the prefered method, I think they like that I do it this way.

 

Mark

[KoreaScouter]

Free rank badges with an advancement report?! Hey, Aloha, are you listening?

 

KS

[Hunt]

This just happened to me last week. A boy really wanted to finish his Tenderfoot requirements before the Court of Honor on Thursday. He did, and we convened a special Board of Review on Wednesday night. It wasn't convenient for me to make it to the Scout Store on Thursday, so we presented a badge we found in stock--and I turned in the paperwork on Friday. But delaying handing in the paperwork can be a problem too--we had a boy who had his Life Board of Review at summer camp, and no form was filled out. Get the paperwork straightened out months later was a challenge.

[acco40]

Immediate recognition does not necessarily mean immediate cloth badge. I immediately recognize boys who earn rank advancement the day of or if the BOR is done "after hours" at the next troop meeting.

 

The badges are awarded only AFTER the paperwork is turned in. This should not take more than a week. The next recognition (3rd) is at the following COH.