New First Class Requirements

[Katydid]

This seems like a very easy requirement for a Scout to complete. My son has been asked many times if he could go to the movies on a Saturday and his reply has been "no I have a scouting camp-out this week" The friend usually asks what they do at the camp out and my son tells him. Requirement met.

 

Last week one of his friends asked him how to join scouts. He said that the activities sound like fun.

[evmori]

If the requirement is nothing more than to "tell someone" all the Scout would have to do is say "Hey Mike, wanna join my Scout Troop? We go camping. All ya gotta do is fill out an application." And it the Scout tells us he did this, it is considered done. Sounds really weak.

 

I wish someone knew the thinking behind adding this as a requirement.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[ASM7]

NeilLup,

Of your five reasons that this should be a requirement, IMHO, none hold any water.

You mentioned that this was once a requirement and was dropped in 1955. I wonder what the reasoning was behind dropping it. I would like to believe it was because it was rediculous. I have never been in an organization where inviting a potential member was mandatory. However, it was always rewarded. I prefer the natural and not forced growth of membership. If any recruiting is done, it needs to happen through the membership chair.

I don't know whether it can be done, but I would like for a moderator if possible to poll this forum and ask for an up or down vote and also ask if you were to add a requirement, what would it be? I don't honestly believe recruiting would be at the top of the list.

[packsaddle]

I find this discussion interesting. I agree that the new requirement seems harmless. It also seems unnecessary. I am more persuaded by ASM7 and I agree with evmori that it would be interesting to learn the motives for its addition at this time. I note that if a SM unilaterally decides, RIGHT NOW, to require this for advancement to first class, he would be guilty of adding to the requirements of a program that, as of right now, seems to be sufficient without it.

 

Regardless of intent, however, the effect can be predicted within bounds. In effect, it is an expansion whose progression depends on some simple attributes. If from this time forward, every new first class scout will have contacted at least one other non-scout, and if his communication successfully recruits some fraction of the contacted boys into scouting, then the number of potential contacts expands geometrically, compounded by the added recruitment. There will be a 1:1 ratio of contacts adding some fractional increase to normal recruitment.

 

Under ideal conditions, and on the assumption that no targeted boy will be contacted more than once, under this model either every available boy will eventually be saturated by contacts with doubling times dependent on actual recruitment rates... or else a lot of them will get the message multiple times - perhaps thusly providing even more probability that they will succumb to the message (even greater recruitment). One wonders, then, WHEN will the demand for contacts exceed the number of potential targets? "The suspense is terrible...I hope it will last."

 

It is an interesting mathematical problem and I think I will mention it to some boys I know who are precocious in that subject. It could provide some fun for them.

[OldGreyEagle]

Freshening up

[cjlaird]

"What's next? Participating in a popcorn or wreath sale?"

"Too late, those activities have counted toward advancement to First Class for quite some time already." FC3

"Only if they sell popcorn/wreaths as a patrol/troop. Usually it's done individually."

 

Hey now... what's with that? Our troop has been selling popcorn as a unit effort at WallyWorld for 2 or 3 years (in addition to individual sales).

 

 

ASM7 & others: I agree - this new requirement for FC is lame, designed for troops that haven't got enough going for themselves to attract new members on their own merits. Troops that are worth being in usually attract new blood just by going about their usual business.

 

Prairie Scouter is probably right - youth scouts need to have a family member who's a conservative Repub (or something), and the party of choice at the moment is Republican because - well - that's what the President is. Kinda like being in Kansas years ago - Used to be, back in the 1960's and earlier, ya had to be in the same political party as the governor to get state employment. Ah, well - the days of political nepotism are long gone (I hope).

[Bob White]

The requirement is not designed for units of any type. like with all other requirements it is designed for the scout as an individual.

 

As you can see by the requirement there are no favorites involved. It is a simple concept either talk to an existing unit member about becoming active again, or talk to a non-member about joining.

 

It doesn't require the boy to join it only requires that the scout put forth an effort to grow the troop.

 

In Cub scouts we teact that the Cub Scout helps the Pack to Go. This is merely an extension of that at the troop level. It helps the new scout to learn and practice their responsibility to take a role in the health and growth of the unit.

 

What rational reason could a unit leader have for not supporting this? After all, God forbid that the BSA should require you to ask a boy to join...right.

[Oak Tree]

Well, several of us don't seem to support it. But I guess we're all irrational.

 

What harm could come from adding all kinds of lame requirements? Why not say the boys must wear their uniform to school one day? How could that be bad? Why was the recruiting requirement ever dropped? Obviously a bunch of irrational people thought that it would be good to drop it.

 

I know boys who will think this is a really stupid requirement. I don't think it's a good thing to have boys thinking that about the requirements.

 

Put me down in the "seems like a desparate move by National" camp.

 

Oak Tree

 

[Bob White]

Oak tree,

How about we deal with what is real rather than what is imagined. The advancement committee made of VOLUNTEER leaders from across the country did not ad a bunch of requirements. They added 1.

 

The one they added requires the scout to speak in a positive way about the unit to one other person, and toa ask them to weither consider joining or to become more active.

 

Where Oak Tree,is the harm in this specific requirement?

 

 

"Well, several of us don't seem to support it."

 

Yes, but several of you do not support the BSA on anything, and yet... you stay. Why? Because at some point someone asked YOU to join. Ironic isn't it.

[iaeagle]

AMEN BOBWHITE!!!

Granted if you are providing the full program your unit should be growing! You should be proud of this. Your Scouts should be proud of this. Hopefully your Scouts are already talking to other kids to join.

OR

Are you one of these units that just survive on the local Cub Scout Pack and do no active recruiting yourself??? Many of these units, I have found, do nothing to help these packs out - they just stick out their hands in the spring and ask for more scouts. All the BSA is asking of a soon to be FIRST CLASS SCOUT is to do something, according to many of you it sounds, they are already doing- so whats the big deal??

If you are not asking your Scouts to go out and recruit their friends, you are not fulfilling your duties as a SM or Scout Leader. Scouting is preparing these young men to be ACTIVE citizens in their communities and organizations they belong in. I currently belong to 2 other civic organizations - we discuss membership a least once a month - who is new to town, who in town is not a member but should be, etc. - how is asking Scout to ask a boy to join Scouting any different???

[evmori]

Having a Scout to tell another boy (non-Scout) about his Troop & inviting him to a meeting is a good idea. Making it a rank requirement is not a good idea. Should this be encouraged? By all means. Should it be a requirement for rank? No. Lame at best.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Bob White]

If it's a good idea then how is it lame?

 

Some posters keep saying its a bad idea but no one has yet to say WHY.

 

 

[evmori]

Just because something is a good idea doesn't mean it should be required. Training is a good idea but it isn't required. Wearing the uniform is a good idea but it isn't required. Not spitting in the wind is a good idea but it isn't required.

 

Why is it a bad idea? Because it serves no purpose in the development of the Scout in the program.

 

Now tell me why you think it is a good idea, Bob. And something other than "because the BSA says so", please.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[EagleInKY]

Bob, the reason, I believe, that many people see it as lame is that it is a requirement that can just be a "checkoff", depending up on how it's used.

 

Scenario #1 - the Check off

 

Tommy walks up the SM. "Hey Mr. J, I did that recruiting requirement for First Class".

 

Mr. J responds, "Okay Tommy, let me sign your book".

 

Tommy hands him his book. As Mr. J signs, Tommy thanks him and walks away.

 

Scenario #2 - as envisioned by the writers (IMHO)

 

Tommy walks up the SM. "Hey Mr. J, I did that recruiting requirement for First Class".

 

"Great Tommy, who did you talk to?".

 

"My friend, Billy".

 

"Billy Johnson? He's a good kid. What did you tell him about scouting?"

 

"I told him about some of the cool things we do, like rafting and hiking and stuff." Tommy replies cheerfully.

 

"Great, Tommy. Did you tell him about our troop? You know, where we meet and when we meet."

 

"Yeah, I think so. I don't think he's interested, though".

 

"Well, that's too bad". Mr. J replies. "Why don't you take him a copy of our annual plan and show him the fun things we're doing next year. Maybe he'll get excited about that trip to Gettysburg. Write on it the time and place of our troop meetings and invite him to come sometime."

 

"Okay. But will you sign off my book?".

 

"Sure. Great work Tommy, I hope Billy takes a look at scouting". He signs his book.

 

End of demonstration

 

I'm going to reserve judgement until I see it in practice. I think SMs can use this as a tool to help recruitment. Unfortunately, I believe a great number of them will look at is as another easy checkoff.

[Bob White]

"Because it serves no purpose in the development of the Scout in the program."

 

Learning how to tell others of the fun of scouting and helping your unit grow serves no purpose in the development of the scou? That is a fascinating statement coming from a commissioner who is charged with "seeing that every eligible youth has the opportunity to belong to a quality scoutng program."

 

It would seem the value of learning to speak positively about scouting and inviting others into scouting is a skill that is un-used an unappreciated by several on this forum.