Taughannock District
Baden-Powell Council, BSA
Advancement and Recognition

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Cub Scout | Boy Scout - Merit Badge Counselor List | Venturing | Adult Recognition

Advancement Chair: Ben Brown - advancement@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org 
Recognition Chair: Kathlene Gross kegross@frontiernet.net

Cub Scout Advancement

  • Cub Advancement Requirements:

  • Cub Advancement news: 

    New Cub Scout Belt Loops and Pins
    for the Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program

    The Boy Scouts of America is pleased to announce the introduction of 13 new belt loops and pins as part of the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program. It has been more than 10 years since new topics have been added to the program, which is supported by the Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program Guide, No. 34299. Look for the new blue cover on this new edition, available for sale the end of January 2010 in stores and online at www.scoutstuff.org.

    • Academics
    • Disabilities Awareness
    • Family Travel
    • Good Manners
    • Hiking
    • Hockey
    • Horseback Riding
    • Kickball
    • Nutrition
    • Pet Care
    • Photography
    • Reading and Writing
    • Sports
    • Skateboarding
    • Video Games

    Belt loops and pins are a great way to help Cub Scouts fulfill the aims of Scouting-building character, developing citizenship, and encouraging mental and physical fitness. Through a variety of subjects, a boy can stretch his mind and abilities by exploring the wonders of science, learning about the world around him, and expanding his skills in new areas.

    The belt loops may be worn with the Cub Scout uniform on the Cub Scout belt. Webelos Scouts who have chosen to wear the khaki uniform may still wear the blue Cub Scout belt so as to display the belt loops they have earned. (The pins are not worn on the uniform.)

    The Cub Scout Academics and Sports program gives leaders and youths a supplemental enrichment opportunity to earn recognition for learning and skills development. Leaders often use this program to enhance den, pack, or family participation and provide more immediate recognition opportunities. For more details, go to:

    http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Awards/Boys/sanda.aspx

    In addition, a new feedback vehicle has been created for comments and suggestions on the new Program Guide. The Boy Scouts of America welcomes your comments and suggestions, which can be sent to academics&sports@scouting.org for consideration.

Cub Scouts 2010 Program

Cub Scouts 2010 is a new initiative from National which will affect how the Cub program is delivered to our Cub Scouts. It is being tested in many councils now, and is expected to "go live" nationwide for the 2010-2011 Scouting year. Reports so far indicate that the new program is very successful in increasing advancement and retention of members by :

  • Moving the principal responsibility for reviewing advancement from the parents to the Den Leaders - this allows for more consistency of application of requirements, as well as allowing Cubs whose parents aren't "into it" to advance with the rest of their dens.

  • Having dens follow a den meeting plan which will allow Cubs to complete advancement requirements at meetings, so that a Cub who attends Den meetings will, by the end of the Scout year, complete all the requirements for his rank. 

Expect full details and leader materials to be provided to Packs in May 2010. In the meanwhile, you can find information on the National Cub Scout 2010 website. There's an FAQ page and you can download a brochure in PDF form. 

Boy Scout Advancement

  • Scout Advancement Requirements: 

  • Eagle Scout: 

    • Eagle Scout Forms:  

      • Application Form: After August 1, 2009, National only accepts Eagle Scout Applications that are the 2009 printing. You can find the printing year above the barcode on the back of the application. Please do not use any older printings, because Linda will not be able to sign any applications that are older than the 2009 printing. The forms may be downloaded from:

      • Project Workbook: Link to NESA Site - for use by Eagle Candidates
        See also National's page with instructions and requirements for the Eagle Project.

    • Life-To-Eagle Procedures: The Council Advancement Committee have set up the following required procedure for all of the districts in the Baden-Powell Council. 

      • Life to Eagle Training: All Scouts should attend a "Life to Eagle" training session as soon as they earn their Life rank. These training sessions are offered at Roundtables on a quarterly basis - January, April and October. 

      • Find a project and get troop approval: The Scout, with the help of the Scoutmaster, finds a project. Complete the Eagle Project Workbook up until page 9, making sure to collect all signatures except for the District Advancement Chairman's

      • Schedule a meeting to present the project: The Scout then schedules his first meeting with the District Advancement Committee. He should contact Advancement Chairman Ben Brown at advancement@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org no later than Roundtable and make an appointment for that month's Advancement Committee meeting (see District Calendar for times and place).

      • Present the Project Proposal:

        • A Scout should Be Prepared: 

          • Come in uniform with a notebook and pen/pencil and be prepared to take notes.

          • Bring a budget, plans, materials list and tool list if the project requires.

          • Bring details for fund raising and before-project photographs.

          • Make sure all required signatures are in the project workbook.

        • Project will be discussed with board. 

        • Any problems are discussed and explained to the Scout

        • Chairman gives go ahead with project and signs workbook.

        • A Mentor is assigned to Scout.

      • Execute the Project - The Mentor should stays in contact with the Scout, calling every once in a while if they have not heard for the Scout in a while.

      • Once the Project is finished - The Scout should:

        • Collect required signatures for the rest of the packet.

        • Finish project write up and after-action pictures

        • Once all merit badges are completed, collect all needed signatures on the Eagle Scout Application up to and including BSA local council certification.

        • Make an appointment for final project review at the next monthly District Advancement Commitee meeting

      • Final Project Review (by District Advancement Committee)

        • The Scout should bring all complete project materials as well as blue cards for all merit badges, and be in complete uniform

        • Board gives tentative approval if acceptable, if not the Scout gets feedback and fixes issues and makes new appointment with board

        • If project is acceptable, merit badges are completed, and all paperwork completed the Scout is given his final board of review

      • Final Paperwork Processed - District Advancement Chairman delivers all paperwork to office including Eagle Application and Eagle Project Summary.

      • Eagle Court of Honor - once the Eagle application is approved by BSA National, the troop should schedule a Court of Honor to present the award to the Scout. Don't forget to invite anyone who had any part in the Scout's progress to Eagle!

  • Merit Badge Counselors:

    • How to become a merit badge counselor: 

      • Check the Merit Badge Counselor List - please don't sign up for a badge just because your son or a boy in your son's troop wants to take a badge. If there's already a Counselor in your town who is listed for one of the badges, encourage the Scout to call them first. This serves two purposes: (a) it has always been a part of the Merit Badge program to encourage Scouts to meet with outside experts in the area of the badge; and (b) recruiting many duplicate Counselors in the same area weakens the system (if there are too many Counselors for a badge, none of them gets contacted very often, and we wind up losing most of them).  There are over 100 merit badges - why not pick some for which there aren't already Counselors in your area? 

      • Qualification: A Merit Badge Counselor must be at least 21 years old, and must meet the requirements for any BSA adult member. A Counselor should be proficient in the merit badge subject by vocation, avocation, or special training - as the purpose of the Merit Badge system is to allow Scouts to meet people who are well informed in a given area, please do not apply for badges unless you are very familiar with the field. 

      • Choose your badges: While there is no specific limit for how many badges any one person can sign up for, as a general rule the District would prefer that Counselors limit themselves to five or six badges. Pick the ones you're most qualified for or which are most needed.  

      • Fill out and sign the following forms: 

      • Send the original signed forms to the Council Office (you can drop them off or mail them to the office at  PO Box 66, Binghamton NY 13903, give them to DE Sean Butterworth, or drop them off at District Commissioner Mike Brown's office at 400 M&T Bank Building, 118 N. Tioga St., Ithaca)

      • Send a copy of the Counselor Application form (only) to District Advancement Chair Ben Brown - scan and e-mail it to advancement@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org or give it to Ben at Roundtable or an Advancement Committee meeting (See the District Calendar for times and places). Do not send the Adult Application - the District neither wants nor needs it. Please be sure the counselor's e-mail address is on the form. 

      • Approvals: 

        • The Council will do the routine background check, as for any adult application. 

        • The District Advancement Committee will review the application at its next monthly meeting

      • Listing: If approved by the District and Council, the counselor is notified, and listed on the Merit Badge Counselor list on this website. 

    • District Merit Badge Counselor List: The list can be downloaded here in PDF form The list is ordered by Merit Badge, then by city, and last by name. This should make it easier to find counselors in your troop's area. If you have trouble with the file, or if you have any updates or corrections to the information, contact  advancement@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org.

      NOTE: The merit badge counselor PDF file is password protected. You will need to enter a password to open and print the list. The password is the Scout Motto, in lower case, without a space between the two words. 

    • Verification of List: The District Advancement Committee is presently contacting all of the counselors on the present list. Counselors will need to submit a new Adult Application for a background check (even if they're already a registered BSA member). It will save time if everyone who is on the list would contact Ben Brown at  advancement@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org ASAP and make arrangements to get him the forms. Any counselors who have not responded by June 2010 will be dropped from the list. 

    • Merit Badge Counselor Training - see the BSA National Website training page 

    • Merit Badge Resources: see our Forms and Links page

  • Boy Scout Advancement news: 

New Boy Scout Advancement Requirements for 2010

The centennial edition of the Boy Scout Handbook is now available, and with the new handbook come several rank requirement changes that will be in effect as of January 1, 2010.  If a Scout is already working on a rank under the old requirements, he may continue to do so until he earns his the rank if he chooses. Thereafter, he must use the new requirements.

Tenderfoot: 

  • Teach another person how to tie a square knot using the EDGE model (explain, demonstrate, guide, and enable). 
  • Discuss four specific examples of how you lived the points of the Scout Law in your daily life.

Second Class:

  • Discuss the principles of Leave No Trace and explain the factors to consider when choosing a patrol site and where to pitch a tent.
  • Explain what respect is due the flag of the United States.
  • Again discuss four examples of how you lived four different points of the Scout Law in your daily life.
  • Earn an amount of money agreed upon by the Scout and his parents and save at least 50 percent of it.

First Class:

  • Additional requirement to the 10 separate troop/patrol activities: must demonstrate the principles of Leave No Trace on these outings.
  • Discuss four more examples of how you lived the remaining four points of the Scout Law in your daily life.

Life:

  • Use the EDGE model to teach a younger Scout a specified skill.

Star, Life, and Eagle:

  • Troop Webmaster and Leave No Trace trainer are two new leadership positions.

National Definition of "Active":

A Scout will be considered "active" in his unit if he is

  • Registered in his unit (registration fees are current)
  • Not dismissed from his unit for disciplinary reasons
  • Engaged by his unit leadership on a regular basis (informed of unit activities through Scoutmaster conference or personal contact, etc.
  • In communication with the unit leader on a quarterly basis.

(Units may not create their own definition of active; this is a national standard.)

If the Scout does not initiate communication, the unit leader is to contact the Scout and ask if the youth wishes to remain in Scouting. If the answer is negative, then the unit leader should no longer communicate with the Scout. If the answer is affirmative, the unit leader should provide the unit calendar. After six months of nonparticipation, the unit leader may cease to contact with the youth and drop the Scout from the unit at recharter time.

The Scout may return to the unit at any time while on the unit charter. At any time a Scout is dropped from a charter, the youth may re-apply to a unit for readmission; the acceptance of the application is at the discretion of the unit. The youth would be reinstated at the rank and level that can be documented by either the Scout or the unit.

Announced on the BSA National Website:
http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/2010RankUpdates.aspx

New Boy Scout Merit Badges

Scuba Diving is the first new Boy Scout merit badge in three years; it became available in December 2009.

Four other new merit badges will appear over the course of the coming year:

  • Inventing (First quarter 2010)

  • Geocaching (Second quarter 2010)

  • Scouting Heritage (Second quarter 2010)

  • Robotics (Fourth quarter 2010)

These badges are being introduced because they received positive feedback in a youth interest survey.

If five new merit badges seems like a lot, it is. By comparison, the BSA introduced just six new merit badges between 1992 (Collections) and 2006 (Composite Materials). But the new badges aren’t the only innovation. In the past it took three years to create a merit badge. Now, that time has been cut to just less than a year, helping to keep the badge topics and content fresher than ever.

Venturing Advancement

Adult Leader Recognition

AWARDS PRESENTED AT DISTRICT RECOGNITION DINNER

National or B-P Council Awards: 

  • Training and other Recognition Knots: Ever wondered about all those knots you see on other leaders' uniforms? Here's a page giving the meanings and requirements for all of the square knots (offsite link to The US Scout Service Project) (also see this web page from boyscouttrail.com).  Training knots are available for Cub, Webelos, Boy Scout and Venturing Leaders as well as Commissioners and District Committee members - you can apply for those yourself. Contact Kathlene Gross kegross@frontiernet.net to apply for the knots. 

  • Veteran Scouter Recognition - Veteran year pins are awarded every 5 years (5, 10, 15, 20...). Note that pins up to 20 years are awarded by Council, 25 years and up are from National. Submit this form (Mid-America Council website link) to the Council office for all veteran awards. 

  • National Unit Leader Award of Merit - This award is presented at the request of the unit to the unit leader - Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Venturing Crew Advisor or Varsity Coach. The unit committee chair completes the Unit Leader Award of Merit Nomination Form on behalf of the unit committee. For Boy Scout troops, Varsity Scout teams, and Venturer crews, the nomination must include endorsement by the senior patrol leader, team captain, or crew president, respectively (Cub packs, being adult led, do not have this requirement). The unit or district commissioner certifies that the form is complete. The unit submits the nomination form to the council for approval by the Scout executive and council commissioner or president.
  • District Award of Merit - The highest award a District may give. Each year, Taughannock District gives one or two awards. To nominate someone for the District Award of Merit, use the nomination form on the National website, or get a copy from District Recognition Chair. There are no specific hard-and-fast requirements for the District Award, but a general rule of thumb is that someone should have been active at least five years and have done at least some Scouting service outside the unit in which he or she is registered (although long service unit leaders will be considered). 

Taughannock District Awards

These "unofficial" awards are given by the District, among others which pop up from time to time. If you know someone you think would deserve one of these awards, nominate them! Download the Nomination Form  MS Word - PDF - and send it to Recognition Chair Kathlene Gross -  kegross@frontiernet.net (or give it to her at Roundtable).

  • Spark Plug Award - Does your unit have a leader who gives real "Spark" to the unit and its activities? Give leaders the recognition they deserve and tell them "Thank You!" The Spark Plug recipients are selected by the Unit, and confirmed by the District. No more than one Spark Plug per unit per year, please, and no one can get the Spark Plug twice in the same unit. 

  • The District may award one or more of the following each year, as selected by the Key 3 (Chair, DE, District Commissioner): 

    • Rising Star - may be presented to "newish" leaders who have done special service for the District.
    • Old Guard- may be presented to an Old F... we mean, "Distinguished Elder Scouter" who has been serving the District and/or units for many years. 
    • Patriot Patrol - a group of current Scouters who have done outstanding service for the District over the past year.
    • Minuteman Patrol - a new recognition in 2010 - as a youth leader parallel to the Patriot Patrol, this will be awarded annually to a group of  outstanding youth leaders in the District.  
    • Old Scout - given occasionally to repeat members of the Old Guard
    • Founders Award - awarded from time to time to Scouters with especially long and distinguished service
    • Good Turn - awarded to a non-Scouting individual or organization who has done particular service to Scouting or to youth in general.
    • Outstanding Unit - awarded from time to time to Scouting units - Packs, Troops, Crews, Posts - who have delivered outstanding program to their youth members. 

© Copyright 2010 Taughannock District BSA