Scouting, Volume 40, Number 2, February 1952 Page: 20
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By DONALD H. BAIINETT,
4ssf. Dir., Boy Scouting Service
• Scout advances from Tenderfoot to Eagle
Xm. by Doing Things with his Patrol and his
Troop, with his leaders, and on his own. He ad-
vances by taking part in a series of experiences in
Scout Spirit, in Scout Participation and in
Scoutcraft. He gets these experiences in his Pa-
trol and Troop meetings, while hiking or camping,
in his service to others, and in his everyday life.
"Yes, it's easy for him to advance — if we provide
four advancement opportunities for him:
"The Scout Prepares — in meetings, on hikes and
while camping, and on his own.
"The Scout Qualifies — in a natural way as suc-
cessful completion of each experience is demon-
strated.
"The Scout Is Reviewed — to discover whether he
has had a well-rounded growth.
"The Scout Receives Recognition — for the satis-
faction that it gives to any boy who has done
something worthwhile.
"If we delay any one of these opportunities or
take the life and adventure out of them by making
them routine or prosaic, we may easily kill the boy's
interest in his purposeful progress in Scouting."
That's about as simple as the advancement proc-
ess can be stated. Perhaps this passage sounds
familiar to you? It is taken as a direct quote from
page 5 of the pamphlet Advancement in the Troop,
Cat. No. 3018, available from your local Scout of-
fice. Just about every question you could possibly
have on the Boy Scout Advancement plan is an-
swered in this pamphlet.
The basic requirements for Tenderfoot, Second
Class and First Class ranks and the realigned higher
ranks requirements for Star, Life, and Eagle all are
based on true-to-life experiences, in the three areas
of Scout Spirit, Scout Participation and Scout-
craft. No longer does a Scout just pass some un-
related "tests" to advance. Boys never did like
tests, and very likely never will.
There are too many Scouts who do not progress
along the Advancement Trail as far or as fast as
they should. If you have a large number of Scouts
who have remained in Tenderfoot Rank for six
months or more, look out. It is a danger sign and
you need to do some serious thinking about WHY
they have not advanced.
Let's think about this for a moment. Boys join
Scouting primarily to go hiking and camping — to
have fun. Now, with the requirements for Second
Class aimed at helping a Scout to prepare to go
Hiking; and those for First Class aimed at helping
him to prepare to go Camping: it's hard to realize
how a boy can do these things without becoming
a First Class Scout? Oh, sure, there are some rea-
sons, but not many and they don't apply to a very
large number of Scouts.
Here's a thought. Maybe we have spent so much
time working with and reviewing the smaller per-
centage of our Scouts who do advance that we have
neglected to devote enough attention to finding out
why the rest are not advancing. How about holding
regular Boards of Review for Scouts who have
shown no advancement for three months. Find out
WHY? Then see what can be done about it. This
is as important — or even more so — than review-
ing Scouts who are ready for advancement in rank.
It will get results.
Remember that advancement is the natural out-
come of a quality program of hiking and camping.
Then, too, Scouts stay longer if they advance in
rank. And that's the only way we can influence
their character development and growth in partici-
pating citizenship — by holding them over a period
of years and seeing that they have fun and adven-
ture all along the way.
You will more than accomplish your Troop Ad-
vancement goals in the Three Year Program if you
will concentrate on these two points:
1. A good program of hiking and camping with
emphasis on advancing to Second Class and First
Class Ranks.
2. Review Scouts who are not advancing as well
as those who are.
ON TO FIRST CLASS.
20
SCOUTING
BOY SCOUT SECTION
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 40, Number 2, February 1952, periodical, February 1952; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth329203/m1/22/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.