This is first in a series of posts about the new rank requirements that take effect on January 1, 2016.

Scout | Tenderfoot | Second Class | First Class | Star | Life | Eagle

Exactly how the new requirements are phased in is explained in this PDF document – Notes on Transitioning to the New Requirements.
I found the new requirements in this PDF – 2016 Boy Scout requirements—parallel comparison.

Scout Rank

The Scout Badge transitions from it’s widely misunderstood status as a “joining badge” to a nearly full-fledged rank (nearly in my opinion only because it does not require a board of review).

  • There are general inconsistencies with the verbs ‘explain’ and ‘describe’.  We describe objects and explain concepts, the requirements use the two terms interchangeably, and I think this is confusing.
  • There is more specific direction in phrases like repeat from memory, in your own words.

Here are my reflections on each requirement.

Overall requirement one is significantly expanded, and offers the opportunity to get a good foundation that subsequent ranks build on.
NEW SCOUT RANK REQUIREMENTS CURRENT JOINING REQUIREMENTS
All requirements for the Scout rank must be completed as a member of a troop. If you have already completed these requirements as part of the Webelos Scouting Adventure, simply demonstrate your knowledge or skills to your Scoutmaster or other designated leader after joining the troop. The first sentence seems to contradict the second, and this will likely cause some confusion. How about “Many of the skills and much of the knowledge required for Scout rank will have been gained during a Webelos Scouting Adventure. To fulfil requirements for Scout rank Webelos joining a troop individually demonstrate their knowledge or skills to the Scoutmaster or other designated leader.”? Meet the age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old.
1. Complete all of the items below. Why is this statement necessary?
a. Repeat from memory the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, and Scout slogan. In your own words, explain their meaning. Specifying “repeat from memory” makes this a bit more rigorous than the former “Understand and agree to live by”. Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or Promise, Scout Law, motto, and slogan, and the Outdoor Code.
b. Explain what Scout spirit is. Describe some ways you have shown Scout spirit by practicing the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, and Scout slogan. You’ll note that there’s a very strong thread woven into all new rank requirements emphasizing the Oath and**Law.
c. Give the Boy Scout sign, salute, and handshake. Explain when they should be used. Give? I’d stick with ‘demonstrate’ here, it wold be more consistent with the other requirements*.* Demonstrate the Scout sign, salute, and handshake.
d. Describe the First Class Scout badge and tell what each part stands for. Explain the significance of the First Class Scout badge. More specific than the old requirement, a welcomed change. Describe the Scout badge.
e. Repeat from memory the Outdoor Code. In your own words, explain what the Outdoor Code means to you. Specifying “repeat from memory” makes this a bit more rigorous than the former “Understand and agree to live by”.

Requirement two is a totally new addition, and a welcomed one. Youth leadership is emphasized, as is an understanding of the mechanics of earning ranks and merit badges.
NEW SCOUT RANK REQUIREMENTS CURRENT JOINING REQUIREMENTS
2 After attending at least one Boy Scout troop meeting, do the following: None
a. Describe how the Scouts in the troop provide its leadership.
b. Describe the four steps of Boy Scout advancement.
c. Describe what the ranks in Boy Scouting are and how they are earned.
d. Describe what merit badges are and how they are earned.

Requirement three is  a transplanted Tenderfoot**requirement that has been more specifically worded. In addition Scouts are now asked to “explain the patrol method”! You’ll note that there’s a recognition of the Patrol method , something that has not been specifically addressed in rank requirements before.
NEW SCOUT RANK REQUIREMENTS CURRENT JOINING REQUIREMENTS
3. Do the following: Why is this statement necessary? None
a. Explain the patrol method. Describe the types of patrols that are used in your troop. How is  “Describe how the Scouts in the troop provide its leadership” above and ‘Explain the patrol method’ below  significantly different from one another?
b. Become familiar with your patrol name, emblem, flag, and yell. Explain how these items create patrol spirit. Recite your patrol name, your patrol yell, and describe your patrol flag or emblem. [PREVIOUSLY IN TENDERFOOT]

Requirement Four is  another transplanted Tenderfoot**requirement.
NEW SCOUT RANK REQUIREMENTS CURRENT JOINING REQUIREMENTS
4. Do the following:
a. Show how to tie a square knot, two half-hitches, and a taut-line hitch. Explain how each knot is used. Demonstrate tying the square knot (a joining knot). Demonstrate that you know how to tie the following knots and tell what their uses are: two half hitches and the taut-line hitch. [PREVIOUSLY IN TENDERFOOT]
b. Show the proper care of a rope by learning how to whip and fuse the ends of different kinds of rope. Demonstrate how to whip and fuse the ends of a rope. [PREVIOUSLY IN TENDERFOOT]
5. Demonstrate your knowledge of pocketknife safety Why only pocket knives? Why not woods tools corresponding with Tote-N-Chip?
6. With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide and earn the Cyber Chip Award for your grade.[1] With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide.
7. Since joining the troop and while working on Scout rank, participate in a Scoutmaster conference. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.

[1] If your family does not have Internet access at home AND you do not have ready Internet access at school or another public place or via a mobile device, the Cyber Chip portion of this requirement may be waived by your Scoutmaster in consultation with your parent or guardian.

How I would do it!

I can’t resist trying to fix some of the problems I see with the new requirements and rank requirements in general. Honestly many of these changes seem tone-deaf, like very little thought has gone into them. Without being too snarky I have to wonder if the folks who write things like this have actually ever worked with an ten or eleven year old completing requirements.  There are a few simple changes to the way they are worded and presented to greatly aid a new Scout in completing them.

Changing the requirements presents an opportunity to correct a couple of flaws in the way they are presented graphically, and to word them all more logically.

Imagine how the present rank requirements appear to young Scout.

  • They are buried in the back of a big handbook.
  • There’s no place to keep notes, and the blocks for dating and signing them are very small.
  • I have to learn to to tie a number of knots to get to first class. If I decide I want to work on knots I have to jump around in the book to figure out which ones I need to work on. The same goes for every other type of activity, cooking, first aid, etc.
  • A lot of them are written awkwardly, long sentences that cram a lot into them using dependent phrases in weird syntax. I have to read them a number of times to understand exactly what is going on, (so do my Scouters!) Can’t you just tell me simply what I need to do?
  • The verbs in them are all mixed up. What’s the difference between “show” and “demonstrate”, or “tell” and “explain”? Wouldn’t it be simpler to use the same terms consistently?

The new requirements are arranged under subject headings, (that’s a step forward) but then the headings change from one rank to the other, (that’s a step back.)

The wording of the new requirements follow the old syntax and style, one I find needlessly convoluted and difficult to understand.

Here’s some simple fixes.

Some of the requirements are embedded lists in sentences that become much clearer when they are stated separately.

I fix this by breaking up the embedded lists:

Rather than:

“Show how to tie a square knot, two half-hitches, and a taut-line hitch. Explain how each knot is used.”

How about:

Demonstrate how to tie a square knot. Show three different ways to use it properly.

Demonstrate how to tie two half-hitches. Show three different ways to use it properly.

Demonstrate how to tie a taut-line hitch. Show three different ways to use it properly.

If we list the tasks involved separately we can record that Scouts have successfully demonstrated how they are tied and used one at a time.

Notice too, I changed the requirement from “Explain how each knot is used” to “Show three different ways to use it properly”. Why ask Scouts to explain something when they can show how it is done? There are many uses for knots, three seems like a good number to show.

There are plenty of ways to clarify things with a little typography, bold type, line breaks, all caps.

Another fix is making the subject headings and the verbs more consistent. A quick explanation of what the verbs mean practically would solve a number of problems with testing Scouts on the requirements; for example, we explain concepts, describe things, and demonstrate skills.

I’ve left numeric and letter designations off the requirements below, I know they are probably needed, but I never liked them, they look tiresome.

SCOUT RANK

Many of the skills and much of the knowledge required for Scout rank will have been gained during a Webelos Scouting Adventure. To fulfil requirements for Scout rank Webelos joining a troop individually demonstrate their knowledge or skills to the Scoutmaster or other designated leader.

With your parent or guardian.

In my experience many Scouts see this at the very bottom of the list, think it is unimportant, and often end up doing it last. It has held up nearly every Scout I have worked with.

Complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide.

Parent or Guardian’s Signature_____________ Note to parents and guardians; this is the only requirement for Scout rank that requires your certification.

Earn the Cyber Chip Award for your grade

Scout Spirit

Demonstrate your understanding of ‘Scout spirit’ by doing the following;

The Scout Oath

Repeat the Scout Oath from memory

Explain what the Scout Oath means in your own words.

Explain how you can show Scout spirit by following the Scout Oath.

The Scout Law

Repeat the Scout Law from memory

Explain what the Scout Law means in your own words.

Explain how you can show Scout spirit by following the Scout Law.

The Scout Motto

Repeat the Scout motto from memory

Explain what the Scout motto means in your own words.

Explain how you can show Scout spirit by following the Scout motto

The Scout Slogan

Repeat the Scout slogan from memory

Explain what the Scout slogan means in your own words.

Explain how you can show Scout spirit by following the Scout slogan.

Outdoor Code.

Repeat the Outdoor Code from memory

Explain what the Outdoor Code means in your own words.

Explain how you can show Scout spirit by following the Outdoor Code.

Scout Symbols

Demonstrate your understanding of Scout symbols by doing the following;

Demonstrate the Boy Scout sign. Explain when the Boy Scout sign is used.

Demonstrate the Boy Scout salute. Explain when the Boy Scout salute is used.

Demonstrate the Boy Scout handshake. Explain when the Boy Scout handshake is used.

Explain the significance of the First Class Scout badge.

Describe what the different parts of the First Class Scout badge mean.

The Patrol Method

Demonstrate your understanding of the patrol method by doing the following;

(I expanded this section slightly, and tried to make it clearer and more meaningful. I applaud the idea of encouraging new Scouts to learn about the patrol method, but the new requirements don’t go anywhere near far enough.)

Explain why Scouts lead their patrol and troop.

Explain what is meant by ‘position of responsibility’

Explain what the Patrol Leader’s Council does.

Explain your patrol name,

Sketch your patrol emblem.

Explain your patrol yell.

Explain ‘patrol spirit’ in your own words.

Scout Advancement

Demonstrate your understanding of how Scouts advance by doing the following;

(The new requirements intended to help Scouts understand advancement are not worded well, and don’t differentiate between the steps for earning a rank and earning a merit badge.)

Repeat the ranks in Boy Scouting from memory.

Describe the four steps of advancing in rank.

Describe the steps to earning a merit badge.

OUTDOOR SKILLS

The new requirements fall totally flat here. They need some more specificity and definition if they are to achieve the aim for which I imagine they were intended.

Knots and Ropes

Show how to tie a square knot and demonstrate three different ways to use it properly

Show how to tie two half-hitches and demonstrate three different ways to use it properly

Show how to tie a a taut-line hitch and demonstrate three different ways to use it properly

Demonstrate the proper care of a rope.

Show how to whip the ends of a rope. Explain what kinds of ropes whippings should be used with.

Show how to fuse the ends of a rope. Explain what kinds of ropes fusing should be used with.

Pocket Knives

Demonstrate your knowledge of pocketknife safety.

Show how to safely open and close a pocket knife.

Show how to sharpen a pocket knife.

Explain when and where a pocketknife should be carried and used.

Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.

This conference is not a test, and can be held anytime you are working on Scout rank.