Courts of Honor

We encourage active Scouts a number of ways … … but at the heart of the matter there’s only two things that make a difference, and I’ll discuss those two key points in this week’s podcast. The same things that make active Scouts can help us increase activity at roundtables and other functions like courts of honor. We may be looking for answers in all the wrong places, or think low attendance or interest is caused by things beyond our control, I think it’s simpler than that....

This is one plan for a court of honor we’ve used in my troop for many years based on a few simple rules of thumb; Brief, formal, yet meaningful – Depending on the number of awards and presentations this court of honor should take no more than 45 minutes from beginning to end. Most of our ceremonies last between 30-45 minutes. This seems to be just about the right length of time....

Here’s what the official resources say about Courts of Honor: The Guide to Advancement 2013: 4.2.1.4 The Scout Is Recognized When the board of review has approved his advancement, the Scout deserves recognition as soon as possible. This should be done at a ceremony at the next unit meeting. His achievement may be recognized again later, during a formal court of honor. The Scoutmaster’s Handbook: Step 4—A Scout Is Recognized...

David from Hawaii writes: I am a fairly new Scoutmaster and I asked the committee to present merit badges and rank patches in troop meetings and present the certificates for those badges at the court of honor. They declined out of fear that no one would attend the court of honor. Next thing you know they are handing out the Eagle award to a scout who was not not in 100% uniform!...

Here’s some court of honor ideas we use that you may find helpful: Some court of honor ideas can enhance the central theme (recognizing Scout advancement) and some detract from it; Ideas that Enhance: Recognition of Scout achievement in Scouting and outside of Scouting (If we know about a special accomplishment or award a Scout has received outside of Scouting we’ll mention it at the court of honor) 3. Ceremony and decorum....

Fifth in a series of articles about the four steps to Scout Advancement. Articles will be published each Tuesday beginning November 20, 2012 Immediate recognition is a powerful incentive of the BSA’s advancement program. A Scout should receive his new badge as soon as possible after his achievement has been certified by a board of review. A simple ceremony at the conclusion of a troop meeting or during a camp out is ideal, with the Scoutmaster making the presentation of the badge....

When humans participate in ceremony, they enter a sacred space. Everything outside of that space shrivels in importance. Time takes on a different dimension. – Sun Bear Every ceremony or rite has a value if it is performed without alteration. A ceremony is a book in which a great deal is written. Anyone who understands can read it. One rite often contains more than a hundred books. – George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff...

Scoutmaster Podcast 39 A discussion of the court of honor. In This Podcast Parent’s Meeting [3:00] Courts of Honor [10:04] Podcast Notes Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Scouting courts of honor are crucial elements of a good troop program. Understanding the intention behind them and shaping the presentation to reflect these intentions is crucial to their success. Here are some ideas on the subject; Andy at “Ask Andy” writes in the post More Eagle Scout Thoughts; On “coronations”… A Court of Honor recognizes advancements that Scouts have earned since the last court. Courts of Honor, in my opinion, need to remain this way....

The court of honor is a ceremony for recognizing achievements. Don’t underestimate their importance – a formal public presentation and recognition of a Scout’s achievement demonstrates Scouting’s aim, don’t make them slapdash or off the cuff or too constrained. Courts of honor must speak to Scouts, not just their leaders or parents. The tone is formal without florid, overblown theatrics . The court of honor is not just a slog through calling names and handing out badges....