After picking apart the revised requirements for the Scouter’s Training Award, I started looking at what changed with the Scouter’s Key Award as well. I’ve been working on Adult Square Knots since becoming a Scoutmaster in 2010 and will have completed all the requirements for this Scouter’s Key at my 3-year mark in February of 2013. If I’m going to start the process all over again, I thought it’d be good to understand how these changes will affect me after Feb.
As I looked at the new requirements for the Scouter’s Key, I saw too many that looked familiar! So instead of comparing old Scouter’s Key requirements with the new ones, I decided to compare new Scouter’s Training Award requirements with new Scouter’s Key requirements. Tell me what you think about the similarities:
| *** TENURE *** |
|
| Scouter’s Training Award | Scouter’s Key Award |
| 2 years | 3 years as a registered SM within a 5-year period. |
| *** TRAINING *** |
|
| Scouter’s Training Award | Scouter’s Key Award |
| 1. Complete basic training for any Boy Scout leader position | 1. Complete basic training for Scoutmasters |
| 2. Complete This Is Scouting training | 2. Complete This Is Scouting training |
| 3. Attend a university of Scouting (or equivalent), or attend at least four roundatables (or equivalent) during each year of the tenure for this award. | 3. Attend a university of Scouting (or equivalent), or attend at least four roundatables (or equivalent) during each year of the tenure for this award. |
| *** PERFORMANCE *** |
|
| Scouter’s Training Award | Scouter’s Key Award |
| 1. Serve as an adult leader in a Troop that achieves at least the Bronze level of JTE in each year. | 1. Achieve at least the Silver level of JTE for at least two years. |
| 2. Participate in an annual troop planning meeting in each year. | 2. Conduct an annual troop planning session and have a published troop meeting/activity schedule for the troop’s parents each year. |
| 3. Participate in at least one additional supplemental or advanced training event at the council, area, region or national level during the two years. | 3. Participate in at least one additional supplemental or advanced training event at the council, area, region or national level. |
| 4. Give primary leadership in meeting at least one troop JTE objective in each year. | |
| 4. Earn the National Outdoor Challenge Award at least once. | |
So…… why are the requirements between these two nearly the same?
Granted, there is a bit of difference between earning the Silver level JTE and Bronze…and the National Outdoor Challenge most definitely cranks it up a few notches in the physical out-of-doors category…but nothing that sets these awards apart in terms of a leader’s commitment to training? Are these awards no longer designed to build upon the next?? Is earning the Boy Scout Leader’s Training Award no longer a requirement for this new Scouter’s Key Award??
What about giving back through serving on staff at a council or district training event (HINT: Wood Badge!)? …or teaching a class at a University of Scouting event? I suppose “participate in” could mean either on staff or as a participant. I am just looking for a little more meat to qualify for the Scouter’s Key in the training category, no??
See also: Revised requirements for the Scouter’s Training Award
