Advancement

Madness In The Method

Of all of the methods of Scouting, advancement is the one least often missing from the program. In fact, it's more often over-emphasized than under-emphasized. As with everything else, though, there's more than one way to skin a cat. Advancement is what drives another method of Scouting, personal growth. To be sure, a Scout can still grow without advancement, but the process is considerably slower and not as effective.

For many, the advancement method defies understanding. It looks like some sort of caste-system, each rank having its own level of status, and its own set of privileges. It looks like a competitive system of achievement pitting one Scout against other Scouts for each rank. It looks like a power system adults use to enrich themselves at the expense of the Scouts. And yet, it looks like none of these things.

Unfortunately, the adults' understanding of the method most often influences how the advancement method is used in a troop. They develop standards and policies that reflect their personal view of what advancement in Scouting is, or what they think it should be. This results in the advancement method being used by a troop in one of three ways.

The Minimalist Method

A unit that uses the Minimalist Method pays only lip service to advancement. To them it is hardly worth an effort to understand or try to use. The Scouts are neither encouraged, nor discouraged to advance and the program does not involve advancement in any way. The focus of the program tends to be on having fun, or whatever the troop leaders believe is more important

Most of the proponents of the minimalist method have some problem or other with the whole idea of advancement in Scouting. This can manifest itself in adult leaders who believe the requirements are too difficult and therefore they either ignore advancement altogether or simply pass Scouts on ranks when they "think their ready." Minimalism provides no benefit to the Scouts. They do not learn to plan their advancement, set goals, or overcome obstacles. They are never challenged to improve themselves, and they never learn their true capabilities.

In some cases, Minimalists even go to the extreme of discouraging Scouts from advancing. Most often this grows out of the mistaken belief that advancement is a competition. They will often point out that the Scout Law doesn't say, "A Scout is a winner." They'll argue that advancement is too much of a distraction, and is actually harmful to the Scouts.

The Extremist Method

At the other extreme are the proponents of the Extremist Method. With this viewpoint, advancement is the end-all and be-all of Scouting. Scouts are not only encouraged to advance; the unit's whole program is specifically geared toward constant advancement. With this extreme emphasis on advancement comes an equally extreme standard of advancement. Requirements are often adjusted to meet the adults' concept of what a Scout should be able to do, and how well he should be able to do it.

Extremists tend to come in two varieties. First, there are the Sympathizers, who see advancement as a competition with no rules. Pretty much anything goes. Advancement provides status to the Scout, so for the Sympathizer, requirements can be "fixed" or ignored entirely as long as the Scout gains the status he needs. The Scout gains little benefit from advancement in this way.

Then, there are the Drill Instructors, who see advancement as a special honor granted only to the Scouts who are worthy of that honor. To be worthy, a Scout must do more than merely pass the requirement. He must learn the skill absolutely, and retain that knowledge completely. He must meet the standard set by the Drill Instructor, and come as close to perfection as possible.

When requirements are made so difficult the Scout can't possibly pass them he learns nothing about himself. It has the opposite effect and actually causes him to question his abilities. He learns that setting goals doesn't matter because the task is impossible. If the requirements are "fixed" by adults seeking status for particular Scouts, the Scout learns only that challenges are something to be avoided any way possible. The only planning required is how to avoid doing what's expected of you. The only goal is that the Scout gets "what he deserves" any way he can.

The Proper Method

This brings us to the third way advancement can be used in a Scouting unit. In this method, advancement is a component of the unit program, but not the central focus of the program. Passing requirements is not so much the result of a concerted effort on the part of the Scout as it is a natural result of an effective program.

With this method, the Scout learns to meet challenges. He sets goals for himself, and helps his patrol and troop set goals for themselves. The unit program encourages him to overcome obstacles and learn new things. Not just skills, but new things about himself and his abilities. He learns the skills not by listening to a lecture or reading a book, but by doing them. In most cases he doesn't even realize he's learned a skill or passed a requirement until its over.

Using the proper method, a Scout would never think about trying to get away with doing less than the requirement. He learns to enjoy the challenges he faces, and looks forward to the feeling he'll get when the task is done. Cheating would only take away from that joy. In some cases, he'll even insist on doing more than the requirement asks for because his confidence is high and he believes he can handle it.

So, what method does your unit use?