Social Activities

Young men enjoy social activities with the opposite sex. If they cannot find expression for this urge in their Scout activities they will seek it elsewhere. Some older Scouts lose interest because they see no place in the Scout scheme for their young lady friends. This dilemma can be avoided if occasional social events for the older Scouts can be planned under Troop auspices.

The Explorer Patrol may also develop and carry out the social activities and entertainments of the Troop as a whole.

The following suggestions are a few of the possibilities:

1. Hold occasional informal parties and dances.

2. Plan skating, skiing, or sleigh-riding outings.

3. Try an Explorer Scout beach party, with clambake or fish-fry.

4. Arrange for a possible annual (or semi-annual) Explorer Ball for Troop Alumni and present older Scouts of the Troop and their girl friends or wives. This possibly in connection with Explorers of other local Troops.

5. Get together from time to time for special discussion evenings on current events, national or international affairs, the books of the day, etc.

6. Write, instruct and appear in miscellaneous skits of the Annual Troop Entertainment or Minstrel Show. Handle the promotion and staging.

7. Develop the program for Parents' Meeting and the Troop's Anniversary Banquet.

Specialized Advancement Program

Explorer Scouts are eligible for two types of advancement; each or both of which may form the backbone for the program of the Explorer Patrol.

The first of these is the work for First and Second Honors as Explorer Scouts, the second is the specialized Merit Badge Program developed for Seniors.

Explorer Scout Honors

The Honors program involves three steps:

(a) Admission as an Explorer Scout.

(b) First Honors as an Explorer Scout.

(c) Second Honors as an Explorer Scout.

Admission as an Explorer Scout:

To be admitted to the Explorer Patrol of the Troop, a Scout must:

1. Be at least 15 years of age, and usually a First Class Scout.

2. Have his record as a Scout and a citizen open to review by members of the Patrol and the Counselor of the Patrol to ascertain whether he has put into practice in his daily life the ideals and principles of the Scout Oath and Law, the "Good Turn" and the Motto—"Be Prepared."

3. Undergo a 60-day period of probation and training in preparation for his acceptance and formal admission into the Explorer Patrol.

First Honors As An Explorer Scout

To qualify for First Honors as an Explorer Scout the aspirant should:

2. Have not less than 90 days' service and participation in activities of the Explorer Patrol.

2. Submit evidence that he has read since becoming a member of the Patrol, the life of at least one great explorer, scientist, inventor or statesman.

3. Present the equipment made by him and prescribed by the Patrol. (This may consist of many different kinds of equipment depending upon the major interests of the Patrol and where it is located. Some Patrols require that the member make a pack sack or basket. Patrols have found it desirable to have each member make an "Expedition Book" which consists of a loose leaf affair properly designed to hold the Explorer's record of expeditions, pictures, etc.)

4. Present a plan for pursuing some field of activity selected from the Merit Badge groupings and show evidence that he has progressed towards his achievement since becoming a member of the Explorer Patrol.

5. Participate in at least three official activities of the Patrol in at least one of which he had some major responsibility such as photographer, naturalist, historical recorder, etc. (The Explorer or Rover in charge of the expedition will certify as to his carrying out the duties successfully.)

6. Present to the Adult Leader of the Patrol a code of conduct as exemplified in the Scout Oath and Law, which he has himself devised and which he is trying to put into practice while a member of the Patrol. This code is retained by the Explorer Leader and may come up for periodic personal review between the Explorer Leader and the Explorer involved.

Second Honors As An Explorer Scout

To qualify for Second Honors an Explorer Scout must:

1. Complete his work for one of the special Merit Badge groups thereby attaining his title.

They have learned diamond hitches

They have learned diamond hitches and can pack a pack saddle like old "sour doughs." They are traveling a long way from home.

2. Have had satisfactory participation in the meetings and other activities of the Patrol as a First Honor Member for a period of at least six months.

3. Participate in at least three additional expeditions sponsored by other Explorer Scouts.

4. Develop a program of personal growth and advancement involving intellectual and spiritual elements and looking toward a life plan.

5. Review the code he has submitted to the Explorer Leader and make any changes necessary in light of the increased experience as an Explorer Scout.

Standards. Standards for these awards are set up and administered under the Council Court of Honor.

Merit Badge Program For Explorers

The Merit Badge Program is rich with possibilities for Explorer Scouts. Often in the process of preparing himself for some Merit Badge the Scout will set in motion a lifelong interest.

Senior Scant Titles

Naturally, Explorer Scouts will probably complete their Star, Life and Eagle Scout Requirements. To encourage further this type of activity there has been created a plan of advanced Merit Badge activity open to Senior Scouts only. By this plan the Explorer Scout may acquire a Scout Title in any of the following fields:

Scout Artist. Architecture, Dramatics, Indian Lore, Landscape Gardening, Music, Painting, Pottery, Photography, Sculpture.

Scout Craftsman. Basketry, Bookbinding, Carpentry, Cement Work, Foundry Practice, Handicraft, Leathercraft, Masonry, Metal Work, Plumbing, Pottery, Printing, Woodcarving, Wood Turning, Wood Work.

Scout Artisan. Architecture, Automobiling, Aviation, Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Chemistry, Electricity, Foundry Practice, Machinery, Masonry, Rocks and Minerals, Plumbing, Radio, Safety, Surveying.

Scout Projects in Agriculture. Farm Management, Live Stock, Conservation, Dairying, Poultry Keeping, Gardening and Horticulture groupings of projects—each with related Merit Badges.

Scout Naturalist. Agriculture, Angling, Astronomy, Bee Keeping, Bird Study, Botany, First Aid to Animals, Forestry, Gardening, Insect Life, Photography, Reptile Study, Rocks and Minerals, Stalking, Taxidermy, Zoology.

Scout Seaman. Angling, Canoeing, First Aid, Life Saving, Radio, Rowing, Seamanship, Signaling, Swimming, Weather.

Scout Sportsman. Angling, Archery, Canoeing, Conservation, Hiking, Rowing, Stalking, Swimming, Physical Development, Athletics, Skiing, Horsemanship.

Scout Woodsman. Camping, Canoeing, Conservation, Cooking, Forestry, Hiking, Marksmanship, Pioneering, Stalking, Weather, First Aid, Public Health, Personal Health.

Scout Radioman. Radio, Electricity, Signaling, Metal Work, Weather, Chemistry, Mechanical Drawing, Astronomy.

Scout Journalist. Journalism, Printing, Interpreting, Art, Photography, Dramatics, Reading, Scholarship, Salesmanship, Business.

Scout Citizen. Civics. Public Health, Personal Health, Firemanship, Public Speaking, First Aid, Pathfinding, First Aid to Animals, Safety, Conservation, Finger Printing.

Requirements For Senior Scout Titles

These titles represent advanced accomplishment beyond the Merit Badge Requirements. In order to qualify for any of the above Scout Titles, the Senior Scout must meet the following requirements:

1. Select one of the fields above and in consultation with his Scoutmaster (or Senior Leader, or Skipper as the case may be) and the approved Merit Badge Counselors in that field:

2. Develop a plan of personal interest which will involve the securing of certain Merit Badges in that field (five is suggested as a reasonable number) and also advanced work in one or more of those Merit Badge subjects beyond the Merit Badge Requirements as set forth.

3. Plan and carry out a service project in this field which involves the skills attained in meeting the requirements for the Merit Badges. This service project may be for the home, church, school, Troop, neighborhood, or community.

4. Report to the Scoutmaster (or Senior Leader or Skipper) and to the Troop (or Patrol or Ship) the following: a. If it is a vocational field, report the preparation involved before employment can usually be secured, the general abilities an individual must have in order to succeed in the vocation and the chances for employment at the present time. This presentation should include, either in written or oral form, an outline of the general knowledge the Scout has of the field and his appreciation of what is involved in pursuing it as a life work.

b. If it is an avocation or hobby field, report the general skills involved, the cost of materials and the general satisfaction derived from the activity.

Steps To Gain Senior Scout Titles

The individual Explorer Scout is expected to carry on these specialized activities on his own initiative with the help of the Scoutmaster or such other adults as he may appoint. Briefly, the procedure to be followed by the Explorer to acquire one of the titles is as follows:

1. Experiment around sufficiently in the Merit

Their camp of lest night is nearly packed

Their camp of lest night is nearly packed. Scouting has opened the wilderness to these explorers through learning by doing.

Badges to determine which field is of particular interest to him.

2. Discuss the matter with his Scoutmaster, outlining the reason for his choice.

3. The Scoutmaster, if he approves, will either agree to work with the Explorer Scout or suggest some adult who will.

4. The Explorer Scout will work out with the Counselor the program of development suited to the Scout, the subject and the locality.

5. The Senior Scout proceeds on the development of his project, keeping in touch with the adult Counselor and the Scoutmaster.

The Scoutmaster's Part

Possibly a further word needs to be said in reference to the requirements outlined above and the Scoutmaster's relationship to them.

The object of the plan is to encourage the Scout to pursue the Merit Badge subjects beyond the minimum requirements for the individual badges. It is expected that the Scout should experiment with various Merit Badge subjects before he is ready to specialize in one of the suggested fields. During this process of experimentation the Scout should find some subject or activity which he likes especially well. He should then work out a plan to carry on even further in this chosen field. With the Scoutmaster and the Merit Badge Counselor the Scout agrees upon the project he is to complete in acquiring the Senior Scout Title in question. The experience in the actual Merit Badge Requirements will usually give him a preliminary insight into the subject, then by following suggestions contained in the Merit Badge pamphlet and other books related, he can lay out for himself a further line of experience.

Personal Development

The effectiveness of Requirement Number Two will depend to some extent on the community in which the Scout lives and the opportunities there are for experience in the field the Scout has chosen. If possible, this work should include interviews with men who are outstanding in the field, as well as real experiences.

Service To The Troop

The Service Project Requirement is of particular importance. As a matter of fact, this requirement' may often be used by the wise Scoutmaster to create in his older Scouts a desire to strive for the Senior Scout Titles.

The decoration of a newly acquired Troop meeting room, for example, would provide a number of Explorer Scouts with the opportunity of taking a great step toward becoming Scout Craftsmen, involving, as this project does, such varied subjects as Carpentry, Wood Work, Woodcarving, Painting, Masonry, Plumbing and the like.

The following are other projects which may be employed in a similar manner:

1. Suggest that the Senior Scouts make a bird survey or a tree census of the Troop's favorite camp site or the local park.

2. Take up advanced handicraft for the purpose of teaching it to the Patrols of the Troop.

3. Specialize in Indian Lore, for the purpose of entertainment, special ceremonies and teaching of Indian dances and Indian crafts to the younger Scouts.

4. Take up hobby subjects which may be used for instruction and other practical purposes: Stamp Collecting, Photography, Dramatics, Music, etc.

5. Make a specialty of the subjects which stand for physical fitness: Physical Development, Athletics, Personal Health, Swimming, Rowing, Canoeing, etc.

Explorer Uniform And Insignia

The Uniform of the Explorer is the regular Scout Uniform on which may be worn the Explorer Insignia. The Insignia of the Explorer Scout is as follows:

1. Special round "Explorer" Badge (cloth and metal).

2. "Explorer Scouts B.S.A." strip on Scout Shirt.

3. Green garter tabs worn with Scout stockings.

4. Explorers are authorized to wear a symbol representing their specialization title on the right sleeve above the cloth badge. This symbol to be indicative of the field in which the Explorer has specialized, i.e., Scout Artist, Scout Journalist, etc.

5. Achievement of First Honors and Second Honors is recognized by a double bar and triple bar, respectively, placed under the Explorer emblem on the right sleeve.

6. A Patrol Leader who has not earned First Honors wears one chevron below the Explorer Badge on the right sleeve of the Shirt; one who has earned First Honors wears two, and one who has earned Second Honors wears three.