The Court of Honor

Written By Christopher Simmons

Courts of Honor are gatherings for Scouts, families, and guests where the troop and troop members are recognized for their achievements.

This is a formal recognition with families, friends, and the public in attendance. All Scouts who have moved up to any rank (except Eagle Scout), or who have earned merit badges since the last court of honor, are recognized.

Here are a few tips to help it go smoothly for you and your fellow Scouts:

Be Prepared

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One Month Out

Finish up any rank or badge requirements you have left and get them signed off by your merit badge counselor, a senior Scout, or an adult leader.

Three Weeks Out

Request a Scoutmaster conference and sign up for a board of review to complete your rank advancement. Confirm all MB completions with the Advancement Chair.

Two Weeks Out

Have your board of review. A board of review is a conversation not a test—don’t be nervous! Wear your full uniform. Prepare by thinking about what’s next for you in Scouting.

One Week Out

Have your board of review, if you haven’t already. Practice the ceremony at the troop meeting. If you are missing any part of your uniform, order it now.

The Morning of the Event

Lay out your full uniform neatly before you leave for school. This will save you from looking frantically for a missing part of it at the last minute.

The Evening of the Event

Press your uniform if it needs it. Comb your hair. Shave if you need to. Get your homework done so you can arrive at least 15 minutes early to the meeting.

 

Following these tips will help make the court of honor smooth and stress free. Showing up in your full, neat, field uniform will make you look sharp. It shows that you take yourself and your fellow Scouts seriously. It demonstrates respect for Scouting. It signals that you respect your audience.

All that just by making an effort to present yourself formally and neatly.

The same is true for how you conduct yourself. Being as disciplined as you can when marching, presenting colors, or just standing demonstrates your skill as well as all the forms of respect mentioned above. When you don’t do your best it communicates to the people around you that they aren’t worth your best effort. So…do your best to represent yourself, your family, and your troop with pride!

 
Christopher Simmons
Christopher Simmons is a Canadian-born, San Francisco–based designer, writer, design advocate and educator. He also loves hamburgers. As principal and creative director of MINE™, Simmons designs and directs brand and communication design projects for clients ranging from Facebook, Microsoft, and Simon & Schuster, to the Nature Conservancy, SFMOMA and Obama for America. His work has been exhibited internationally at galleries and museums, including the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art, the Pasadena Museum of California Art and the Museum of Craft and Design; it is also included in the permanent design archives of the Denver Art Museum. In addition to writing for design publications and blogs (including two of his own), Simmons is the author of four books—the most recent of which, Just Design, focuses on design for social change. Simmons served as president of the San Francisco chapter of AIGA from 2004–2006 and founded San Francisco Design Week, prompting then-mayor Gavin Newsom to issue an official proclamation declaring San Francisco a city where “Design Makes a Difference.” Simmons was recently named one of the “50 Most influential designers working today.”
http://www.christophersimmons.is
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