We are starting a boys club at our church focused on wood skills. I am brainstorming and trying to think of a merit/promotion system. I am trying to nail down basic skill groups that they would get a ribbon for by passing a prac ap test. Also I would like to have levels in each skill group that they could receive a ribbon star as they progressed in the individual skill. When they receive every ribbon they get promoted. When they star out in each ribbon they get promoted again and so on. I am thinking three total promotions. This would require three levels of proficiency in each skill-set. Skillsets would be, fire, shelter, water, signal, food, first aid, nav, rope, etc. The ages will be 1st -3rd grade. So age makes an impact on skillsets.
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Boys Club
- Thread starter 8541SS
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That's pretty cool, 8541SS. You may want to look through some cub scout handbooks for ideas.
Some things that come to my mind are putting up a tent by themselves, cooking something simple, carving something in soap, some simple knots, and have them identify some common trees.
Have fun.
Some things that come to my mind are putting up a tent by themselves, cooking something simple, carving something in soap, some simple knots, and have them identify some common trees.
Have fun.
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This sounds like a great program. Grades 1-3 (age 6-9?) seems pretty young, though, and your students will be coming from families of varying levals of parental responsibility.
These are very young boys. I would stress how critical it is that they not abuse the skills taught. Just because they see some really great tinder near the playground, that doesn't mean they have to test it out!
Similarly, they need to learn not to denude the neighbor's garden building a debris shelter. Knife safety is another huge responsibility.
If you haven't already, take a look at the books, Wild at Heart and Fathered by God by John Eldredge. These are actually books for men, not boys, but they address the journey from boyhood into mature manhood.
These are very young boys. I would stress how critical it is that they not abuse the skills taught. Just because they see some really great tinder near the playground, that doesn't mean they have to test it out!
Similarly, they need to learn not to denude the neighbor's garden building a debris shelter. Knife safety is another huge responsibility. If you haven't already, take a look at the books, Wild at Heart and Fathered by God by John Eldredge. These are actually books for men, not boys, but they address the journey from boyhood into mature manhood.
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merit should be based on mileage, not age. IMO, true age IS mileage, as miles are experience. Have them log their trail miles and base the merit system on who spends the most time in the woods.
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I just checked the Royal Rangers website...that's what I grew up in and it was more or less a religious based Scouts. I didn't seem them, but we had a very similar merit system and I specifically remember some of the badges you could earn (small metal pins...axe, knife, etc.).
I also agree, make the merit system based on performance and not age. If an older boy joins up, he can jump into the older group of kids, but must earn his merit points like everybody else.
You could also add in some merit points for service...cleaning up and repairing a local hiking trail or park; planting trees, etc.
Fire making is a good example for promotion. Start with the simple system of making a fire with a match and tinder. Work it up to the next level with just tinder and firesteel; maybe even make them find their own natural tinder. Lastly, have them make fire with flint and steel or even fire board/bow? Those skills build on each other very well.
Jeff Randall has some excellent classes on his site that you could use (I would ask first, which I did). Land navigation and map/compass are skills that can be categorized from easy to hard as well.
Let us know how it works out. I'm in a new church that does some outdoors stuff with the boys, but no real outdoors skills which I'd like to volunteer to start up.
ROCK6
I also agree, make the merit system based on performance and not age. If an older boy joins up, he can jump into the older group of kids, but must earn his merit points like everybody else.
You could also add in some merit points for service...cleaning up and repairing a local hiking trail or park; planting trees, etc.
Fire making is a good example for promotion. Start with the simple system of making a fire with a match and tinder. Work it up to the next level with just tinder and firesteel; maybe even make them find their own natural tinder. Lastly, have them make fire with flint and steel or even fire board/bow? Those skills build on each other very well.
Jeff Randall has some excellent classes on his site that you could use (I would ask first, which I did). Land navigation and map/compass are skills that can be categorized from easy to hard as well.
Let us know how it works out. I'm in a new church that does some outdoors stuff with the boys, but no real outdoors skills which I'd like to volunteer to start up.
ROCK6
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The Fire Belt is kind of a time-honored tradition, the person who builds the first sustained fire gets to wear it as a sign of honor, alot of times there are booby prizes or campsite privelages that go along with it too.