Help your patrols earn the National Honor Patrol Award – or The Quest for Bubba the Bear
The National Honor Patrol Award is a huge accomplishment for any patrol. It is also daunting to achieve and requires good record-keeping. We came across an interesting method to manage the program and turned the whole thing into a competitive game. While it is complex in preparation, it can be done with a few people and provide a great 90-day program. The concept we used was “The Quest for Bubba the Bear” with a storyline, a series of clues, and points that were awarded each time a patrol accomplished something on the list.
Here are the basic steps.
1. Introduce the Event
If you have a Troop mascot you should be ready to go. If not, 3-4 weeks before you plan to start the event introduce the new Troop Mascot. Ours was a teddy bear in a troop neckerchief around which we spun a tale of how it came to the Troop and the significance of the gift from the mother of one of America’s greatest clandestine heroes. (This creates the explanation of what is to follow.) During the four weeks, make your Troop mascot visible, and be sure to make it top of mind in the Scouts. We awarded it to the winner of the Patrol competition.
2. Make the Plan
This is the tricky part. Depending on your location, you will need a place for the Mascot to be stored until the event is over. We live in a small city, so I found someone who had a house in an interesting location and agreed to let our mascot, Bubba the Bear, be in the window. Once you have a place, make a large chart with patrol names (down) and different accomplishments (Across). The accomplishments should all be based on the requirements for the National Honor Patrol Award. We used a BIG piece of cardboard for this and broke down everything that could be earned more than once.
For example, we had 13 spaces for “75% attendance in uniform” and one space for “Take part in a Patrol Hike, Outdoor Activity, or other Scouting Event”. We then assigned points to each activity. Advancing in Rank was 100 points, Adding a patrol member was 75, while a week of 75% attendance was worth 5. Add up all the possible points and divide by the number of clues. It should work out that if the Patrol gets all the clues they will earn the award. Adjust the points as necessary to match the number of clues. Advise your committee people about the upcoming event and find resources for the Scouts. Check for possible service projects and good turns, find materials to make patrol flags, and find interesting places for hikes.
Next, come up with a bunch of clues to guide the Scouts to the Mascot. Start very generally (In the evening I can see the Sun; I can look out the window) to very specific ( I am in a GreenHouse; I see numbers on the house across the street 3547) All the clues are the same for each patrol and are given out in the same order. We had them on small pieces of paper with the order marked on each clue. Each Patrol had its envelope of clues – about 20 each. Also be sure to have a set of rules – stay off private property, no motor vehicles, how to document a patrol meeting, and whatever other rules you want. Have a single sheet of paper that lists the challenges to hand out along with the rules.
3. Put Someone in Charge
Our Scoutmaster (hey that was me!) ran the event but any adult who can be there every week can be in charge. Be sure to have someone who can “spin a tale” and keep the excitement high.
4. Start the Event
Once you have the clues, chart, and all the details set, it’s time to begin. Start by removing the mascot when there are no scouts around and placing it at your volunteer’s house (or work.) We took some really bad pictures that we used for the first meeting where Bubba went missing. At the next meeting, after the opening, announce that the mascot has disappeared and that the kidnappers/KGB/supervillains have taken the mascot and will only return him if the patrols can find him. They reached out to you(the person running the event) and sent a list of rules and challenges that must be completed. I played this up big (it was fun!) and handed out the rules and the challenges and the first clue in an “official” .kidnappers/KGB/super-villain envelope. Our first clue was the terrible picture (out of focus, thumb covering part of the lens, and way too dark) and a clue “We are holding Bubba the Bear within the city limits” We started right then by telling the Scouts that each time they earned 100 points, they would receive another clue. We explained that the clues have more and more detail. We also answered any questions about procedures at that time.
5. The Event Continues
Each week we made a big deal about how many points each patrol earned. We would mark the chart with the accomplishments and announce the total points. When giving out a clue, we did that in a way to make the PL understand the need for secrecy about the contents. We would praise the Patrols who earned points that week and would point out a particular item that would earn more points. I would also remind them that they only had to find Bubba – not retrieve him. When the patrol thinks they find him, they need to take a photo and show it to the event leader. The other patrols can continue to try and find the mascot. By the way, the National Honor Patrol Award was NEVER mentioned other than vague references to a huge reward for any patrol who could find our mascot.
6. Down to the Wire.
If you are getting close to the end and still have clues to give out, you can always put them on “Sale” – Next week you will receive two clues for every 100 points you earn. I arranged for our committee to schedule an additional Board of Reviews to accommodate the Patrols. I had our committee members come in to help with service projects and good turns that they had found in our community. We had materials available to make patrol flags and our Outdoor Activities committee member had a list of local places to hike or have outdoor activities.
7. The End of the Event
At the end of 13 weeks (or sooner if all the patrols have found the Mascot) Announce that the mascot has been found and congratulate the patrols that found him(or her). We did a bit of theater and had a “mysterious stranger” come in and deliver Bubba to the SPL. At this time, Announce the Patrols who have won the National Honor Patrol Award. We explained it to the Scouts and asked them if they had noticed the star under any other Patrol patches. It was a great success and we were able to hand out the patches at the next Court of Honor. This was great fun and it ended with all the patrols, except the patrol with the older Scouts, earning the award. It also boosted recruiting, advancement, and Patrol Spirit, and helped our Patrol Leaders get better at their jobs. I recommend this to any Troop who wants to make their Patrols strong.
References:
National Honor Patrol Award Tracking