The Court of Honor

The Court of Honor is an exciting ceremony where Scouts receive recognition for their achievements. A good Court of Honor will inspire other Scouts to gain advancement too.

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The Court of Honor

Everyone is clapping for Billy, because he just got his Star rank and 5 merit badges. A Tenderfoot looks up and thinks, "Some day, I'm going to be the one up there."

That is the power of a good Court of Honor. But what makes a good Court of Honor? Lets start by looking at the 4 main purposes:

To furnish a dramatic background for achievement.
Kindle incentive for Scouts to progress further.
To spur other Scouts to win advancement.
To highlite the aims and ideals of the Scouting program.

These purposes lead to the building blocks of a good CofH. It must first be keyed to Scout level. Though adult recognition shouldn't be ruled out, it shouldn't drown out the rest of the program. It must be simple, short, and understandable. No one likes a long winded, drawn out preformance. It is to be dignified, but not without skits and songs. Skits and songs add life to any occasion, make sure they are appropriate though.

Scouts play a big role in a Court of Honor. An elder Scout should serve as the MC and have a script that is written and rehearsed. All the Scouts need to be in full Class "A" uniform. Awards can be given out by the Scoutmaster or another adult, or by the SPL or JASM.

It is meant to be a fun and exciting ceremony. Awards should be given out with enthusiam. Everyone is applaused, either one at a time or at the end. Remember, this is where Scouts are recognized, and it means a lot to them to have an entire audience congradulating them.

Sample Program

Set up	This should be done about 30 minutes before it begins. Chairs are arranged and the awards are all set out.
Arrival	As people arrive, a greeter in full uniform should be at the door and hand out a program if there is one.
Opening	A flag ceremony with the plege is a simple idea that works well.
Action Song	Have everyone stand up and participate in an action song to get their blood flowing.
Awards	Rank advancements and other awards, like World Conservation Award are handed out.
Merit Badges	Give out all the badges earned since the last Court of Honor.
Skit	Something funny, possibly depicting a recent outing.
Special Feature	A special award, something for the Scoutmaster or for a Scout of the Year.
Announcements	Quick summaries of past events and notes on future events.
Closing	Thank everyone for their attendance, and have a final round of applause for all the Scouts.
Refreshemnts	Have some juice and cookies for the guests. If it is a pot luck style everyone can eat before or after the ceremonies. (I prefer to eat before)
Clean up	A few Scouts, or the service patrol can stay after and tidy the place up.

This is just a sample program, and can be adapted to any situation. For a few ideas on places to hold a Court of Honor:
A pot luck dinner is always fun. Assign each family a dish (meal or dessert)
Hold it in a local park. Make sure it has good seating and Always reserve the area for a group. Perhaps the troop can also sponser a Bar-B-Que.
Have the Scouts preform a play before the ceremony.

These are just some ideas to get you started. Have fun!

Table of Contents

The Court of Honor

Sample Program