COURT OF HONOR PLANNING

This Page Last Updated on 03/10/2006

Main Menu

Purpose and Leadership

The following are instructions on how to organize and run a Troop Court of Honor

WHO IS IN CHARGE: The SPL plans and conducts Court of Honors

WHO ATTENDS: All Troop members, the Scoutmaster, ASMs, and Families attend all Court of Honors. Special guests may also attend certain Court of Honors. For Eagle Court of Honors, additional guests may attend.

Planning the Court of Honor

1. At least one week in advance of the date of the COH, the SPL should contact the Troop Committee and Scoutmaster to see if there are any special presentations to be made.
2. The SPL should decide based on other planned activities at the COH if the Patrols need to perform a skit or other activity at the COH.
3. The Troop Historian should be involved in the planning process and make a presentation or bring the Troop photo albums to the COH.
4. The PLC should choose a Scout of the Quarter at the PLC Meeting prior to the COH.
5. The ASPL – Troop Competition should let the Troop Committee Chair know which Patrol won the Patrol of the Quarter competition and which Scout was selected as the Scout of the Quarter.
6. The SPL or MC for the COH should plan the Program.
7. The Awards can be spit up with skits or other presentations between each Patrol’s Awards. Special Awards such as the Quarterly Awards should be at the end of the COH prior to announcements.
8. Quarterly Awards are generally not given out at the September / October COH.
9. The SPL should arrange with the ASPL – Personnel to have any Troop materials, such as flags, transported to the COH location.

Back to Top

Typical Program

• Opening led by SPL and Senior Scouts. Remember to ask for those not in uniform to stand and place their right hand over their heart.
• The SPL or MC will welcome everyone to the COH.
• Food may be served at this time if planned.
• After eating, SPL or MC calls everyone back to order and asks for everyone to be seated.
• Patrol 1 Awards
• Patrol 3 Skit or Activity
• Patrol 2 Awards
• Patrol 4 Skit or Activity
• Patrol 3 Awards
• Slide Show
• Patrol 5 Skit or Activity
• Patrol 4 Awards
• Seniors Skit or Activity
• Patrol 5 Awards
• Patrol 1 Skit or Activity
• Senior Awards
• Patrol 2 Skit or Activity
• Quarter Awards
• Special Presentations
• Announcements
• Closing Ceremony
• Dessert

Back to Top

Running the Court of Honor

1. The SPL, ASPLs, and MC should arrive at least 30 minutes early to set up.
2. Each Patrol should be given a specific place to sit in the front rows.
3. The ASPL – Personnel should assist the Advancement Chair with getting the Awards ready for presentation.
4. The SPL or MC should check with Patrols to make sure that their Patrol presentations are ready.
5. The ASPL – Program should get the flags ready for the Opening Ceremony.
6. The ASPL – Training and Discipline should great each Scout as they arrive and direct them to their Patrol seating area.
7. The SPL or MC will ask everyone to be seated and then conduct the Opening Ceremony.
8. The SPL or Mc will run the COH Program.
9. The ASPL – Personnel will assist the SPL or MC with presenting the Awards.
10. When the COH Program is completed, the Scoutmaster, Committee Chair, and others will make announcements prior to the Closing Ceremony.

Back to Top

Presenting Awards at the Court of Honor

1. Ask the Patrol to come up on stage.
2. Patrol Leader will put Patrol at Attention and walk up on stage and face the audience.
3. The SPL or MC will call Scouts who are receiving Awards up to the podium one at a time by calling, “Joe Scout, front and center.” The Scout should take one-step forward, pivot, and walk to the podium.
4. The SPL or MC will announce the Awards earned and present them to the Scout.
5. The Scout will take the Awards, do a Scout handshake, do an about face, walk back to their place in line, pivot, step into line, about face, and stand at Attention with the rest of the Patrol.
6. If the Scout is receiving a Rank, the SPL or MC will ask one of the Scout’s parents to come up to the podium after asking the Scout to come up. After the parent is at the podium, the SPL or MC will read the Awards and then have the Scout open the envelope and pin the parent pin on their parent.
7. When the Patrol has received all of their Awards, the SPL or MC will announce that the Patrol may be seated.
8. The Patrol Leader should lead his Patrol off stage at Attention and return to their Patrol seating area.

Back to Top

Special Considerations for Eagle Courts of Honor

1. Eagle Court of Honors should be given at least 3 moths planning time.
2. Giving out Troop Awards at an Eagle Court of Honor should be done quickly in Patrol order followed immediately by the Quarterly Awards without any skits.
3. The SPL and ASPL – Personnel present the Troop Awards and then turn the Program over to the Eagle Court MC.
4. The families of the Eagle Scouts may decide to have their own MC and will develop the rest of the Program other than the Troop Awards.

Back to Top

To Download a copy of this How To, right click the link below and use "Save Target As." Download the document and open it on your computer. Directly downloading the document from this link does not work well.

DOWNLOAD THIS HOW TO

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ ANNUAL PLANNING CONFERENCE ] [ MONTHLY PLC MEETING ] [ TROOP MEETING PLANNING ] [ CAMPOUT PLANNING ] [ TROOP OUTING PLANNING ] [ COURT OF HONOR PLANNING ] [ EVALUATING JUNIOR LEADERS ] [ DEALING WITH DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS ] [ PATROL MEETING PLANNING ] [ PATROL CAMPOUT PLANNING ]