First Class Emphasis
First Class Emphasis (FCE) is a program planning tool that has been a part of the BSA's troop program for nearly twenty years. FCE is a focused program plan used in the New Scout Patrol (NSP), that gives an active Scout the opportunity to Learn, Test, be Reviewed, and be recognized for the ranks leading to and including First Class within the first approximately 14-months of his Boy Scout membership.
It's purpose is to give the Scout the basic skills needed to integrate into the regular program of the troop, and to give the Scout the activity, confidence, experience and self-esteem to keep more scouts in the troop for that all important first year. Troops that use NSP and First Class Emphasis have a higher retention rate not only for the first year, but for the first three years of Scouting, than units that do not use it.
To make this possible our Scoutmaster assigns an Assistant Scoutmaster to oversee the program for New Scout Patrols. The Senior Patrol Leader also assigns an older Boy Scout as a qualified Troop Guide to assist the New Scout Patrol Leader.
The BSA also makes advancement tracking sheets available to help the ASM of New Scout Patrols and the Troop Guides to plan out the First Class Emphasis program and to track the individual scout's progress. The ASM may choose to use an alternate electronic database, but ultimately records this progress in the Scout's BSA Handbook and shares with the Troop Committee Advancement staff for recording in the Troopmaster © database.
Once the New Scout has achieved First Class they will be a year more mature, a year stronger, a year smarter, more knowledgeable about troop and patrol operations, and skilled enough to properly prepare himself for a trip, cook, clean, hike and camp safely.
- Early Rank Videos Online introductions
- Tracking Sheet First Class - First Year
