You want to promote soaring by making it harder to get a pilot's certificate? How many pilots are you going to lose because weather and club glider availability never line up? It is a gliding license that takes gliding skills, soaring is simply a sport you first need a gliding license to partake in. Get people in gliders, if they come round again get them a glider license then ask what their goals are and give them a push if needed.
On Sunday, August 23, 2015 at 9:21:53 PM UTC-4, N97MT wrote:
Make the SSA Bronze Badge and Silver Distance leg an FAR requirement for the Sport and Private Pilot Glider Certificates. These are relatively easy to do and makes you a better soaring pilot.

You have a cross-country requirement for the Private Certificate in Airplanes, and there are many more of those flying around. Why not for Gliders?

People fear what they don't have experiences in. When you've done it to get the Certificate, it becomes a non-issue, and puts you well on the way to competition or just doing the cross-country for yourself.