Merlin2

I have been our troop's camping chair for several years, and faced the same issue. In order to get input for planning, I handed out a survey that asked each scout to identify the top 10 merit badges that they would like to see included in the troop activity plans for the next year. The results have been reported to both the PLC and troop committee, and used as a guideline in planning. Each month, we plan an outing based on one of the chosen activities, and weekly meetings prior to the outing can include the training required for that activity. We don't always complete the merit badge requirements, since some scouts usually already have each badge. But they still like to get out and have fun with the troop. Past monthly themes have included snow sports, space exploration, biking, hiking, shooting, archery, climbing, emergency prep, & swimming. IMHO, the biggest benefit was we knew that the input came from a lot of different scouts, and not just the oldest or most vocal ones.