Help! MB session en masse!

[Lisabob 13]

Ack! I've been asked last-minute to run a mb session this weekend for the communications mb, for 60-70 boys. This is NOT the way I would prefer to do mb counseling but it is a situation where I feel I have to pitch in and lend a hand. (long background story, suffice to say I'm going to do this against my better judgment.)

 

I am a newly registered counselor for this badge. I've read the mb book and had a look at a few mb worksheets, though I'm not so sure I want to use them (I won't have time to check them anyway!). I teach college students for a living so I believe I have a handle on the application of a lot of the material. But I would love some creative ideas for how to work through the requirements with this large a group of (mostly) middle school aged boys. Oh yes, and I have TWO HOURS to do it and the only technology I can count on having available is an overhead projector!

 

I've been asked to focus on requirements 1, 2, 6, and 9; I guess that's the good news. They do not expect to cover the entire mb.

 

I'd really appreciate some ideas for how to make this as good a session as I can for these boys, given time constraints, group size, and short notice for preparation. Thanks!

 

Lisa'bob

[MaScout 10]

Do you have any other adults to help you monitor this? That would be a big help! Even if you can recruit some older boys, they could be of great assistance.

 

I think I'd start by splitting the large group into several smaller ones, no more than 10 to a group. Ideally, even a little smaller.

 

Next, I'd work on #1, Option C. Have them tell the others in the group the story. If you can have a monitor in each group, they can discuss the differences they learned.

 

For #2, Option A, I'd provide paper and markers. In the same small groups, I'd have them work on a pictograph describing themselves and present it within the small group.

 

For #6, I'd pre-select some simple skills, which would take a minimum of materials and time, like First Aid or knot-tying. Maybe have 5 or 10 different skills on notecards that you hand out. Then each Scout would teach another Scout in his group, and your group monitors could proctor it.

 

For #9, is there any way you could get a radio DJ, TV sportscaster, or similar type person to come in and speak to the entire group?

 

Not ideal solutions, but a start. Good Luck!

 

Ma Scout

[Lisabob 13]

Hi Mascout,

 

Thanks for the ideas. I was thinking of similar things for 1 and 2 also. There's so much more they could do w/ #2 in particular but we just won't have time I guess.

 

For #6, after my original post I was told that they are supposed to come prepared to teach a skill, with teaching aids. Probably some will, some won't. But I'm going to have to do this in small groups too since if I let each boy have 5 minutes of class time individually, that would take the entire allotted time, plus some! So I am going to have to come up with some ways for them to monitor each other's presentations here too.

 

I will have one other adult in the room to help. And I guess it is a good thing I have some teaching experience with large groups! But I do wonder how this will go with these younger guys...

 

Thanks for the leads on #9. This is being held on the college campus where I work so I'm going to contact the college radio station and newspaper and the communications & theater dept. on campus to see if I can get anybody from there to come in and speak for #9. If not I guess I can do it (teaching does require effective communication!) but tag team is always nice too.

 

Thanks again!

 

Lisa

[Trevorum 24]

I'd suggest looking at this not as a "merit badge class" but as an opportunity to teach these fellows a bit - perhaps a very small bit, given the constraints - about communications. If they get a couple of requirements fulfilled towards a MB, well fine! But don't feel that you are responsible for shoveling out cookie-cutter merit badges.

 

Make sure that everyone knows up front that the session will result in a "partial", with possibly requirements X, Y, and Z depending on time. Assign one of your assistants to deal with paperwork while you teach.

 

And good luck!

[Lisabob 13]

Trevorum, thanks for the suggestions. Can you elaborate on what kind of paperwork you're thinking of? The other adult in the room may - or may not - be registered as a counselor for this MB so I'm not sure he will be able to sign off on cards and at any rate, I won't know what to sign off for until we're just about done and I know which requirements have actually been completed. So: what kind of paperwork could/should I be mindful of that could be completed during the class (not just at the end)?

 

I've never attended a class like this, let alone taught one! So I really appreciate the logistical help.

 

Lisa'bob

[John-in-KC 311]

Lisa,

 

I do believe Trevorum is talking about the Merit Badge Card (aka Blue Card). If your SM does not have enough in bulk supply, PM me offlist, someone did a adobe acrobat "clone" of the BSA form, and I will email it to you.

 

The paperwork he's talking about is writing down the list of requirements and popping in the date these young men passed muster on the requirement and your initials. It takes a minute or two per card, so 60-70 young men means an hour or two hours working the paper.

 

BTW, for requirement 9: Look for sales people, political science teachers , attorneys, and even architects or general contractors. All have jobs which require extensive communications skills

[Trevorum 24]

Thanks, John. Yes, the blue cards (or a substitute depending on the whims of the organizers...) can take some time, especially with 60-70! As the counselor, you will have to sign -- unless you delegate (heh, heh) this responsibility to one of your henchmen, just as a CEO allows his Administrative Assistant to sign for him.

[fgoodwin 23]

I hate to be the grouch here, but w.r.t. #9, its not the job of the MBC to present one (or more) professionals in the field of communications to the boys.

 

Its the *boys* job to research careers in communications, select one and share with the MBC the responsibilities of that career and the qualifications, education, and preparation it requires.

 

I understand with 60 boys that will be difficult to do -- but #9 should have been listed as a "pre-MBU" requirement, i.e., the work for #9 should be completed in advance of the class, and the class should be for the purpose of presenting the results to the MBC.

 

The work for #9 (and many other requirements) can easily be done in advance of the class, because the MBC is not required to approve the career selected for research by the Scout. That's how my Council approaches these MB sessions, and with a group that size, I see no other way to do it.

 

Obviously, when working one-on-two (YP!), the preferred approach would be to go through the MB booklet with the boys over some period of time. But in a group setting, that's simply not possible, and much of the work must be done in advance, where the class will allow only enough time to go over the results of the boys' work, and for signing the MB cards.

 

BTW: many MBUs don't require that the boys bring blue cards. As a MBC, I will always have extra cards available so the boys who leave with only "partials" will have his own proof of that fact, beyond the electronic records maintained by the MBU organizers.

[Lisabob 13]

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions, they have been most helpful. After talking with some folks about this whole situation it seems that a set-up where 100+ kids are shuffled through a MB session in a couple of hours and then "signed off" is not so unusual as I might have expected. How unfortunate. And no wonder people have generally negative attitudes toward these MB U's!

 

As for me, I've decided to take Trevorum's advice to heart. I'm not even striving for "completion" of an Eagle-required mb for close to 100 students (numbers increase every time I talk to the organizers) in just a couple of hours. I'm just hoping to give them a solid introduction to the topic and provide them with opportunities to follow-up and complete the mb with me (or another mb counselor) outside the confines of the MB U.

 

By the way, my son is attending this day too. I'm really glad he decided to focus on "for fun" mbs instead of Eagle required mbs (he picked Oceanography, Chemistry, and Fingerprinting). Not only are the groups a lot smaller for those (there's between 150-200 boys signed up for some of the citizen mb sessions, which will be "taught" in a large lecture hall - ugh!), but I'll be less upset about him getting a superficial introduction to those, if that's what happens.

 

Anyway, wish me luck. I think it will work out ok even if it won't produce scads of completed mbs. I just hope the boys won't be too disappointed with that fact.

 

Lisa'bob

[Kaji 11]

I hear ya, Lisa. That's actually why I used to go to the MB University-style sessions whenever one came up (well, other than the fact that it's always fun to roadtrip up to my dad's alma mater, the USNA...). I used them as a chance to get some of the ones it's difficult to get counselors for at home (genealogy, cinematography, geology, radio, and electronics come to mind). In my mind, you're kind of squandering the experience merit badges are supposed to provide if you make it all the way to Eagle, but only do the required ones and 9-10 "safe" merit badges that are either easy, or that you're already quite familiar with inside and out to begin with (though there's certainly nothing wrong with getting ones to recognize you for things you already know a lot about!). Hope your son enjoys oceanography, I really liked doing that one, myself.