Scout teaching Merit Badge

[shortridge]

I think you've hit on the best solution possible. The focus should be on instruction, not approval.

 

I could see exceptions for some badges - such as Lifesaving, Motorboating, Waterskiing, Climbing and the shooting sports disciplines - where it's very difficult for a Scout to find a counselor with the proper equipment and training outside of the camp structure. But the vast majority of the badges - handicrafts, nature, outdoors skills, etc. - that are now taught by minors shouldn't be signed off at camp, IMHO.

 

An alternative is to drop the badges entirely and focus on skills and subjects not explicitly tied to advancement - running sessions on fire-by-friction, boat rescues, tracking & trailing, search and rescue, etc.

[Beavah]

Yah, now you're all talkin'. Been trying to steer folks to think differently about camp for years. It is an uphill fight, though, largely because earnin' MBs the right way has become a relatively rare thing in a lot of places. Folks just don't even know how. So instead they rely on camp and those darn MB Mill Weekends.

 

Takes a lot of deprogramming and re-education to get 'em to the point of usin' the program properly and well. And in these days of multi-council camps, even if by some herculean effort yeh got folks in your council on board, all those out-of-council folks that yeh need to keep your camp full would still be lost.

 

I completely agree. Camp might start MBs to be finished later (or perhaps finish MBs started earlier) and the lads would get a lot more out of it. Plus fewer badges, taught well by folks who really knew that material, would be so much stronger than many badges taught by folks who have to fill in on some things that they don't know as well.

 

Beavah