Meritbadge Camporee

[Herms]

Don't do it Pete! Will the merit badges they "get" that weekend really stand for the knowledge, skills and fun they aquired to "earn" them? Or will they get a whole bunch of pieces of cloth with colorful thread that don't really mean or stand for anything.

[Herms]

Maybe a better idea would be to use A Merit Badge as the Theme for the weekend (ie. Wilderness Survival) and incorporate the requirements in to the activities, but caution Troop leaders that the Scout will still have to finish the merit badge with an approved council/district merit badge counselor.

[regi]

Against the merit badge contest event.

 

Our chapter has put on merit badge workshop for District youth.A full day dedicated to one merit badge (non Eagle required).We were able to put on a much more involved program than they would get at summer camp.

They had a solid 8 to 10 hrs. of instruction and doing.

We did a full weekend a couple of times to do the Wilderness survival overnight requirement.

I am not a fan of offering a watered down program.

[regi]

 

Also we did make sure that there were approved and registered councilors who were involved in entire process from designing to running event.

[Hal_Crawford]

Beavah, I have to go with you on this one. On-line merit badges would be more cost effective than greener (no car idling while waiting for the blue card to print) than a drive thru window. 30 minutes and 5 questions and voila, Wilderness Survival merit badge or maybe Lifesaving. Oh yeah!

 

30 merit badges earned at camp? I don't think there are 30 merit badges that should be earned in a camp setting. Wow!

 

What this kid needs is a high adventure trek (with proper preparation). A week or two of backpacking, canoeing or sailing. No merit badges, none nada, zippo; just a lot of time in the great outdoors. Which part of scouting do you think he will remember when he is 50? A gazillian merit badges that passed in a blurr or a trek at Philmont, Northern Tier, Seabase or any one of the many council run high adventure programs?

 

Hal

[shortridge]

Hal,

 

Actually, I came up with 31 badges that could be offered within the traditional camp program areas, minus the bizarre outliers such as Golf, the Citizenships, Cinematography, etc. (All of which are now offered at my local council camp ... sigh.)

 

They are: Camping, Cooking, Pioneering, Orienteering, Wilderness Survival, First Aid, Emergency Preparedness, Fire Safety and Fishing; Archery, Rifle Shooting, Shotgun Shooting and Climbing; Basketry, Indian Lore, Wood Carving, Pottery and Leatherwork; Environmental Science, Nature, Fish and Wildlife Management, Insect Study, Forestry, Reptile and Amphibian Study and Astronomy; Swimming, Lifesaving, Rowing, Canoeing, Small-Boat Sailing and Motorboating.

 

Regardless, that Scout was either very busy or very short-changed. I'll put my money down on the latter.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I choose to spin off a new thread instead of posting this here.(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[ghermanno]

Definately avoid this event at all cost.

 

 

If I were on your district/Council advancement, I would thank all the merit badge counselors that approve of this event for their service and tell them their service is no longer required. They obviously do NOT understand the Merit Badge process or actual requirements.

 

Just my $0.02

 

Rick

[Hal_Crawford]

Shortridge:

I stand corrected. That is a great list. I'll see your 31 and raise you one. Our camp also offers Waterskiing though it doesn't offer Pottery (though they do offer Art). Did you have Mammals on your list? Our camp offers it and encourages it for the first year campers. I guess I never took the time to add them up.

 

Cinematography, Golf?

[shortridge]

Sorry, I didn't mean it as a correction, just an observation. I was kind of surprised myself by how many there were that made for a natural fit.

 

Yeah, Cinematography and Golf ... plus Auto Mechanics and Photography. And Art. And Graphic Arts, Oceanography, Chemistry and Archaeology. Plus Computers, Communications and Personal Management.

 

Archaeology makes complete sense, as there are several archaeological and historical sites on the camp property, and it was once home to a local Native American tribe. Oceanography, maybe. Chemistry ... there's no way a summer camp is going to have the same resources to counsel ont he topic that a professional chemist would. The others I flat-out really don't understand.

[gwd-scouter]

In defense of Golf merit badge at summer camp - ours offers it, but in the merit badge notes it states that the scout should have prior experience playing the game, bring his own clubs, and that the badge can't be completed at camp (they only play a nine hole round and the requirement is to play two or one 18 hole).

 

The guys spend the week practicing the different shots and discuss the safety and rules. They go out on Thursday to a local course (beautiful course) and play nine holes. My husband always volunteers during our week at camp to help out. It always seems funny to see him pack up his clubs to go to camp.

[BulldogBlitz]

I do not care for the weekend flurry of MB earning. We have a MB university here two times (at least) per year which is only a single saturday offering. The 60 scouts in our troop are encouraged to maximize this opportunity, and combine it with the over eager parent MB counselors within the troop who will ensure that they all get signed off quickly with questionable effort.

 

This weekend, we'll have a court of honor, and 10 scouts will be signed off on communications merit badge for the CoH portion of the requirement. I raised a red flag at the last committee meeting, and it was as if I had told each of them that their sons were no longer allowed to be scouts.

 

compressing a MB or any other advancement into "shortest period possible" is short changing the scout AND the program. retaining the information long enough to spit it back out will yield a very inexperienced Star - Life - Eagle scout. is that our true intent?

[Knot Head]

I don't like it.

 

 

[Daddy_O]

I think its a wonderful idea (surprise surprise).

 

When I cut the grass I do it as fast as I can. I dont want to be an expert; I want to be finished! From my reading (and very little else admittedly) It seems that the biggest problem with your organization is attrition, not too many inexperienced Eagles.

 

I dont know, but I would bet that your Eagles are much better contributors and supporters later in life (no pun intended). Why would some aged out star scout give money, time or encourage others to join?

 

Why not let the boys knock out some hard-to-get less-than-fun MBs and move on? Just to exhibit your arbitrary power? I dont get that part of it. Set the goal posts, and help the boys to score Simple.

 

[John-in-KC]

Merit Badges are not belt loops from Cubbing, nor are they activity pins.

 

They should be fairly deep (for the age) digs into a specific subject material.

 

But I'll let BSA's own training speak for me:

http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx

 

You can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers as you earn merit badges. There are more than 100 merit badges. Any Boy Scout may earn any merit badge at any time. You don't need to have had rank advancement to be eligible.

 

Pick a Subject. Talk to your Scoutmaster about your interests. Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you. Pick one to earn. Your Scoutmaster will give you the name of a person from a list of counselors. These counselors have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.

 

Scout Buddy System. You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister or other relative, or a friend.

 

Call the Counselor. Get a signed merit badge application from your Scoutmaster. Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and tell him or her that you want to earn the merit badge. The counselor may ask to meet you to explain what is expected of you and to start helping you meet the requirements. You should also discuss work that you have already started or possibly completed.

 

Unless otherwise specified, work for a requirement can be started at any time. Ask your counselor to help you learn the things you need to know or do. You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject. Many troops and school or public libraries have them. (See the list here.)

 

Show Your Stuff. When you are ready, call the counselor again to make an appointment to meet the requirements. When you go take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures or have an adult tell in writing what you have done. The counselor will ask you to do each requirement to make sure that you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required.

 

That's on a page for Scouts themselves.

 

Here's what BSA says to the Counselors:

 

http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors.aspx

 

The merit badge counselor is a key player in the Boy Scout advancement program. Whatever your area of expertise or interestwhether it is a special craft or hobby (basketry, leatherwork, coin collecting), a profession (veterinary medicine, aviation, engineering), or perhaps a life skill (cooking, personal management, communications)as a merit badge counselor, you can play a vital role in stirring a young man's curiosity about that particular topic. By serving as a merit badge counselor, you offer your time, knowledge, and other resources so that Scouts can explore a topic of interest.

 

The Scouting program emphasizes helping young men develop character, citizenship, and mental and physical fitness. Among the handful of methods used to build on these aims of Scouting are adult association, leadership development, and advancement.

 

Besides parents and relatives, schoolteachers, religious leaders, and possibly coaches, most Scout-age youth don't have much contact with many other adults or professionals. A Scout's association with his merit badge counselors provides an excellent way for him to grow and gain confidence through exposure to quality adults who serve as positive role models and mentors to him. Meeting people from business and community leaders to trained specialists and enthusiastic hobbyists, a Scout can experience a chance for personal growth and a positive life-altering experience while in pursuit of a merit badge.

 

Now, Daddy-O, why don't you become one of us and learn Scouting from the inside ?