Blue Cards are a restricted item?

[Eagle92]

Moose,

 

Trust me I know what a PITA this is for the district. We had a guy who made it a WB ticket item to make a list for the district, and it got to be such a problem that it somehow turned out to be a list of MBCs just for his troop as the ticket item.

 

Another friend took 2.5 years getting the stuff done, only to have teh new YPT rules go into effect an that became a game changer for some MBCs.

[jtswestark]

Well said Moose! E92 is correct, but the reality sadly doesn't fall in line. I brought it up here long ago a fear about someday someone at an EBOR pulling a card from a midnight Eagle candidate and determining the counselor was never registered but everyone laughed it off as *never* could happen. I hope they are right.

 

Technology presents many more opportunities to improve these systems, but there's so many broken parts along the way we keep patching and re-patching and in the meantime the boys learn more about adult bureaucracies. Sad, like I said, many lost opportunities.

 

[TAHAWK]

If the "Blue Card" is required, you would think the official training material for MBC's would say so. But I guess lots of BSA literature is poorly done.

 

Because both councils I have Scouted in used them, I believed they were SOP.

 

Training material: http://www.scouting.org/training/adult/supplemental/meritbadgecounselorinstructorsguide.aspx

 

I know the two district MB registrars I work with are both having a tough time with the impact of required YPT.

[Alabama Scouter]

If they are not, they should be. I've seen parents forge them, and the resulting controversy is not pretty.

 

Blue Cards are a great way to teach the scout responsibility. In my troop, they are the ONLY record of the merit badge work in process (except for summer camp records). If the scout looses the card with partial signed off work, he's got to start over. Adults do not HOLD cards for scouts working on merit badges. That's the SCOUTS job (or mommies job).

 

The troop does not have the partial completion records, and does not want to. When the SM signs the card, the MBC is known, and is on the card. No changing MBC's because the scout doesn't like the guy. The Advancement Coordinator selects the MBC for the scout, not the other way around. The AC knows the work load of the MBC, and smooths out the work flow of the group of counselors.

[bnelon44]

"If the "Blue Card" is required, you would think the official training material for MBC's would say so. But I guess lots of BSA literature is poorly done."

 

The new 2011 Advancement Guidebook coming out in 3rd quarter will clarify this. Blue cards are the only official form but national is admitting they did a poor job of communicating that in the past and they will not require councils to change mid-stream. Instead national is asking councils to submit their forms to the national training team so the national team can learn about best practices.

 

 

[Eagle92]

Bnelon,

 

If it hasn't been communicated properly to use volunteers in the field, how the heck are we suppose to know things?

 

And has national already got input from councils and the 2011 ACPP will reflect the research, or is this still ongoing? I ask because I KNOW what will happen if national changes things for 2012 (Most things issued in August take effect the upcoming Jan 1, then changes them again ion 2014 or 15. Heck it may even take some units that long to implement the new changes, then to be told just after changing that there is yet another change.

 

Kinda like the CU fiasco. First they said everyone in the CUS wear tan and green insignia, then 8-9 mos later change it they say only Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts, Cub Scout Leaders and Webelos electing to wear the BS uniform wear the red and white insigia and trained strips. Ticked me off since I had just bought the tan and green stuff for my Cub Scouter uniform, only to have to change it a week or two later. AND I bought the green and tan stuff after calling a NATIONAL SUPPLY Scout shop to get the correct info as I heard rumors of changes taking place. ALOT of leaders and Cubs were not happy. I still see leaders and a couple of Cubs in tan and green insignia.

 

And let's not forget that 3 years after their debut, there have now been SEVERAL: changes to the CU's, i.e. ladies cut, poly wool, shorts, and now the new shirt designs.

[bnelon44]

"If it hasn't been communicated properly to use volunteers in the field, how the heck are we suppose to know things? "

 

It will be published in the 2011 Guide to Advancement for all to see.

 

"And has national already got input from councils..."

 

No not yet, they are asking for info now. There are no changes planned for the near future that I know of.

 

[TAHAWK]

Hey, Alabama. One section of the card at least says it is to be kept by the Counselor. Mine are in alpha order by name of Scout. Would you require redo rather than check with Counselor?

[moosetracker]

TAHAWK - Alabama, stated this is for a partial. The MBC doesn't get the blue card stub until the meritbadge is completed..

 

I haven't done so for a while, but I use to keep track of what I signed off for what scout on partials in case they did loose the blue card. I figured they would come to me with wide eyed expectation that I would remember what they did & didn't do, even if I hadn't seen them for 6 months to a year and I had x amount of other scouts I worked with..

 

But after a time, the scouts never did loose them, and I figured my keeping track was babysitting anyway, so I stopped.

 

It is up to the scout to hang onto the blue card partials until it is signed off, and should not be held onto by the parents, or the troop.

 

I do disagree with his troop forcing a scout to use their chosen councilor, and no one can change to a different conucilor mid-stream.. People do find some people difficult to work with. If the MBC does not treat the scout fairly due to his dislikes, or the scout is timid or intimidated or whatever due to something about the MBC, they are not going to have a beneficial relationship thoughout the course of the MB.(This message has been edited by moosetracker)

[Alabama Scouter]

Tahawk, for completed cards, yes, the troop has their third of the card.

 

The reason we assign merit badge counselors is to even out the work load on the MBC's we have. Of course some are more approachable than others, but if the scout had each choice, we'd drive that MBC away because of overwork.

 

We work with the number of MBC's we have volunteer for the job.

 

Part of the program is Adult Association, and this is a great way to work this into the program. Not everyone we deal with in life is a fuzzy teddy bear.

[acco40]

To clarify, the Scoutmaster does not approve the merit badge counselor. The scoutmaster assigns the merit badge counselor.

[jtswestark]

The SM certainly does when he doesnt have an adv chair or one that helps with assigning counselors! Is that specifically addressed in the adv guide? It should be, and if it isnt in the committee training it certainly should be as well.

 

We had an adv chair assign the counselor and Id sign the card, but I would tell them NOT to fill in the Counselors name and address on the card. Let the counselors do that. In addition, things happen the first counselor cant meet with the kid (or a million different reasons the first assigned cant do it) and another needs selected. If he filled in the card with counselors info then he needs to come back and get another card around and around he goes.

 

We would not keep partials information. But it needs to be a strong discussion not to lose the card or needs to start over. Kid (and parent) cant say he wasnt warned.

 

[Eagle92]

JT,

 

Actually the District Committee approves MBCs as it is a district level POR. This is the policy, although MBCs can request to work with specific units.

 

Once a MBC is approved, then the SM can select him for a Scout to use.

 

that's how it is suppose to work anyway. Unfortunatley reality varies based upon the situation in your district.

[jtswestark]

Sorry - I meant by 'approving' as in approving the Scout to work with a particular counselor. Not the initial approval to get on the District list.

 

I didn't care who the kid was working with as long as it wasn't a family member, or some other goofy situation. I did that just to keep tabs on what was going on. I also knew many of the MBC personally and could warn that this person was a stickler on this or that, even if they weren't. I took more than my share of butt chewings from counselors for not telling my boys they needed to do this or that. Took me a while to get it!

 

It was always fun to present that this counselor was this real mean, loud, old bag and in real she was a sweet little librarian. Or look out for his killer pit bull and there was a little yap dog. Hey, have some fun!

[bnelon44]

Though a few merit badges may have certain restrictions; short of them, any registered Scout may work on any one of them at any time, as long as he has the approval of his unit leader on the Application for Merit Badge, No. 34124 (commonly called the blue card). Although it is the responsibility of a Scoutmaster, for example, to see that a counselor is identified from those approved and made available, the Scout may have one in mind with whom he would like to work. He may also want to take advantage of opportunities at merit badge fairs or midways, or at rock-climbing gyms or whitewater rafting trips that provide merit badge instruction. This is acceptable, but the unit leader should still consider the recommendation and approve it if it is appropriate. Whatever the source, all merit badge counselors must be registered and approved.

 

There is no limit on the number of merit badges a youth may earn from one counselor. And approved counselors may work with and pass any member, including their own son, ward, or relative. But often we teach young people the importance of broadening horizons. Scouts meeting with counselors beyond their families and beyond even their own units are doing that. They will benefit from the perspectives of many teachers and will learn more as a result. They should be encouraged to reach out.