Tampa Turtle Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I saw it in Scouting. Didn't see the requirements in meritbadge.org. Anyone know much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortridge Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Heard requirements are due out Sept. 7. Think it's kind of silly, myself. Singling out one game out of the hundreds out there - what are the criteria? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tampa Turtle Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 Chess has been around a long, long time and it is pretty challenging so I don't begrudge it a MB. Now a Fluxx MB would be cool. I was playing that with my kids and some of the boys at camp in between Poker and Black Jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaoman45 Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Sounds interesting. I was unaware of this. But, if I wonder if National will delay requirements as they did with the last few badges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beagle Scout Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 According to the United States Chess Federation (http://main.uschess.org/content/view/11348/639/), the launch of the Chess merit badge is scheduled to coincide with the grand opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame on September 10, 2011. Also, according to U.S. Scouting Service Project (http://usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/mb147.asp), "At the request of the BSA, the requirements will not be posted until September 7, 2011." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortridge Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Ahhh. Apparently the chess nuts and composite materials geeks both know how to write checks to promote their pet projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMT224 Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 If you want a real strategy game for a mb, then it would have to be GO. Nothing beats the thinking involved or the sheer excitement than a good game of GO. At summer camp or any week-end camping trip, our Scouts play GO and various Fluxx games (Martian, Monty Python, Eco, Zombie) any chance they get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberSchiff Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Overdue. Back in the day, a young Bobby Fischer wrote a chess column for Boys Life. Maybe this will be the first of a series of gaming merit badges - Civilization, Call of Duty,..., Parcheesi My $0.01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle92 Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 RS, Let's not go there, there is already a Video Games Belt Loop and Pin for the Cubs. Then again that may be the way we are going. While I am a Chess lover, hey I did letter in Chess in HS, I still think ScOUTING needs more OUTING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tampa Turtle Posted August 25, 2011 Author Share Posted August 25, 2011 SMT224 Yes I have a GO set and have played with my sons. I think Chess is pretty comparable. Both can be pretty hard to master. I wish National would release an "Outdoors" MB with each "Indoors" one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 When you refer to GO, is it the classic GO or the modernized GO (Pente) of getting five in a row? I prefer the classic GO, but there aren't many players out there anymore. Stosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberSchiff Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Agreed, but I think SCOUTing needs more SCOUTs. I would not be surprised that on any given day, there are more boys logged into X-box Live than the total BSA membership. Add PS3, Facebook games,...and I'm certain of it. Attract them with common interests - chess, Halo, robotics, paintball, laser-tag,... and then introduce them to the outdoor adventures and other fun. One example, some "distinguished" X-box game snipers thought Rifle Shooting would be lame ...okay look at your sight picture. Is everything in focus - front sight and target? No, ain't that something. Oh, other things, here in the real world, we need breathing control and trigger squeeze, we can run out of ammo, have misfires, windage,... better your game and get real. Need to fish where the fish are and then use the right bait...say I learned that in Fishing merit badge My $0.02 (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tampa Turtle Posted August 25, 2011 Author Share Posted August 25, 2011 SMT, Classic GO. I have an old set I got 40 years ago from my mom. I was never very good at Chess (my brother was a Chess prodigy) so she took pity on me. I love the little black and white stones. First time I thought my 5 year old son he beat me. So I am not a very good player. I have 300+ various board and wargames so I am a bit of a "analog game" geek. I have introduced some to my scouts and I find many of them like the old-school as well as the electronic ones. So you never know. The popularity of Fluxx shows boys will play a good non-electronic game if it is designed right. And it fits in a backpack. I was shocked at how the older boys take to Poker. Got to keep an eye on that. I agree about the shooting. My home sniper had to work really hard to qualify for Rifle MB at camp. Shocked he never got his dime but saw that his heartbeat was enough to throw off his shot. Introducing the boys to games just shows that it easy to focus on the program and leave out the fun. Scouting should be fun not school... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrsap Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 "I wish National would release an "Outdoors" MB with each "Indoors" one. " That might be one of the best ideas I've ever seen on these forums. I would say one good use of a chessboard might be that 40 minute, mid-afternoon rain shower during summer camp. I am in no way a great player, but I do enjoy a game every now and then, and I appreciate some of the things (strategy, planning, concentration, etc.) it can teach. NOT a good use of a chessboard? Summer camp Chess Merit Badge class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle92 Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 ISRAP, If there is going to be a Chess MB, then I do say offer it at camp, BUT ONLY WHEN IT IS RAINING ( caps for emphasis ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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