Welding merit badge

[RememberSchiff]

Has anyone started it? How is it being received? Too difficult?

 

Yes!

 

"It was a lot of fun, Boy Scout Patrick McKeon said. MIG welding is a type of welding with a welding gun and wire, and you move the wire in close proximity to the gun, and it starts an electrical arc that heats the wire, which allows you to weld.

 

Here's a photo and newspaper article of nine scouts (including one female Venture Crew member) who recently earned Welding merit badge.

 

http://www.telegram.com/article/20120414/TOWNNEWS/120419747&TEMPLATE=TOWNPORTAL

 

 

[BobbyB]

Thanks for the info. I think we'll try to get a session going in the fall.

[RememberSchiff]

http://kgmi.com/To-always-be-prepared-Boy-Scouts-start-welding/12989761?newsId=145838

good article, excerpts below. Scouting should offer strong hands-on vocational merit badges, I remember when schools had "shop" classes to allow students a chance to try carpentry, metalwork, electrical work, plumbing,..good stuff.

 

"More than 140,000 new welders will be needed by 2019 to replace retirees and meet rising demand from natural gas drillers, steel producers, automakers and more, according to the American Welding Society (AWS).

 

The group helped the Boy Scouts of America award its first welding merit badge in March, hoping to offset waning interest in welding due to a cultural focus on four-year liberal arts degrees at the expense of community colleges and trade schools, industry experts say.

 

"The Scouts start realizing that welding could lead to a viable career," said Sam Gentry of the AWS. "It's not just something to fix a fence."

 

Among the roughly 450,000 U.S. welders, the average age is 55, and fewer than 20 percent are under the age of 35, according to AWS data.

 

In addition to the Boy Scouts partnership, the AWS has boosted the amount in scholarships it doles out each year.

 

It also built a $500,000 trailer equipped with "virtual" welding machines with the help of Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. Last weekend, the machine made a pit stop at the Indianapolis 500 car race to tout the welding profession to young auto fans..."

 

The Boy Scouts have already run out of their first printing of 11,000 welding training manuals, which cost about $5 each.

 

Using the book, which outlines safety procedures, welding techniques and career potential, and through hands-on training in welding, Scouts can earn the badge in as little as 12 hours, the group says.

 

"Boys like discovering things, exploring things with their hands," said Boy Scouts spokeswoman Renee Fairrer. "Something like welding is of interest to boys because it's not necessarily something they see as part of their everyday existence."

 

A representative for the Girl Scouts of the USA wasn't available to comment on a potential welding merit badge for the group's members ..."

(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

[skunksfeet]

we had a scout earn this, first one in the troop and he said it was hard but fun. Talked to his parent and was told he was all smiles. Isn't that what it's all about? I think sometimes we get stuck on this scout has too many merit badges, this one is using it for day care. But when you get all smiles even though it's hard...it's great. Who's to say wether he'll be a welder or not but he'll have a respect for the work they do.

[RememberSchiff]

MSNBC picked up the news story, hurray!

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47615409/ns/business-careers/#.T8aU1MVqHQp

 

 

 

[Momleader]

My oldest son earned it this summer and had a great time. He is very artistic and enjoyed learning a new medium. Very thankful that it was introduced this year.