Some requirements tough to meet

[yarrow]

Some of the badges have difficult requirements and are seldom if ever offered. Take Farm Mechanics for example. Hard for a city boy. Anyone have creative solutions for some of these wierd requirements in some of these badges? Any favorites?

[OldGreyEagle]

yeah, farm mechanics would be tough for a city boy to do, but thats because I dont think it was intended for him in the first place...

 

Notable exceptions excepted (and I know that was redundant), I dont think every scout has to have the opportunity to earn every merit badge. If an urban scout has a burning desire to get the farm mechanic merit badge, then he will find a way. I beleive its up to the scout seeking the badge to come up with his own creative solutions.

[yarrow]

One scouter wanted to know.......

 

"The Bird Study requirement says to "observe and be able to identify at least 20 species of wild birds". Can we count the ones observed at the local raptor center, where they care for injured birds? They are in cages, but they are definitely wild birds."

 

Seems to me like that was not the intent of the badge.

[OldGreyEagle]

Seems like that scout should consider the law merit badge some time soon

 

But I would point out to the scout, the merit badge has a picture of a bird on it ostensibly in the wild, and definitely not in a cage, so only birds seen in the wild, in nature, in their habitat would count.

[Eman]

Include it in one of your campouts to the country. We have a merit badge counselor for that badge in our troop, We'd be glad to find a place for you to camp.

[eisely]

I agree that I would not count the birds observed in a cage as meeting the requirement. Surely nobody would object to visiting such a place as a first step to simply learn more about the birds, their characteristics, and what they look like.

 

It is my impression that many, if not most, troops do not do a good job of integrating rank advancement into their outings. Working on rank or merit badges in a camping context is also a good way to keep boys busy during dead time.

[le Voyageur]

These last few post had me thinking about a scout who "cheated" the 50 miler ride requirement for the cycling merit badge and bragged about it. Had his parents drop him off at the top of a mountain pass to careened downhill all the way back down to the town where his parents were waiting to pick up him up....he did the 50, but, I don't think that was the intent of the badge.

 

Additionally, it is also strange at how BSA has watered down the requirements for this merit badge. 30 years ago it was tuff to do the 50 on a bike of that era. Now, with a multiple speed, modern bike, 50 is an easy to do...why wasn't the bear raised on this one is beyound me!

[andrews]

Food prep is a lot harder now as well, but that doesn't have to cheapen the badge.

 

Doing 50 miles on a bike is a good achievement, even with modern bikes. I wouldn't recommend the downhill glide part, but at least he got out for 50 miles.

 

Brad

[Mike Long]

Le Voyageur doesn't the route have to be approved? I think next time around I'd make it a there and back route.

 

I was under the impression that requirement were SUPPOSED to be hard.

 

I have a saying,

If it's easy, it probably isn't worth doing.

 

Raise the bar!(This message has been edited by Mike Long)

[Chippewa29]

I like all the responses about needing to raise the bar. It's good to see that our Scout leaders are smart enough to recognize that the youth of today need to be challenged and shouldn't just be given things to "boost their self-esteem".

 

Unfortunately, many people (kids included) today confuse success and recognition. They believe that as long as they are recognized, they are successful (this is a topic we could discuss for months). We all know that that is not necessarily true.

 

I do believe that it is important for people to get recognized for doing something positive, their motivation for doing to positive thing shouldn't be to get recognized (I hope that is understandable).

 

However, I don't agree with the philosophy that Scouts (no matter what age) should get a badge for doing every little thing. As stated earlier in the post (and in other posts), some requirements for certain merit badges are harder than others, yet they are all equal for advancement. I think back and realize that the easiest merit badge I ever did was Pets (no surprise). What did I get out of it? Nothing, really except for a badge. The experiences I cherish most came from doing Environmental Science and Lifesaving, as they were so challenging and forced me to stretch and learn and grow. I see parents/Scout leaders whose reasoning for our Scouts doing a particular activity is so they can get a patch/medal. They want to make it as easy as possible for the kids. Why? I'm not sure if they don't believe the Scouts can handle anything harder or if the adults want to make it easier on themselves.

 

There is a historical trail in a major city I did as a youth. It is maybe four miles long and in order to qualify for a medal (not just a patch), you go to these different historical sites along the trail and answer some questions from the plaques presented at the sites. It takes all of 2-3 hours (including rest breaks at the soda stands on each corner). Then, you pay a fee and get a really nice medal.

 

Compare that to a historical trail in our council. Before the trip, you have to write a 300 word essay on the historical significance of the trail. The first day is 11 miles of backpacking (everything used on the trail must be carried by the Scout) up and down large hills for a good part of the way. The next day is only seven miles and the terrain is easier. After the trip, you have to write a 250 word report on the trip and hand draw a map of the trail. Then, you get to pay for the medal. Which of these two medals do you think I cherish more?

 

Sure, there are going to be some merit badges where the requirements are harder and some where they are easier. We just need to be careful that the recognitions we promote to the Scouts are based on the Scouts interests (if they are into animals, then Pets is a great merit badge) and not on the relative ease so they can just make it to their next rank (and thus get more recognition). I think that is why many of us have shown our discontent with the Merit Badge Colleges (we refer to it as Giveaway Day in these parts).

 

All in all, I say three cheers for giving the Scouts a challenge. They are guaranteed to be challenged at sometime in their life. Shouldn't we be preparing them for it?

[Rooster7]

Chippewa29, well said.

[OldGreyEagle]

"(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[sctmom]

Ditto to what Chippewa said.

 

We have this discussion in Cub Scouts, some leaders and parents want the kids to get a patch for everything--just showing up. Some teachers seem to do this. I'm amazed how the 5th graders get "rewarded" for behaving all week and turning in all their work on time. Rewarded for doing what you are supposed to do? Excuse me for sounding old (I AM a senior member now...lol), but we got PUNISHED for NOT doing our work. Reward was that you didn't get punished.

 

[OldGreyEagle]

As I frequent say, times change, and not always for the best or they just change. The last Hospital I worked in had a program for the hourly employees, show up to work for the quarter and get a day off with pay. Just for showing up, what I always thought you were supposed to do, you got rewarded. Never made sense to me, but then, times change and not always for the best

[KoreaScouter]

I'm a requirements kinda guy, which has made me a little unpopular in some other threads. But, I gotta tell you, we're in a unique situation in the overseas BSA Councils which may make the requirements "hard-liners" rethink their positions. The requirements, the handbook language, the MB pamphlets, are all written with the presumption that the Scout lives in the United States. Especially with us, that's not true. Then, as leaders, we have to find ways to make the local environment, wildlife population, night skies, flora, etc., fit the requirements so our Scouts meet the intent of what the requirements call for.

 

How do we do that? In some cases, using the wildlife/nature stuff as an example, by visiting botanical gardens, arboretums, or wildlife sancutaries because of diminished populations of these native animals (big problem in Korea where we live), language barriers, access problems, etc. Is it the same as taking the troop to a council campground or a state park staffed with friendly, English-speaking rangers who were probably Scouts themselves and love telling the boys about what they do? No, and I wish we could do that. But we can't, so we have to improvise...