Citizenship in the Nation MB

[FScouter]

A Scout in our troop observed that the flag being flown on several federal buildings was not being lowered at night, and that there was no light on the flags. He wrote his congressman asking why the government was apparently violating the federal flag code. The buildings included a federal courthouse, the National Archives, and several others on Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C.

[Dedicated Dad]

And I PROMISE to keep all personal political conversation out of the discussions. I was going to say something but Im glad I didnt. Kudos to you! what are some national issues they would care about to write a letter about. Since the letter is going to your congressman or senator I would actually read that requirement as a more locally based issue where appropriations would be allocated to your state. Here in Maryland, inside the beltway, we are too political as it is, my son is bombarded with national issues everyday just living around here and he probably wouldnt recognize the difference between the two. But, on the other hand, if you did read that requirement as for a national issue he might write a letter asking his congresswoman to help stop future terrorism, he goes to school on The Hill just a couple blocks from the capitol and feels pretty vulnerable now a days. Here whats going on now.

http://www.senate.gov/

 

[Dedicated Dad]

Mom, I assume you have the link to meritbadge.com but just in case you dont here it is.

 

http://www.meritbadge.com/home.htm

 

At the bottom of each page there are usually lots of links to support sites.

 

http://www.meritbadge.com/bsa/mb/003.htm

 

[sctmom]

Don't flame me if this site has information you disagree with. I only looked at this one page which is specifically about this Merit Badge.

 

www.iveleague.org/s021-ab.html

 

Dad, When discussing the requirement about writing to Congress about a national issue, I will point out to the boys the section in the MB book that talks about seeing both sides of the issue, and that a good place to start is with your parents. That a boy's parents can help explain how they see the issue, how it affects the family and how it fits into the family's value system.

[Rooster7]

FScouter,

 

Do you live in the DC area? I do myself (graduated from U of MD).

[FScouter]

Rooster7 - No, I'm on the west coast. This Scout was in D.C. on vacation and made this observation while walking back to his hotel near the Amtrak station from the Lincoln memorial. It was night and the last shuttle bus had already left. He saw memorials that most folks don't know exist, such as the Albert Einstein memorial. You see a lot more by walking. Anyway, virtually every federal building along Constitution Avenue had the U.S. flag raised, with no light.

 

He felt this significant because at home there was a nasty newspaper article about a BSA council office that flew the flag at night with no light. Turns out there was a light, but it wasn't aimed properly and wasn't very bright. But the newpaper made this out to be a horrible transgression, and a particularly bad example for Scouts.

 

He wrote a letter to his congressman quoting the flag code, and received a reply worthy of a politician.

[evmori]

FScouter,

I might be wrong but the flag code is just a guideline, not a law. Therefore, it can't be violated.

 

I do commend the Scout for noticing the flag not being properly displayed & noitfying the proper people.

 

The purpose of the flag code was to set uniform guidelines to how the flag is to be displayed. Guidelines, not laws.

 

Sorry I deviated from the thread.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

[OldGreyEagle]

I am a counselor for Citizenship in the nation as well. Along with a discussion about the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, I try to give the boys the sense of what type of men our founding fathers were. They know the names typically, but I stress the risk they took.

 

Most boys want to be different and distinguish themselves from the pack, (see threads on tattoos, body piercings etc). I explain to them that the founding fathers were as differrent from the norm as todays "punks" are. As Americans, we are raised to respect the flag and honor the constitution, as loyal British subjects, the young Jefferson and Washington were raised to respect the Union Jack and the crown. Washington got his first experience at command serving the British in the French and Indian War.

 

I ask the boys what would happen if I refused to fly the American flag, and made up a flag of my own and said I didnt have to obey the countries laws on my land because I declared it free and not subject to any one elses rules. That usually gets their attention.

 

Yet these men, turning their back on a system they knew was flawed, constructed a system that is elegant in its simplicity with a system of checks and balances that works today over 200 years later as the day it was implemented.

 

I go over the Declaration of Independence and the points of complaint the colonists made and the constitution and bill of rights to show how these latter two documents address the specifics of the Declaration of Independence complaints.

 

I want them to see how "radical" the founding fathers were in their day, and how out of the mainstream thinking Sam Adams et al were. Most of the scouts I have for this badge see "civics" as dry and boring and like school. I try to bring it to their terms, and desribe the founders in their terms. I find it quite exciting.

 

here is a link to an essay on what happened to the signers of the declaration of independence, I find it quite an eye opener

 

http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning/quotes.html#anchor520256

 

 

(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[sctmom]

Thanks, OGE.

 

I thought when discussing the 3 branches of the government, I would hand each boy a card with a "job title" on it and ask them to gather in the group that represents that branch of the government. Then "walk through" a law being passed and then ruled unconstitional by the Supreme Court --- a really absurd law like "you can't drive a car or date until you are 25 years old".

 

Also, trying to think of ways to show them the freedoms they have because of the constitution.

 

I know one thing that never sunk in to me before adulthood was that the Declaration of Independence did not really start the war. Also, the constitution was not written until years later and George Washington didn't become president until 1789.