PhillyScout Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 What's the most interesting/merit badge that was the most fun for the boys in your troop? I'm trying to incorporate new things into my camp's program and was interested in seeing if you have ever seen any non traditional "camp" merit badges done well. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosetracker Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 My son really liked the metalworking merit badge, they also had pottery wheels and did the pottery merit badge which they liked.. Another camp has motorboating, horseback riding but those are a little too expensive to add without a planned budget for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleBeaver Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 They had Fingerprinting this year at camp. 40 scouts got the badge since it was offered as a 1 hour troop activity rather than a week-long session. It could have been more thorough, but it was pretty interesting and the staff covered the 5 requirements. Our camp got a handful of digital cameras and now offers Photography. The scouts really liked that one. I've been hoping for Pottery, but no luck so far. Maybe camps should offer Plumbing and Home Repairs and get some facilities fixed up by the scouts for free. :-) Scout On http://ScoutChallenge.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortridge Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Some items from a past thread on non-traditional offerings included Golf and Auto Mechanics ... http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=198429#id_198538 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle92 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Public Health. We had a SM who was a health inspector for one of the military bases offer to teach that one. For their visit, the class inspected the dining hall and kitchen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle90 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Some of the more popular merit badges at our camp are Metalwork, Golf, and Archaeology. They actually take the scouts to a dig in northern Wisconsin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisabob Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Metal work is a good one - something many of them couldn't do at home One camp my son attended did a big Rail Roading program, linked to a nearby historic RR and a train enthusiasts club in the area. The boys seemed to enjoy that. Are there any resources of that nature near your camp? I like the idea of the auto mechanics, if you can provide vehicles for them to tinker around with, especially. Actually have them help change the fluids, etc. How about Geocaching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhankins Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 One of the camps my boys looked at had a program called "The Final Frontiersman" that included Space Exploration, Engineering and Astronomy. They also had a program called "Mataguay Messenger" that used Radio, Journalism and photography and they published a daily camp newspaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyScout Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thank you so much for all the input! I love the idea of fingerprinting and have incorporated it into the program already. I'm working with my cd and se to explore and fit in geocaching, metalwork, space exploration, and public health and am continuing to research the possibility of some of the other ones mentioned. I'm sure our ranger would be on board with your idea, mnscout. Thanks again everyone. It really helps to know what units actually enjoy rather than trying to predict what they might like. My goal is to make sure that every scout has fun and falls in love with camp like I did when I was younger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisabob Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Only thing about fingerprinting - make sure it is done well. Since it is a relatively easy one, it seems to suffer from a distinct lack of care. (How I've seen it done in some settings: Everybody stick fingers on ink pad, smash onto paper, done! 15 minutes, tops, start to finish.) Even the easy ones deserve to be done well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyScout Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'm hoping that doesn't happen. I did find out that one of our staff members (a retired NY police officer) is a counselor for it. That should help a little bit . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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