Need to Reregister as Merit Badge Counselor

[andrews]

If I am a registered leader every year, do I have to reregister to be a merit badge counselor each year, or is my initial application and ongoing BSA registration sufficient?

 

Brad

[evmori]

Brad,

From what I understand, as long as you BSA registration is active, so are you as a merit badges counselor. I have heard of councils requiring re-registration every year, though. I would check with your council advancement chairman to be sure.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

[Bob White]

andrews,

If your council advancement committee is following the national policies and procedures then you wil need to fill out an adult registration as a merit badge counselor(one time and separate from your unit application) then you will need to fill out the merit badge counselor application annually.

Bob

[LongHaul]

BoB That "If your council is following National Policy" is one big IF. My council is under the impresion it can do what ever it wants no mater what National policy especially when it comes to MeritBadge Counselors. They are limiting the number of Badges counseled teh number a boy "should" earn from any one counselor, telling us that a Scoutmaster should not counsel scouts in his/her own troop. The best is that the Council Advancment Committee has the option of "kicking back" a merit badge if they feel the boy didn't really earn it, even though the counselor was registered and approved when the card was signed. We are in the midst of hashing this out, I'll update as things progress.

[Bob White]

I would sit down over a coffee with the DE assigned to the Council Advancement committee and share the "Advancement Policies and Procedures" manual with him or her. Let them know that the unit volunteers expect the rules to be followed.

 

Do the same with the District Chairman.

 

Just a thought,

Bob

 

[LongHaul]

That's were we are now Bob. The DE and the Council Advancment Chair seem to think they have National's blessings on this, but can't provide any names for us to call. At present I have asked them to at least provide a written list of "Thier rules" so the Scoutmasters have something to work from while we find out what's what.

[KoreaScouter]

We found out the hard way why it's a good policy for MB counselors to re-register each year (when the troop re-charters, ideally). First, it's a great way, in fact the only way, to make sure your list is up to date. Also, and as many Scouters have complained right here in these forums, how do you "weed out" the MB counselor who's embellishing or dumbing-down the requirements, is inaccessible, or has some other shortcoming? Don't recharter with them...

[andrews]

The badge signup form does say you have to register every year, but it doesn't say that it has to be that form. It just indicates Scout registration.

 

I had our Scoutmaster and others tell me since I am still an active scouter, I am ok.

 

I just want to make sure. If national policy is different, why doesn't the form say that? Could anyone quote the policy?

 

Brad

[Bob White]

Brad,

 

In the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures manual under the heading "Recruiting and Training Merit badge Counselors and Publishing Lists" sub-heading "Maintaining a Current List of Merit Badge Counselors" it explains the renewal process. It state that the counselors registration must be approved annually. it suggests a process where the counselor recieves a packet by mail that contains the following elements.

1. Thank them for service

2. Tell them it is time to register.

3. Tell them the merit badges they are currently approved to counsel in.

4. Ask them if they wish to continue.

5. Enclose a response card or form for them to use.

 

On element 5 most councils use the Merit Badge Counselor Application Form since it includes much of the information shared in parts 2,3 and 4.

 

A new adult volunteer application is not needed.

 

Bob White

[eagle90]

Long Haul -

Long Haul

In our council "It's National Policy" is just like the old saw "The check is in the mail". Whenever there is a controversy in which the the volunteers and professional staff disagree, out comes the National Policy excuse. And as you say, they can never show us the policy or pin down who is responsible for that policy. How convenient!

[Bob White]

Eagle 90,

 

Long Haul said the Advancement Chair, that's another volunteer. This is a huge organization, like any other there will be good and bad leaders. That goes for volunteers and professional staff. Are there more problems with one group or the other. Well we volunteers outnumber professionals by something like 2,000 to one. You figure the odds. Most pro's put in more hours then most volunteers, they do the least fun work and get the least recognition. Even a pay check doesn't make up for that.

 

Bob

[evmori]

I understand the importance of having merit badge counselors registar & keeping the council/district list current. The only question I have is has anyone ever had the experience of having a counselor questioned when turning in an advancement form for merit badges?

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

[tdyer56]

I just signed up to be a merit badge counselor for my district. I know that a lot of adults in my area only sign up to do it for thier troop. I feel like I need to be out there for the boys. I only signed up for 8 merit badges. Need time for my own family.

 

Tim Dyer