Merit Badge Universities

[red feather]

Against MBU's they tend to be factories that grind them out. Low quality and lower inititive by the scouts. good source for ticket punchers though.

 

YIS

[buffalo2]

I have seen MBUs run well; our council bills it as 'Merit Badge Challenge' and approaches the requirements from that viewpoint.

The organizers are diligent about having sufficient registered MB counselors to properly address the class sizes, and strict about completing the prerequisites listed in the application paperwork. They are experienced and fair, and have no problem issuing a partial blue card with a clear understanding of completion requirements and contact information. (well the majority of them anyway) Another key to making this work is to schedule a Saturday or so between the MB sessions to allow time for proper course work

Our local Merit Badge Challenge offers many of the Eagle-requireds as well as many of the more arcane selections, and is pretty much understood to be top-notch.

It can be done well, but isn't easy!

[yarrow]

My son does lots of MBUs because so few other scouts are interested in the more unusual merit badges and experts are generally provided at the MBUs. Our troop has a policy that you must do your badge with other boy scouts so it is hard for him to find others interested. Trust me he has tried asking and posting on the board to find even one who is willing to do the odd ones. Most want only the Eagle required and some easy ones and consider themselves done. My son has never done a badge at which he didn't think....Wow I want to do that for a living. He gets into all of them although I must say it is blood,sweat and tears to finish any paperwork and writing. Some of the MBUs have been pretty marginal, but I know the requirements and can always tell what won't get covered well. He ends up doing more prereq.s than most and if I don't think he really did all the req.s he ends up doing them later believe me. Complaining about MBUs seems a little about saying what is wrong this the school they didn't teach Johnny to *fill in the blank* I always think parents have some responsibility to say show me. Kids do what we inspect not always what we expect. At any rate your kid will get out what they put in. Check their knowledge. They don't have to hand in a stamped blue card if you don't think they got the information.