Not prepared for M.B. sessions

[Bob White]

Rooster,

With all due respect to BP I would venture to say that his medical condition for the past 30 some years has put him well behind the knowledge curve of todays scouting.

 

I never claimed to know more about the program, just an uncanny ability to read the materials and follow the methods, a skill shared by tens of thousands of other scouters. Some of who responded to this string before I did and whose input I agreed with, and yet, you chose to single me out for your sarcasm.

 

I am willing to debate the topic, and you are certainly willing to any opinion on the scouting program and methods that you care to present. But why can't you leave the personal comments about me out of it and still make your point?

 

Bob White

 

 

[KoreaScouter]

I'm with Bob 100% on this one. Before I became SM, our troop had done group MB instruction at troop meetings, apparently as a substitute for boy-led program planning using Troop Resources. Not all the time, but fairly often. What we had was some of the Scouts interested in the topic, some not, some attentive and taking notes, some not. Result: lots of partials and a lot of wheel-spinning.

 

Using program planning and monthly themes, there is always a direct relationship between the theme and some MB. And, we do use MB pamphlets to assist with the skill instruction and interpatrol activity portions of the meetings. What we don't do, however, is issue a blue card to every Scout and force them to complete the badge. It's entirely up to them. Case in point. Wilderness Survival was our July theme; we used the MB pamphlet as one of the resources for skill instruction, and our Survival campout at the end of the month gave Scouts opportunities to build and sleep in an improvised shelter and complete other badge requirements. Many did, some did not, but all had a good time. Ditto with Fishing in September. Used the MB pamphlet as an instructional resource at meetings; all the Scouts enjoyed the fishing campout we did at the end of the month, but none were interested in earning the MB -- fine with me.

 

I firmly believe that MBs should be determined by Scouts' individual initiative and desires (Eagle-required partially excepted -- they gotta earn those for Eagle, the timing's up to them).

 

One potential pitfall of using troop meetings to teach MBs as a matter of routine is that it transfers too much responsibility for a Scout's advancement off of his shoulders and onto someone else's...

 

Having seen it both ways, I much prefer the method we use now.

 

KS

[evmori]

I can see both sides on this & have used both methods - both with varying degrees of success. It seems there are some merit badges that are better when taught in larger groups - Personal Fitness, First Aid, Environmental Science, Camping justto name a few. And there are those better taugh in smaller groups - Communications, Family Life, Reading, Fishing just to name a few.

 

If the PCL decides to do 2 merit badges a year & this is to be a boy run program, then I don't see the problem. Also, having some merit badge sessions at the Troop level is a lot better than attending a merit badge univeristy & having the chance the badge will get "rubber stamped".

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Rooster7]

Bob White,

 

I never claimed to know more about the program, just an uncanny ability to read the materials and follow the methods, a skill shared by tens of thousands of other scouters. Some of who responded to this string before I did and whose input I agreed with, and yet, you chose to single me out for your sarcasm.

 

You really know how to turn something on its head. My initial response to this thread was directed toward a post by sst3rd, not you. In fact, it did not address a single comment that you had made. Only after you made a post, which countered several my statements, did I direct any comments your way. Im sorry if you feel singled out, but I was merely defending my position. I find it rather ironic (if not hypocritical) that you would accuse me of singling you out when in fact you were the first to do so to me.

 

But why can't you leave the personal comments about me out of it and still make your point?

 

Bob, Bob, BobAre you looking into a mirror? Please. If Im guilty of making personal comments or innuendo, then the powers-to-be can give me 20 years to life, but theyd have to give you the electric chair.

 

[Bob White]

Rooster, take a look at your last 3 posts. If you remove your references to me and quotes from my posts you have no content. Try focusing on the topic. If you have a method that you feel is superior to the BSA program then present it. Relate it to the existing scouting methods and explain why your way is better. I'll reference the scouting method and explain how it works to meet the aims of scouting, and the other posters can do the same for their viewpoints. The readers can then determine which path they want to take. But you should be able do that without the personal jabs. Attack the question not me.

 

Bob White(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[red feather]

Ditto with KoreaScouter and Evmori.

 

Besides if the boys don,t bring their sheets they don't earn the badge. Could it be the lack of sheets is a lack of interest and maybe a modification of program is in order?

 

 

YIS

 

[Rooster7]

I'll tell you what Bob...I'll stop posting to this thread if you stop posting to this thread. Judging by your last, I have to assume you've run out of things to say.

[LauraT7]

OK guys - I get enough of this stuff in my troop - I don't need it here, too!

 

Should we get out the dueling pistols and call out 40 paces? ;-)

 

of course, I'm kidding, but I belong to a number of boards on different interests, and it amazes me how testy people can get with each other.

 

I agree with BobWhite, that BSA has put lots of hours into this program and they've worked out alot of bugs that we couldn't work out on own in a lifetime of working with kids - we might as well take advantage of their expertise.

 

The rest is opinion - and some of those opinions work well in some troops. and BSA structure DOES leave room for alot of flexibility in the program - which is a good thing - 'cause we're all such rugged individualists!

 

Ok - I'll get off my soapbox now -

 

do I need to get out my bullet-proof vest and take cover?

 

 

 

 

 

[LauraT7]

off my soapbox - but on the subject of this post...

 

our district has started a yearly "Merit Badge Opportunity days" - last March was the first year and they were OVERWHELMED by the response.

 

they must have offered about 20 - 30 badges, in a classroom style setting, 5 sessions on 3 saturdays over 6 weeks. the boys signed up - they expected about 150 (remember, this was district-wide) and they got about 600+!

 

I will say that there was a BIG drop off when it came time to return the second week. Many of the badges offered were the drier ones, like the citizenship ones and some really tough ones like Chemistry and Aviation. - and the classroom setting, including homework and "worksheets" turned off some of the boys. So be it. They weren't really ready to do the work yet - so they dropped out. about half dropped out - but it was still WAY more than they had expected!

 

Most of the boys in our troop who signed up stuck it out - though very few got all 5 badges they signed up for (5 sessions, 5 badges was the max) many of them kept the worksheets (which had been organized into folders for each boy) and continued working on them.

 

Just tonite, I checked off and finished up with one boy who started his communications badge there. He didn't finish it in the 6 weeks, but he DID finish!

 

This year, they are offering less badges, and only 3 sessions (not all day) and they are limiting the "eagle required" badges to first class rank and above.

 

But it has gotten our troop thinking - as we have a few merit badge counselors in our troop. We are thinking of doing our OWN merit badge day(s) - either just with our troop - or the troops in our town (theres 4).

 

We thought we would make a list of badges we can counsel, let the boys chose their favorites and do them. OUTSIDE of meetings - because not all the boys will be interested, and we don't have TIME at meetings, anyway!

 

What DID work, though - to answer your worksheet question- was to have the worksheets pinned into a pocket folder - gave them something more substantial to keep track of, had their name on it and they could keep their assignments, misc stuff and a pen IN it, along with their handbook or badge book.

 

loose paper is just trash to a boy in a hurry!

 

 

[evmori]

meritbadge.com is an excellent resource for this. For most badges, they have worksheets & even some tests. Laura, let us know how your event goes. This might be a good idea for other Troops.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[daks68]

Thamks for all the input! A lot of good ideas came out here.

[jbroganjr]

In our district, we publish a list of all MB (done by district adv. chair) listing counselors and MB and whether the counselor is district wide available or only for the troop.

Our troop has its own list of introop MB counselors

 

The question I have, brought to mind to mind by LauraT7, (and I am not saying she said this...don't want to have to get my own vest) is, how much, if any, follow up by a MB counselor should be done with kids on partials. I am particulary talking about troop/district MB counselors, not camp or MB orgies (guess I let my feelings slip on that one)

 

(This message was not edited, nor looked over, and probably had no thought put into to it)

[Bob White]

One of the lessons of MB work is for the scout to learn to set goals and follow through. It is really not the MB counselors job to follow through on partials. Merit badge work is the responsibility of the individual scout. They have until their 18th birthday to complete the merit badge. What the MB counselor needs to work out is who holds the partial merit badge until the scout begins work on it again. The Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures handbook says that partials from a summer camp are to be returned to the scoutmaster. That is largely to make sure that the scout continues at home with a qualified, registered, MB counselor.

 

This would be a good policy to follow after a MB university. If a scout began by meeting with a local counselor, then the counselor usually retains the blue card until the MB is completed. If the scout changes counselors or if he sets the MB aside for awhile then the card should probably be returned to the Scoutmaster to retain until a new counselor is secured.

 

Bob White

[mk9750]

I don't intend to directly quote anyone here, so please cut me some slack if I don't have the words exactly right. But Rooster talked about how the major part of a MB councilor's responsiblity is testing. I strongly object (to take a line from one of my favorite movies). And I'll offer one example from the list of Mbs I do.

There are a large number of requirements, on very boring but important topics, in Personal Managment. The MB booklet covers all of the "test questions" enough so that a boy who studies modertely seriously can "pass the test". However, let's look at one topic: Checking Accounts. A scout must know what a checking account is, and the difference between a checking acount, a savings account, a credit card and a debit card. In order to pass, if a scout can recite to an instuctor's satisfaction they know this info, the requirement should be signed off. But it is irresponsible (I know that may offend some who don't practice this, but I mean what I say) to not discuss the ramifications of overdrawing your checking account. Or of misusing an ATM card. So the scenerio becomes: A Scout learns (but only what is in the booklet), he is tested, and he is recognized. Unfortunately, far too many of these guys will go off to college, bounce some checks, and never be able to buy pizza at the local pizza shop (ok, maybe that was just me that happened to). All because the MB instructor didn't look beyond the requirements to explain the facts of life that accompany the practice of what was learned.

 

Can we expect them to know this before we pass them? Absolutely not. But should we not take the oppurtunity to expose them to stuff they will need when they are adults? Certainly. And this is why MB instructors are expected to have more than a basic interest in a subject. I have no experience kayaking, yet I'll bet I could learn the requirements well enough to test a boy for whitewater MB. But that would be cheating him out of the expertise and experience of someone who participates in the sport. Someone who could teach way more than the badge requires. This example could be adapted to almost every MB.

 

If we as MB instructors don't teach as well as test, the oppurtunity we have to provide skills beyond the requirements is lost. And that would be sad.

Mark

[Rooster7]

Actually, what I said was, the merit badge counselor should, "verify his work more than anything else." That does not mean he doesn't do anything else. And a major part of verifying would be to review areas where the Scout has demonstrated a weakness. I agree with your example. A Scout should understand the ramifications for overdrawing a checking account and/or how easy it is to lose track of your money if you're careless about ATM withdraws. However, I contend that the Scout should have a pretty good education in this area before he comes to you to have his blue card signed. That is to say, he is responsible for knowing the material in the merit badge booklet. Also, one of his requirements is to visit a financial institution or bank. Furthermore, he should be consulting his parents about how to save, etc. My point being, the merit badge counselor's job is to ensure that the boy understands the material. While he may need to provide some instruction or lecture, the Scout has other resources available and should be using them.(This message has been edited by Rooster7)