Chess Merit Badge Class

[EagleScout441]

This November I will be teaching the Chess merit badge for my troop. I am the only one in my troop who has it. During free time at summer camp there is generally always somebody playing chess, so pretty much everybody knows how to play already. Having gone to tournaments and chess club before I joined scouts, I am familiar with tournament play, chess clocks, notation, and rules such as en passant. I'm not the first youth in my troop to teach a merit badge, we had a 16 year old teach the Wilderness Survival merit badge last year. Any advice on teaching? I've never done any group teaching before, it has always been one on one instruction on knots, orienteering, etc.

[walk in the woods]

Spend as little time as required talking and as much time as possible with the scouts doing something.

[Basementdweller]

Unless you have 100% buy in from the troop don't do it during Troop the meeting.....But offer it before or after the meeting.......

 

In looking at the requirements I have no idea how you would do most of it other than one on one.

 

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Chess I know not the official source but close enough for my purposes.

 

 

Lots of discuss and demonstrate......Not exactly sure how you would do that in a quality manner in a group setting.

[EagleScout441]

Unless you have 100% buy in from the troop don't do it during Troop the meeting.....But offer it before or after the meeting.......

 

In looking at the requirements I have no idea how you would do most of it other than one on one.

 

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Chess I know not the official source but close enough for my purposes.

 

 

Lots of discuss and demonstrate......Not exactly sure how you would do that in a quality manner in a group setting.

What do you mean? Requirement 4e-f and 5c-d are the only ones like that. When it says discuss, our troop does it like this: The counselor teaches, the student takes notes, the notes are turned in and graded, the counselor decides whether or not the notes satisfy the requirement.

[King Ding Dong]

Unless you have 100% buy in from the troop don't do it during Troop the meeting.....But offer it before or after the meeting.......

 

In looking at the requirements I have no idea how you would do most of it other than one on one.

 

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Chess I know not the official source but close enough for my purposes.

 

 

Lots of discuss and demonstrate......Not exactly sure how you would do that in a quality manner in a group setting.

Oh boy, you really did it now 441. Quick Duck !!!

 

Look up the definition of discuss. Is that how you discuss things with your parents or girlfriend ?

 

I will let others pile it on.

[EagleScout441]

Unless you have 100% buy in from the troop don't do it during Troop the meeting.....But offer it before or after the meeting.......

 

In looking at the requirements I have no idea how you would do most of it other than one on one.

 

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Chess I know not the official source but close enough for my purposes.

 

 

Lots of discuss and demonstrate......Not exactly sure how you would do that in a quality manner in a group setting.

I know what it means to discuss, but if you look at all the summer camp merit badge classes do they really "discuss"? It's more like define.

Requirement 2b: discuss sportsmanship: I define sportsmanship and then give/ask for examples.

[Basementdweller]

Unless you have 100% buy in from the troop don't do it during Troop the meeting.....But offer it before or after the meeting.......

 

In looking at the requirements I have no idea how you would do most of it other than one on one.

 

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Chess I know not the official source but close enough for my purposes.

 

 

Lots of discuss and demonstrate......Not exactly sure how you would do that in a quality manner in a group setting.

Have you filled out a Merit badge councilor application??????

 

You are a Scout, under 18 correct???? Then you cannot council the merit badge on your own.....

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors/MBCounselorGuide.aspx

 

Summer Camp Merit Badge Counselors

The same qualifications and rules for merit badge counselors apply to council summer camp merit badge programs. All merit badge counselors must be at least 18 years of age. Camp staff members under age 18 may assist with instruction but cannot serve in the role of the merit badge counselor.

 

 

As a Merit badge councilor I do not take Meritbadge.org work sheets.....If the scouts takes the time to fill it out great....

 

I will take it from him and put it in my binder.....

 

Then we will discuss the requirements that say discuss, explain, or demonstrate.....

 

 

I will say that if you accept notes as acceptable I believe you are doing a disservice to the scouts and weakening the merit badge program.....

 

 

Do the requirements as written no more no less.....Notes are not discussing.

 

 

As I stated I don't know how you could do an effective and quality job on the merit badge as a group..

 

I am good with you teaching as a group.......Then hold discussions one on one with the scout for the requirements that ask for it.

[EagleScout441]

I'm the only one in my troop that actually has the knowledge regarding chess to teach this MB. I am teaching it, and if I say that a scout has completed the requirement than it gets signed off and put into the computer.

"Requirement 2b: discuss sportsmanship: I define sportsmanship and then give/ask for examples."

This is the basic form by which I would complete the "discuss" requirements. As far as requirement 3 goes almost every scout already knows how to play chess(except for en passant), requirement 3 is chess rules. Then they would one on one pretend to teach me the rules.

The "demonstrate" requirements must be demonstrated, otherwise it won't count.

[King Ding Dong]

I'm the only one in my troop that actually has the knowledge regarding chess to teach this MB. I am teaching it, and if I say that a scout has completed the requirement than it gets signed off and put into the computer.

"Requirement 2b: discuss sportsmanship: I define sportsmanship and then give/ask for examples."

This is the basic form by which I would complete the "discuss" requirements. As far as requirement 3 goes almost every scout already knows how to play chess(except for en passant), requirement 3 is chess rules. Then they would one on one pretend to teach me the rules.

The "demonstrate" requirements must be demonstrated, otherwise it won't count.

So let me get this straight. You are 15 and cannot be a MBC. However you are signing off requirements for a MB on a blue card ? Are you signing it as complete ? What MBC # are you using ? Entering it into the computer, what computer ? Troopmaster ? That doesn't mean squat regarding a MB.

 

What happens at summer camp is irrelevant to what you do as an Eagle Scout. You live the Scout Oath and Law.

 

So you are the only one in your troop qualified to teach it. Fine, teach it and get a Chess MBC to fulfill the requirements with the scouts.

 

I don't think you realize the damage you could be doing here. What happens if a Scout has his EBOR and then of his elective MB comes into question? It will be on your head.

 

If you are so confident you are doing the right thing, you should have no problem explaining all this to your District Advancement Chair. Send him an email and see what he has to say about it.

[EagleScout441]

I'm the only one in my troop that actually has the knowledge regarding chess to teach this MB. I am teaching it, and if I say that a scout has completed the requirement than it gets signed off and put into the computer.

"Requirement 2b: discuss sportsmanship: I define sportsmanship and then give/ask for examples."

This is the basic form by which I would complete the "discuss" requirements. As far as requirement 3 goes almost every scout already knows how to play chess(except for en passant), requirement 3 is chess rules. Then they would one on one pretend to teach me the rules.

The "demonstrate" requirements must be demonstrated, otherwise it won't count.

Here is how we did it for the Wilderness Survival class last year: A 16 year old scout who already had it and was highly experienced, taught the class, afterwards, he gave the Scoutmaster a list of who completed what requirements.

I am simply doing the same thing he did. If youth leadership can sign off on rank requirements what is wrong with merit badges?

[Basementdweller]

I'm the only one in my troop that actually has the knowledge regarding chess to teach this MB. I am teaching it, and if I say that a scout has completed the requirement than it gets signed off and put into the computer.

"Requirement 2b: discuss sportsmanship: I define sportsmanship and then give/ask for examples."

This is the basic form by which I would complete the "discuss" requirements. As far as requirement 3 goes almost every scout already knows how to play chess(except for en passant), requirement 3 is chess rules. Then they would one on one pretend to teach me the rules.

The "demonstrate" requirements must be demonstrated, otherwise it won't count.

You cannot be a merit badge councilor per national policy.....

 

 

 

Regardless off any precedent you feel was set....

[ScoutNut]

Wow.

 

You have "researched" all (you feel) there is to know about Venturing, and yet have no knowledge of the basic rules and reg of your own Scouting program?

 

Somehow I thought an Eagle, even an immature 15 year old Eagle, would be, at least vaguely, concerned about following the rules.

 

Guess not.

 

However, not to let him off the hook, but it seems that this is the kind of thing that has been modeled, and encouraged, by his Troop. What a shame.

[EagleScout441]

Wow.

 

You have "researched" all (you feel) there is to know about Venturing, and yet have no knowledge of the basic rules and reg of your own Scouting program?

 

Somehow I thought an Eagle, even an immature 15 year old Eagle, would be, at least vaguely, concerned about following the rules.

 

Guess not.

 

However, not to let him off the hook, but it seems that this is the kind of thing that has been modeled, and encouraged, by his Troop. What a shame.

"However, not to let him off the hook, but it seems that this is the kind of thing that has been modeled, and encouraged, by his Troop."

Thank you, last year we had a youth teach Wilderness Survival MB, he was not the one putting down the signatures, but he informed the adult(counselor) about whether or not the scouts had completed the requirements: i.e. he checked everybody's survival kits, he made sure everyone started their fires without matches/lighters.

This is the method by which my troop is allowing me to teach the Chess MB.

"even an immature 15 year old Eagle"

I take offence to that.

KDD, as I have already said, I'm not the one signing off the requirements, I am simply reporting to an adult("counselor") what each scout has done and he signs it off if he thinks it is sufficient.

[King Ding Dong]

Wow.

 

You have "researched" all (you feel) there is to know about Venturing, and yet have no knowledge of the basic rules and reg of your own Scouting program?

 

Somehow I thought an Eagle, even an immature 15 year old Eagle, would be, at least vaguely, concerned about following the rules.

 

Guess not.

 

However, not to let him off the hook, but it seems that this is the kind of thing that has been modeled, and encouraged, by his Troop. What a shame.

"If youth leadership can sign off on rank requirements what is wrong with merit badges?"

 

Lets be clear here. You have indicated you were signing off on MB requirements.

[Basementdweller]

Lets be clear.....The lad cannot sign off on requirements for a merit badge......It is a National Policy.

 

So what is happening is his SM is signing the cards on his behalf..........I hope.

 

If not there will be a few lads with earned merit badges lacking an appropriate merit badge councilor signature. I hope it doesn't become an issue at an EBOR if the folks running it do any research.