Keeping Track of Merit Badges

[Baseballfan]

Hi, my son asked me to help him find ideas on how to best keep track of his open merit badges. Does anyone have any tips they have used successfully? He has a bunch open and is having a difficult time with the details. thanks.

[Tampa Turtle]

Make a word file (or similar)

Make a list of partials.

Note remaining requirements

Note Counselors if any.

Go online and goto Meritbadge.org.

Copy and paste requirements needed.

Prioritize which ones to work on. (Eagle related, for example). I usually make my boys finish up the ones with just one requirement.

Print Out several copies. One for you, two for him.

Have him make a notebook with dividers for each MB

Have some plastic sleeves for the blue cards,

Have him meet with SM or ASM for advice.

Have him make an ongoing appointment to discuss progress or problems.

(If your Troop has Troopmaster you can print out some stuff)

 

You get the picture. Sometimes it helps if he has a buddy working on the same MB's.

[RememberSchiff]

Offer hints but have your son work the problem and come up with a solution. This is part of the experience in earning merit badges, i.e., the record keeping.

 

For example, ask him how he keeps track of his completed rank (Second Class, First Class, etc) requirements? Hopefully he will get the hint to record progress in his merit badge pamphlet, etc.

 

My $0.02,

[qwazse]

My two favorites:

1. Two altoids tins: one for partial blue cards, one for completed blue cards. Store in the box where he keeps his MB sash.

2. 3-ring binder + baseball card sleeves. A divider for completed cards, partials of required badges, partials of elective badges.

 

Either way, make sure he records the names of completed MB's in his handbook. From the incomplete ones -- especially electives, I would have him pick one that he will work on immediately, and only focus on the requirements for that. If there's a roadblock, he can switch to another badge. But, when I ask my scouts after first class "What's the plan?", I expect them to be able to tell me the rank requirements they need, which badge are they working on right now, and which ones are "on deck."

[NeverAnEagle]

The easiest way to keep track of them is to complete them. Once complete your council will have a record, but you should keep all random scout "paperwork" in a shoebox because councils have a tendency to loose things.

[Twocubdad]

A few of my more organized guys have Scout notebooks they use to track such stuff. They have a tab for each open MB and keep paperwork related to the MB there. Some will print requirements and/or worksheet off meritbadge.com just as a reference. A zippered pencil pouch is a good place to keep important stuff like the incomplete blue cards. The same notebook gets used for patrol info, calendar, phone lists etc. Once the guys make first class, this tends to replace the handbook.

 

I do NOT suggest keeping finished blue cards or rank cards in this notebook. This is a working notebook carried to meetings and campouts and is subject to getting lost and/or rained on. Put the completed cards in baseball card sleeves and leave them at home.

[Baseballfan]

Thanks everyone. He does fine with his finished cards etc. as he learned from his procrastinator brother what not to do haha. Brother only earned the mandatory MBs plus a few from summer camp, never once completed a summer camp partial, and passed his Eagle board after his 18th bday. This second son is determined to not let any of that happen. Appreciate all your comments!

[koolaidman]

Alternative solution:

 

When a requirement is performed, cross it out in pencil in the MB book. Keep books on desk or dresser. When MB is complete, put book on bookshelf or donate to troop.

Open Merit Badges = number of books on desk or dresser.

 

Works as a visual reminder every time he is in his room.

[perdidochas]

Hi' date=' my son asked me to help him find ideas on how to best keep track of his open merit badges. Does anyone have any tips they have used successfully? He has a bunch open and is having a difficult time with the details. thanks.[/quote']

 

First, the Blue Cards are key. That is what they are for, to keep track of progress on a merit badge. My oldest son has a zippered binder. In it, he has a few pages of baseball card sized dividers, each of which holds 9 cards. He keeps his merit badge completions/blue cards and uncompleted blue cards in those. He has merit badge.org worksheets for the badges he's working on. He carries it to all meetings. He does not carry it to campouts.

[BartHumphries]

Boy those kids grow up fast. It's time to buy him his first little file folder box and teach him how to file things. Someday he can graduate to a full filing cabinet. Personally, I favor the "categorize and index" method.

[qwazse]

Boy those kids grow up fast. It's time to buy him his first little file folder box and teach him how to file things. Someday he can graduate to a full filing cabinet. Personally, I favor the "categorize and index" method.

Bears and rattlesnakes, I can make my peace with.

Filing just gives me the shivers ....

[YooperScout]

My son is in his first year of scouts, got his first merit badges this summer at camp. Soon as we got home, we scanned his merit badge cards and put them on jump drive(and backed up elsewhere). I plan on him making a digital copy of all his advancement records. I also scanned all the boys who were at camp with him and emailed them to their parents so they to can do the same.

[fred johnson]

Keep his blue cards tucked in his BSA handbook. And/Or get a handbook cover and put the blue cards in a zippered pocket in the cover. The completed requirements should be initialized on the card.

[Basementdweller]

My son is in his first year of scouts, got his first merit badges this summer at camp. Soon as we got home, we scanned his merit badge cards and put them on jump drive(and backed up elsewhere). I plan on him making a digital copy of all his advancement records. I also scanned all the boys who were at camp with him and emailed them to their parents so they to can do the same.

YOu are missing the entire point of scouting. Your post has too many I's in it.

 

The boys are supposed to do it for themselves...The simplest solution for a lad of 11 to master is a zip loc bag or a shoe box. He puts all of his advancement cards in the box for the future.

 

This isn't cub scouts, so step back take a nice deep breath.

[King Ding Dong]

Keep his blue cards tucked in his BSA handbook. And/Or get a handbook cover and put the blue cards in a zippered pocket in the cover. The completed requirements should be initialized on the card.

That's a tough lesson to learn if handbook gets lost.