MB Counselor signing off req. that are not complete

[CarrieASM]

Hi. My son and his friend are taking several Merit Badge classes this summer. Now, I knew it might be a little easier than one-on-one with a counselor, but one of them is ridiculous. My son said that she signed off "cooking dinner" for another Scout in Family Life MB as a project. What can be done, besides refusing to get her signature on my own son's card unless it is 100% complete?

[King Ding Dong]

Follow the GTA and report it to your district advancement chair. Oh, and don't take MB classes.

[TAHAWK]

The B.S.A. Guide to Advancement says that all requirements have to be passed by individual performance by each candidate with a registered Merit Badge Counselor determining if the requirements have been passed. Otherwise, the Merit Badge has not been earned for any purpose.

 

As you apparently know, the "project" requirement for Family Life reads:

With the approval of your parents or guardians and your merit badge counselor, decide on and carry out a project that you would do around the home that would benefit your family. Submit a report to your merit badge counselor outlining how the project benefited your family.

 

No Counselor and no Local Council may change this requrement.

 

I have been a district and council Advancement Chairman, and I feel that cooking dinner for another Scout does not meet the requirement even if it was approved by the candidate's parent(s).

 

I would get him another Merit Badge Counslor to meet any not-completed requirements. This one does not understand her role or the rules she swore to uphold.

 

Merit Badge classes (and merit badge insituttes and colleges - and Summer Camps) are routinely subject to abuse and deprive the Socut of the opportunity to call an adult and make an appointment - something he is likely to need to know how to do.

[Tampa Turtle]

To be the advocatus diaboli I might accept it if was a very special dinner...say where the boys planned a birthday or anniversary celebration and did the shopping, decorating, cooking, etc and pulled off a great event. That could 'benefit' the family. I would make 'em work for it.

 

The downside is it opens the door to lesser quality projects by less trustworthy scouts,

 

I agree on Merit Badge academies and summer camps--thus my boy are advancing slower...

[Stosh]

In today's culture, the name of the game is not to be creative and make it something special, but instead to be creative and figure out how to get by with the least amount of effort. This forum seems to occasionally point out where adults do a good job of leading by example.

 

Stosh

[CarrieASM]

Would you make him start all over with a different counselor or just finish what he needs to finish, not cutting corners? It's complicated because of my son's friend who got it all signed off even though time requirements were not satisfied. My husband & I will not let my son do that. We will make him finish what in our hearts we feel the depth of the requirements dictates, even if things are "signed off". My son doesn't want to cut corners either.

[Stosh]

Would you make him start all over with a different counselor or just finish what he needs to finish' date=' not cutting corners? It's complicated because of my son's friend who got it all signed off even though time requirements were not satisfied. My husband & I will not let my son do that. We will make him finish what in our hearts we feel the depth of the requirements dictates, even if things are "signed off". My son doesn't want to cut corners either.[/quote']

 

Leave it up to your son, you may be surprised by his honesty.... or lack there of. Either way, it's an important decision he'll need to make in his journey to adulthood.

 

Stosh