Personal Fitness & Personal Management Merit Badges

[eagle54]

I would like to ask a question - since these merit badges require up to 3 months of keeping records; what suggestion do you have challenging those working on these to come back with good records?

 

What kind of depth do you require on questions for instance "Define the two major types of life insurance (term and whole life-permanent) and compare their advantages and disadvantages.

 

Whole life costs more to start out but the premium stays the same over the period from date the policy was taken out until the age 98, 100.

 

Most term policies can become very costly as a man reaches age 65.

 

 

 

 

[NeilLup]

Interesting question here.

 

I would suggest that you want the Scout to know enough that when he gets a bit older and needs to consider buying insurance, he has at least heard about the types and can't be taken for a ride. And that he knows where he can get additional information if he wishes it. But not so much that you turn the Scout off.

 

In addition to the differences you mentioned, most whole life that I know about also builds up cash value while term life does not.

 

If you can get across the concept that one should consider the lifetime cost of a product rather than just the purchase price, you have done a very valuable thing.

[Bob White]

Eagle54, I guess I just don't understand your questions.

 

"what suggestion do you have challenging those working on these to come back with good records?"

 

I am not sure it is the counselors role to "challenge" the scout is it? Aren't you expected to coach, counsel, inform, enthuse, define expectations, and test the scout (based on those expectations without requiring more than or less than the requirent as stated in the advancement).

 

"What kind of depth do you require on questions" What information did you teach him? He is required to fulfill the requirement no more, no less. You can teach as much detail as you want. The Scout can go into as much detail as he chooses. You must approve the advancement if he met the standards set in the BSA requirement.

[EagleInKY]

As SM, I tend to know who is working on Merit Badges. I may not know the particulars of how anyone is doing, or how far along they are, but I do know that they have initiated the process. So, I'll sometimes provide some extra encouragment on those MBs that require the long projects (Family Life is another). I may do it in the form of a SM conference, a casual comment, or in my SM Minute at the end of a troop meeting.

[buffalo2]

Kind of a fine line regarding depth of instruction, and while I don't counsel these particular MBs:

I end up reading the MB pamphlet word by word at times to make sure that much depth beyond it is at the Scout's discretion and not because I'm getting excited about the subject. Remember that we're talking about an introduction and overview of a subject and not working toward mastery at a professional level

Although you'll note that the MB books are written at a pretty wide variety of levels into various subjects!

YMMV...