Making a good merit badge clinic

[WisconsinMomma]

Hi Scouters,

 

One part of my Wood Badge ticket is to develop and run a Traffic Safety merit badge clinic.  I'm just getting my thoughts together and starting to review the material.

 

I know that merit badge classes are not everybody's favorite, and so I wanted to ask, in your view, what would make a merit badge class a strong merit badge course.

 

The general plan is to do a course that is 1/2 day, probably mostly a hands on review of the course material after Scouts study and prepare at home, with small groups of scouts rotating through activity stations.  Perhaps we could make the setup more patrol-ly and less adult-y,  but with adults attending each station for organization and sign off. 

 

A fellow Scouter helps organize an excellent Fire Safety merit badge course, and we're talking about offering Fire Safety in the morning and Traffic Safety in the afternoon, at a fire station / police station shared campus venue. 

 

I'd love to hear any best practices you may have used or witnessed with regard to badge classes.

 

Thanks!

[Stosh]

Or.... have the boys in the MB class organize and run the program.  I find that people in general learn more by doing than reading the book, which most don't do anyway.

[WisconsinMomma]

I think that's possible, with some kind of structure?   We can make sure that some materials are available for the Scouts to use, and have adults available to answer questions.  It could be like patrol challenges -- here's a ten minute window to prepare -- I'll check back on you and then I'd like you teach me X and Y.    

 

I've never seen a merit badge class like that but it could be interesting. 

[Tampa Turtle]

Try contacting your local Highway department or Police Department. They usually already have some stuff/speaker for a target audience. That is a good thing to work with and augment for the requirements. 

[Eagledad]

I'm putting on my Wood Badge Troop Guide ASM hat here (they approve all the Ticket Items). What is your objective with the clinic. Some adults set a goal of signing off a specific number or percentage of badges. I would send that ticket item back and remind the participant that they don't have control of what the scouts will do. On the other hand, if the goal is to provide the scouts and opportunity to earn a badge, then I would only ask for specifics.

 

Putting on my SM hat, I want my scouts to develop habits of character and practice making decisions based from the oath and law. Advancement is the scouts responsibility, character is mine. How will your clinic develop character and provide decision making opportunities?

 

There are two parts in my SM mind to the MB process:

 

First. The scouts are supposed to find a mb counselor, contact the counselor to learn more about the badge, get some personal details like a phone number, arrange meeting times with the counselor, fill out the Blue Card with all the details and get the SM signature. That process forces the scout to think methodically to plan the process for working the mb. These are decision making opportunities that teach the scout how to work a process to complete a goal. During the process the scout practices communication with several adults that also forces a behavior of friendly, courteous and kind. You know, character type stuff.

 

The second part of the badge is working the requirements. Believe it or not, that is the hardest part for young men of this age. They have not developed a discipline of completing process of which they started. I know of a mb counselor who told me that only 25% of scouts he starts will finish their badges without some push from parents or leaders. Scouts learn more from their failures than accomplishments. Your goal is to provide and opportunity for the scouts, NOT TO PUSH THEM TO FINISH. Just build a process of decision making opportunities. Allow them to choose success or failure.

 

What I'm saying is set up your clinic so the scout has to first talk with the counselor, fill out the blue card then get it signed by the SM. Then allow the scout enough room that test his ability to complete the badge once he starts. Personally (Troop Guide ASM hat here), I don't care how many scouts complete the badge, I just want you to provide them with the opportunity to build character and practice making decisions. Do that and your ticket is done.

 

So instead of pushing scouts to come your specific clinic, visit the units and ask the SPL for five minutes in front of the troop to inform them that you are providing a clinic on a set day. Leave some handouts for anyone interested to call you for more information like time and location. There, you provided the counselor and communication opportunity. During their call, inform them that you require a blue card the day of the clinic to participate in your clinic. That forces them to fill out the card and get the SM signature. You  have basically followed the BSA Advancement guide. As a SM, you have made my day. 

 

Now, as for the instructors, that is more difficult. You want the scouts to make decisions, so make sure your activity station only provides information and the "opportunity" to participate. let the scouts choose to complete the requirement to "your" satisfaction, and them let them specifically ask to get the card signed off.

 

I know this seems a bit silly to some degree, but you would be surprised how much maturity a scout gains by doing these simple actions and decisions. 

 

Allow scouts who don't complete the requirements a way of finishing at a later date. In other words, don't plan on being done by the end of the day. Have a way for a scout to call a year later to finish his badge. Some scouts need to grow and mature between the start and finish of badges. 

 

As to your Ticket Item, you want a specific end. That end would be closing the doors and the end of your clinic. Not signing off a minimum number of badges. Personally I think the hardest part of your ticket is visiting the units to ask the SPL for 5 minutes and telling the scouts about your clinic. But, I think you will also enjoy that part the most 

 

Hope I didn't go off the deep end here, but this is how I coached clinics. To be fair to you, some clinic organizers and Wood Badgers didn't like my recommendations. 

 

Barry

[qwazse]

Agree with @EagleDad.

 

In fact, don't be afraid to advertise that during the clinic scouts who bring a blue-card will be able to receive a partial covering requirements x, y, and z and be introduced to a counselor who he and a buddy could meet with to follow-up on completing the badge. For the few scouts who ask "Can I do pre-requisites before the clinic?" you might offer a list of counselors to whom they can bring their blue-card to in advance and get a partial before the clinic start. (Ideally, those counselors will also be at the clinic.)

 

The "day of" goal is getting boys to practice skills that the badge touches on.

 

As a scout I remember being introduced to the controls in vehicles ranging from sports cars to a semi-trailers. Never earned a badge for any of it, but sure had fun!

[WisconsinMomma]

Great feedback.  Thanks everybody!   Still listening if anyone else wants to chime in. 

[ItsBrian]

Hi. Current scout here. I have been to a couple merit badge fairs/clinics and I personally don’t learn anything from them. It’s usually a group of 10 or so. You don’t get the full experience of actual learning & fulfilling what a merit badge is intended to do. I also highly suggest making this a “partial clinic†where as they don’t get the full requirements at the clinic, but can do pre reqs and possibly achieve it.

 

I think you or someone mentioned stations with adults at each one? This could work or not work, depends how knowlegable and capable your volunteers are.

 

I’d have 5 stations or so.

 

Random order-

1. 1-2 requirments

2. 1-2 requirments

3. 1-2 requirments

4. 1-2 requirments

5. Scouts who did pre reqs

6. Review, talk in group (maybe have multiple of these?)

 

I suggest if you do stations no more then 4 scouts at each. More then that and you lose the experience. I had a cooking merit badge class once and there was 8 picnic tables full, not enjoyable.

 

I wish you luck!

[ItsBrian]

Also, I attend a Vocational High School, and there is something called “Law & Public Safetyâ€, which is early training for police officers, etc. I don’t know if there are any near you, but you could ask the instructor to come teach, I find s/he would be more beneficial than a regular Officer.

[fred johnson]

... Advancement is the scouts responsibility, character is mine. ... 

 

I'm quoting Barry's post as he has a very good answer.  He's exactly right concerning concerning the overall MB program purpose and approach.  With that said though, Barry correctly describes the structure around a merit badge course without addressing the meat.  

 

The meat is what do you do in the course?  

• Think of yourself as a presenter / entertainer trying to hold the interest of a crowd.  They don't have to be there.  They don't have to earn the badge.
  • Will they be glad they spent the time with you?  
  • Will they leave energized about the topic ?
  • Will they leave with more knowledge or new insights ?
  • If someone asks them what they learned or about their experience, how will they answer?  

• The worst thing a MB counselor can do is walk the MB requirements point by point.
  • Find an approach.
    • How you would want to introduce a new person to the subject
    • A way to make the MB subject interesting
  • THEN
    • Map the requirements to parts of your course and your time with the scout. 
    • Extend and add as needed
•  It's important to remember
  • A MBC must make sure the requirements were covered in the same way a person must breath.
    • Breathing does not mean you have an interesting life
    • Breathing does not mean every breath is as deep and rich
  • A MBC should find a way to inspire and draw interest to the subject

 

I fully agree the MB program structure should grow maturity and independence and teach scouts to complete what they start.  But similar, a MBC has a responsibility to be a useful resource to the scout.  If the scout approaches you about a MB and you are a subject expert, fine.  You don't need to develop a course.  The one-on-one (or 2-on-1 really) nature lends itself to directly working together.  But, if you offer a course, you owe it to the scout to do more than just walk the requirements one-by-one.  You owe the scout an inspiring, rewarding experience. 

 

Otherwise, it's better to NOT offer the course as it will damage his whole view of the MB program and earning future MBs.

 

Example ... Some of the most rewarding MBs my sons have earned.

• Archaeology ... Going to a state park where the park ranger showed the scouts in detail is archaeology dig site
• Photography ... Running around with cameras and later assembling collages of pictures
• Metal or welding ... Bending sheet metal and using a forge
• Chess ... Playing chess at camp at night during down pours
• Canoeing ... Weekend long canoe trip
• Archery ... Building and shooting arrows
• Oceanography ... Presenters were experts.  Navy officer and deep sea researcher.

A common threads

• Real authoritative expertise
• Great way to cover the topic

Edited November 10, 2017 by fred johnson