MBs at Meetings

[fred8033]

During our annual planning, the scouts choose six topics that span two months each. Usually, they choose from the Troop Program Features (BSA pubs 33110, 3111, 3112) because then they can use borrow / modify the contained meeting plans. We've never used one 100% unmodified, but it's a starter.

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33110.pdf

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33111.pdf

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33112.pdf

 

I only mention it because each topic includes documnted "advancement opportunities" both for rank and for merit badges. Also the program features strongly aligns with merit badges. So it's hard not to pick one without sort of picking a merit badge too.

 

But it's still up to the scout to pursue the MB, get the card, contact the counselor, etc. It's just that the troop is working on some of those topics too and our outings are probably aligned with the topic too.

[Eagle92]

Fred,

 

TPF, what use to be known as WOODS WISDOM in my day, is an example of "Stealth Advancement" i.e. you are working on the stuff as part of your normal routine.

 

But that is not happening. And it appears from what I'm reading that the new parents are the ones doing all of the work and planning, not the scouts. Using TPF, they should even be at that stage yet.

[qwazse]

I'm suggesting to my older boys that a skit about the merit badge process would be helpful.

I have one youth who should do quite well at it. But he's more "director" than "playwright."

 

If anyone has something prepared, I'd appreciate sharing. (Woodbadge ticket, maybe?)

[Eagle92]

Actually saw the SPL's meeting plan. An hour spent on a MB ( skills and patrol time) and the interpatrol activity for 30 minutes is a COH?!?!?!?!!?

[Basementdweller]

Ya know eagle.....I say good for them, shows they have the right perspective in my book.

 

 

Jerry

[Tampa Turtle]

We had a recent election and the candidate who one ran on a platform or making access to Merit Badges easier by have some MB classes available at the end of the meetings and going en masse to MB Academies. So that is what we are doing though I continue to press for Patrol times, stealth skills, and fun.

[BS-87]

Is this really a contentious topic?

 

Heck, I can remember as a boy that just about all our patrols worked on merit badges at Troop meetings once they were First Class (patrols by age).

 

It was even better going to PLC and having to tell the SPL what your guys were doing each week for the Merit Badge. If you didn't know, the SPL pretty much knew you hadn't confirmed your counselor yet to be at the Troop meetings for the month to work with your patrol.

 

I can see it being a problem if ASM's are the ones teaching the boys all the badges and do it every month without the boys having to seek out MBC's and get them to the meetings. However, I don't think it's inherently bad to do Merit Badge work at meetings. In fact, I think it's the strongest motivation to keep the boys coming each week who aren't in the leadership corps and not working on rank advancement.

[fred8033]

Stealth advancement? I always thought that most of what scouts do can somehow be tied to advancement.

 

Camping counts toward the camping merit badge and to rank requirements.

 

Creating patrol menus, aquiring the food and cooking on the camp outs can be just to have a good camp out, but can also be used for rank advanement and the cooking merit badge.

 

Preparing for a canoe camping trip can contribute to the canoeing merit badge.

 

But the scout still needs to contact and work with a MBC to complete the rank requirements as published.

 

One of the challenges we've always had was to make the troop meetings meaningful beyond announcements, sign-ups, meal planning and cleaning out the troop gear yet again. I'm glad if the SPL/PLC can use the TPF to start planning.