Merit Badge Session

[ScouterPaul]

On page 123 of The Scoutmasters Handbook it states the following: "Along with another Scout, a relative, or a friend, the Scout sets up and attends his first appointment with the merit badge counselor. (No one-on-one contact is permited. A Scout must have a buddy with him at each meeting with a merit badge counselor.)" On page 24 it states: "Merit badge counselor sessions must meet the same two-deep leadership requiremnts expected in all Scouting activities."

 

Are these statements saying that there must be 4 people at every merit badge session (assuming that the Scouts buddy is a minor and not his parent?

[LauraT7]

we try to do it this way -

 

At our meeting location (a church) we have a main meeting room, with a couple of other rooms off the main one.

 

one room in particular is used for boards of review, merit badge meetings, scoutmaster conferences.

 

It is real easy to grab another passing leader, committee member or parent at a meeting and have them "sit in" on whatever is going on. We stay within line of sight of the door, and keep the door open whenever one of the boys is in there.

 

if a boy is to meet with a merit badge counselor elsewhere, a parent or adult troop member usually goes along.

 

As a merit badge counselor for computers, I often communicate with the boys I counsel by e-mail. Takes the "test pressure" off them, and the written e-mails are then printed and kept as a log of their progress. (It also takes the pressure off me - as I can "meet" with them by answering their notes at midnight! LOL) I have used this communication method for other badges as well - though I only do merit badge counseling for our troop - so I do know all the boys personally.

[k9gold-scout]

If a scout from another troop wants to take a merit badge, I almost always have him come to one of our troop meetings since I will be there anyway. We meet in a large rec. room, where we only have to pull up a table and chairs against a wall. Everything is done in the open. Parents are always welcome to sit down and listen. Sometimes I do have to remind that their son must make the entire presentation himself.