Merit Badge partial completions

[scoutingagain]

How do folks handle the completion of merit badges where only part of the requirements have been met?

 

In an ideal world, the scout would go back to the original merit badge counselor and have the work approved and the appropriate documentation signed. However, in the current world where many of our scouts earn their merit badges at camp or at merit badge universities, tracking down the original counselor is difficult and sometimes impossible.

 

In many cases there are one or two requirements that have not been met and usually that is because they could not be done within the time frame or constraints of camp or the specific merit badge earning function. They are usually things like the 90 day logs or record keeping requirements or site visits.

 

I was wondering how other troops handled this situation.

 

SA

 

 

[evmori]

It's really not up to the Troop on how to handle it. It is up to the counselor. Now as a merit badge counselor, if a Scout and his buddy cam to me for the completion of a partial I would review what he has already done & set up a schedule for completion of the badge.

 

Ed Mori

[Scoutmaster Ron]

after summer camp the scouts are handed their partial cards with a list of counselors it's up to them at that point to get a buddy and make the appt.

[saltheart]

One minor point of clarification here. While it is up to the Scout(s) to make the appointments for follow-up and completion of the work not yet completed and signed, there is no requirement that the original counselor be the one to whom they go. If troop level or district level merit badge counselors exist for the subject badge, the wise Scoutmaster, Troop Advancement Chair, and/or Troop Committee would make certain that the list of those counselors is readily available to the Scout(s) so they know where to begin the trail to completion.(This message has been edited by saltheart)

[scoutingagain]

Thank you for your prompt replies.

 

Our troop has not had a list of troop merit badge counselors in the past. I don't know why, I've only been with the troop a couple of years and am just took over as Advancement Chair this year. I suspect it has to do with the fact that most scouts earn their merit badges through the merit badge universities and camps.

 

We have a small group of counselors that do some of the more academic like merit badges such as the citizenship badges. We do have some ASMs and other parents with a variety of skills that I will try and register as merit badge counselors that could help scouts complete some of the other skill based badges.

 

Thanks again

 

 

[FScouter]

Your district Advancement and Recognition chairman can provide you with a list of registered counselors. If you don't know who that is, contact the district commissioner assigned to your unit. That person is there to help you with issues such as this.

[Joni4TA]

A MB Counselor has to put an application into the District to be a MB Counselor and those names are kept on file there. Usually the District Advancement Chair can easily print off a copy of that list for a Troop to have on hand for a boy's reference. I happen to have a copy for our District because I am on the Dist. staff and I asked but I doubt there would be a problem if a SM or CC asked for one either.

 

 

[KoreaScouter]

If your District/Council is enforcing the requirement to register and train MB counselors, it shouldn't be impossible or even difficult to track them down, unless they leave the program. Every Council I've been associated with has the MB Counselor spreadsheet based on registrations. If, on the other hand, you're using unregistered counselors, it'll likely be easier to find Jimmy Hoffa than "Bob, the archery counselor from summer camp".

 

An SM is supposed to only assign counselors from the District list -- so, it's not a "nice to have", it's a "must have". I've gotten many Scouts transfer in from other Troops, with partials. I do the handoff to our local counselors, they review the Scout's status, and off we go. BTW, I encourage the use of the worksheets from meritbadge.com -- makes it so much easier for Scouts to organize their material and counselors to review it, especially if they're moving around.

 

As an editorial comment, I have a concern with Saltheart's suggestion that Scouts can hop around counselors on their own (SH, please forgive me if I misinterpret your post). The SM's only input to this process is assigning the counselor when they issue the blue card. Some counselors are more accessible, some are better with younger (or older) Scouts, some better trained, some are simply more thorough about meeting requirements. I know which ones are the best "fit" since I know the Scouts and (most of) the counselors, at least by reputation. If a Scout wants or needs to change counselors, I think that's something that should only be done with SM involvement -- whatever the reason, it shouldn't be happening without our involvement & concurrence.

 

KS

[peewee]

As a MB counselor I have had boys that rec'd a partial card from another counselor that has retired or from a camp counselor that went back to school--if the scout calls me and explains what is needed (and of course if I'm approved MB counselor)I will set up a time to review his MB requirements and work with this scout and a buddy to complete his MB-- RM

[EagleInKY]

Hate to re-open an old thread, but here goes an additional question. How do you all handle partial MBs from Summer Camp after a significant amount of time has passed.

 

When our boys receive their partial MBs from Summer Camp, we provide them with the option of using one of the troop's counselors for the completion of the MB. Typically, the counselors are a SM or a Committee Member. Of course, the boy has the option of finding his own counselor as well. But they generally use the ones that we have available in the troop.

 

It is my understanding that there is no "expiration" of a partial MB. But I also know that several troops around us do not allow a partial to carry out over 1 year. Recently, I heard of a troop that only allows Summer Camp MBs to be carried for 6 months.

 

While I don't like creating a lot of arbitrary rules, I can picture the 17 yr old Eagle Scout who is one MB short of his next palm. He finds a partial MB card for Mammal Study from 1996 and decides he can quickly finish it to get his palm.

 

My question is, does the troop have a right to set a deadline for completion of a partial MB? And, if so, what amount of time are most troops using?

[Bob White]

No, they do not. The Advancement policies of the BSA allow the scout to work on the badge until his 18th birthday. No exceptions.

 

Bob White

 

 

[dancinfox]

I place all partial's in Troopmaster under the individual Scout's name. Every month I pull up a list of partial's for each scout and ask them how their doing. I hold all partial's until the Scout leaves the troop at 18. At that time we give the Scout a file with all his advancement information.

Dancin