Re: Time for MB
Cheryl Singhal (csinghal@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Wed, 31 Jul 1996 18:32:44 -0400
On Wed, 31 Jul 1996, Scott Morley wrote:
> The time frame is limited by BSA. BUT is it right? Consider this:
> What is the purpose of MBs---to boldly become an Eagle at all costs???
> Respectfully, NO. The purpose is that the scout learns a skill or
> interest that may (or may not) lead to that path later in life. How
> can any MB have continuity so that the scout sees the whole picture,
> when his completion and starting date is 3 years apart? NONE!
>
On the genealogy merit badge I counsel, the dead-last requirement anyone
finishes is the one that wants them to write a letter to some
organization or office with genealogy materials and ask what's available
from them. This is far and away the EASIEST requirement there. Yet one
Scout did indeed take 2.5 yrs to get it done. The up-side was that while
he was procrastinating on that he made great strides in other areas of
his genealogy, but the requirement is to add "something" to your original
material, not turn it into a 50-page report.
At all events, I don't see this gap as particularly important here.
> Unfortunately, I strongly disagree with BSA policy in this regards.
> It does not help the scout. It tells the scout it's OK to start
> something and finish it whenever (shrug) . There is much to be said
> about finishing what you start, but much more about finishing it in a
> timely fashion.
But aren't there things in real life where that is *exactly* the case? I
recall a number of reports that were written by the "I'd like to see a
final on Friday" deadline, only to be rewritten on Thursday because
someone changed a guideline, or the thrust of the report (or even, once,
because the test results flatly contradicted the report <G>). I've
always felt I could save myself an awful lot of time if I'd only learn to
put things off until the last possible minute, but I too was taught to
finish what I began and to finish it NOW!
Also, that 6 months can get fairly annoying ... sometimes the MB
counselor isn't available, or a 2nd Scout isn't available, or the Scout's
school work needs precedence and 6 months can go in a flash.
I can't tell you how relieved I was to find out I didn't need to make my
Scouts stick to a 6-month limit!
** || "You are my son. **
|| csinghal@capaccess.org ** It was no effort." ||
** cheryl_singhal@cpafug.blkcat.com || **
|| Cheryl.Singhal@f422.n109.z1.fidonet.org ** ST: IV. ||
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
