1996-97 Boy Scout Reqiurements: Changes (long)

I have just returned from my local Scout Shop with the NEW 1996-97 Boy
Scout
Requirements book. (It was SO new that it wasn't even in the computer
system
yet.)

Guess what, there are some changes! :-)

First of all, Crime Prevention is now in the book, although it is listed on
the
inside front cover as a merit badge whose requirements have "changed." I
guess
going from nothing to something is a "change." I could not find any change

from the original set of requirements announced in May, which doesn't
surprise
me.

Crime prevention is the ONLY new merit badge in this edition. Apparently
the
other two anticipated new merit badges, archeology and climbing, were NOT
released this year, even though many of us were expecting them and we even
had
one Climbing merit badge counselor post about the merit badge.

There is one change to the rank requirements, and two other merit badges
whose
requirements have changed.

The rank requirement change is to Eagle requirement 4, where historian has
now
been added to the list of acceptable positions of responsibility. That
leaves,
I believe, bugler as the only position acceptable for Star and Life that is
NOT
acceptable for Eagle.

The two merit badges reporting requirement changes are Public Health and
Sports, as follows:

Sports - In requirement 7, the term "attributes" has been replaced with
"attributes (qualities)." I guess they didn't think that Scouts knew the
meaning of the word attributes. :-)

Public Health - The changes here are somewhat more substantial as follows:

In requirement 1's lead paragraph, "Prepare an outline of its . . ." has
been
changed to "Prepare an outline of the agency's . . ." 1(b) goes from
"Explain
how these affect you." to "Explain how these services affect you." 1(c)
replaces "Find out" with "Identify" and "the United States" with "your
community." 1(d) adds "at the agency" to the end of the sentence.

The most significant change in these requirements is in requirement 2 where
the
list of diseases has been changed. It now reads: "Explain how the
following
diseases are contracted: tetanus, influenza, syphilis, hepatitis,
emphysema,
AIDS, encephalitis, meningitis, salmonellosis, Lyme disease, herpes, and
lead
poisoning." This involves eliminating a couple, adding a couple, and
expanding
"sexually transmitted diseases" by being specific.

In 3(b), "baby" has been replaced with "young child." 3(c) has added the
word
"periodically" at the end.

Requirement 4 now requires you to "Visit a restaurant or other commercial
food
service facility and observe food preparation, handling, and storage.
Interview a food service inspector and explain" the items in parts (a)
through
(d).

Requirement 5(b) has been changed to read: "Visit a water treatment
facility
and describe the steps used in making public drinking water safe; OR visit
the
drinking-water quality-control agency in your community. Describe how
water
quality is monitored."

In requirement 6(a) delete the word "household." 6(b) has been replaced
by:
"Visit a municipal wastewater treatment facility and a solid-waste
management
operation in your community. Describe how sewage and solid waste disposal
is
done safely in urban and rural environments, and under wilderness camping
conditions."

Requirement 7(b) has been reworded to read: "Describe the health dangers
from
tobacco use and alcohol and drug abuse."

So, there you have it, as near as I can tell. As I did last year, I will
most
likely prepare a summary of these changes for distribution within my
district.
When I have done so, I will once again submit the file for posting in the
Scouts-L archive and on the US Scouting Service web site. Stay tuned.

--
Bruce E. Cobern
Advancement Chairman
Founders District, Queens Council, NY
bec@pipeline.com

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