Re: Time limit for MB's
Monte Kalisch (montek@MONTEKCS.COM)
Thu, 28 Nov 1996 01:23:15 -0700
At 01:06 AM 11/28/96 GMT, Bruce E. Cobern wrote:
>At 01:52 PM 11/27/96 -0600, Frank Roessler wrote:
>>As far as "re-doing" requirements, I think it depends a lot on the
>>situation. I've had scouts try to count something they did as cub scouts
>>for a MB requirement. If the activity was done before he started working
>>on the badge, he probably did not participate in that activity to the
>>extent required by the MB. That decision is a judgment call.
>This is a different situation from the one we have actually been discussing.
>Here a Scout who is seeing his first counselor is trying to claim "credit"
>for something he did before he was even a Scout. I would agree with you
>that in most cases the counselor should probably not accept this and require
>that the Scout meet the requirement "while a Boy Scout" although I am not
>sure there is any specific written requirement that says that. The
>"re-doing" that we were talking about was whether the counselor can have a
>Scout redo requirements that he has already done for another counselor. In
>that case I believe that in most instances the second counselor should be
>able to satisfy himself that the work was actually done (not necessarily
>that the Scout still knows the material - that is a different matter)
>without having him repeat all of the requirements.
A Scout must complete requirements while a Boy Scout. Completing a given
requirement while a Cub Scout or prior to joining does not count. Where I
see this all the time is the CPR requirement for First Aid. Notibly this
is a difficult requirement, and several scouts suggest that since they did
this as a cub/webelos that they don't have to redo it. That is not true.
>>I try to help the scouts EARN their MB. But my bottom line is that I won't
>>sign something that I don't think is deserved. If that scout doesn't like
>>that, he can always find another MB counselor (or do the appropriate
>>work<g>).
>Would that EVERY mb counselor felt that way and required all the Scouts to
>EARN all of their mbs.
Regardless of intent, part of the problem is that most merit badge
counselors don't really know WHAT the purpose is supposed to be. That's
the real problem. (Also, some [most?] of them can't teach in such a way
that a Scout will remember anything down the road....)
Yours in Scouting,
Monte Kalisch
NCS Program Director, Ben Delatour Scout Ranch
(http://www.montekcs.com/www/bdsr)
ASM Troop 191, Ft. Collins, CO
~ I'll always be an Eagle Scout! ~
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
