Re: Supply ... Current MB Books
CHUCK BRAMLET (chuckb@AZTEC.ASU.EDU)
Tue, 31 Dec 1996 12:10:55 -0700
Pete Farnham writes...
>So, when you counsel a scout working on an MB, make sure he has the
>current list of requirements, which you can give him simply by
>photocopying the appropriate page from the requirements book. Also,
>as an MB counselor, you should have a copy of the most current MB book
>available. You can also, no doubt, order them from the catalog (the
>1997 one just arrived).
>If worse comes to worse and you can't find a MB book that covers one
>of the current requirements, use your resources, as they say in Wood
>Badge, and find a source of info that will cover the necessary
>material. After all, you shouldn't be teaching a merit badge unless
>you know something about the subject, and that would include knowing
>where to find additional information beyond what's in the MB book, it
seems to me.
What Pete says sounds reasonable, but it might not be realistic. I am
a counselor for the Pioneering MB, for our Troop. I earned it as a
youth, and enjoy fooling around with rope and knots, etc. I consider
myself somewhat of an expert in the field.
When I signed up to counsel this MB 5 or 6 years ago, I bought the most
current MB pamphlet available to me, and bought the requirements book.
I read most of Scouting magazine, especially the areas where
program changes are officially announced. I was _still_ taken
by surprise a few weeks ago, when one of the Troop Committee members
handed me the new MB book, that has apparently been out for a while.
How many of our resources are we supposed to spend in the effort to
keep current? How much effort is enough? If the Council store doesn't
have it, and the DE soesn't know about it, and it hasn't been covered
in Scouting, (or our discussions here) what other action can we take,
other than making the assumption that the "current" info is, in fact,
current?
Then Pat Skelly writes...
>The idea of BSA providing Merit Badge books online is very much to
>be desired.
>But stop for just a moment and look at "The BSA" purely as a
>business. What business classifications predominate? Three, in
>my mind. They are:
>- Publisher
>- Retailer
>- Personnel Management Services
>BSA holds the copyright on all of its publications. BSA sells the
>Merit Badge books, and several thousand other items, as a part of
>financing its total business.
Good points, but I have a slightly different problem with the concept.
While the BSA could keep more current on-line copies of its'
publications, I would not want to see the hard copies pushed into
the background. For one thing, it's hard to take an on-line copy into
the field. ;) (Unless you want to take a cell phone and laptop on
your outings. ;) ;) )
We make many assumptions about ourselves and others from the way we
think they appear. So, we assume that _everyone_ here has full "Class
4" internet service. Actually, _all_ we have in common is email.
Some post from AOL, some from Primenet, many from eduacational or
business locations. The level of Internet service and WEB capability
varies from site to site as to what is available for their subscribers.
Some of you are on the "Cleveland Freenet". It seems to be a good
service. I am on "Arizona Telecommunication Community Computing",
otherwise known as Aztec. What is available here is limited compared
to what other freenets might offer, due to an Az state law that makes
it illegal for Aztec to "compete" with commercial ISPs. So, I have
Lynx to brouse with, and due to the forementioned law, the download
capability is turned off. Also, lynx = no pictures. :(
While I can still use Mosaic at work, and still download some info,
it is a bit of a hassle. Also, there have been notifications lately
that new S/W will be installed on the PC network that _will_ monitor
_all_ S/W being run on the PC, as well as track the WEB browsers to
see where they are going. In effect, "Big Brother is now watching
you". So this will no longer be available to me. (Company policy
says that the facilities are there for business use _only_. Most
managers wink at it during lunch and "off hours". However, we have
some in the support area that feel that it is their mission to make
sure rules are followed _exactly_. So comes the monitoring S/W.)
Signing up with a commercial ISP sounds like the obvious solution.
Except. My wife, who complains about the cost of cable TV ($35 for
basic service now, in our area), will not even consider a commercial
ISP. Even the one I saw advertised in yesterday's paper for $9.95/
month, flat rate. (And that is 2AM to 5PM) Now, if I could make
$$ by having a Commercial ISP account, she would be all for it.
I would also imagine that there are several list subscribers whose
only access to the WEB or the internet is via email. Juno comes to
mind, here. ON-line pubs don't really help them.
In any case, the sale of outdated material is something that needs
a very serious look.
YiS,
Chuck Bramlet, ASM Troop 323
Thunderbird District, Grand Canyon Council, Phoenix, Az.
I "used to be" an Antelope! (and a good ol' Antelope, too...) WEM-10-95
Please E-mail any replies to: >> chuckb@aztec.asu.edu <<
Member DNRC or: >> cbramlet@juno.com <<
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