Re: Summer Camp Trends/Merit Badge Mills
R Fisher (ghotier@TEXAS.NET)
Sat, 31 Jul 1999 19:00:38 -0500
Anthony Mako brings up a good point in his post on this subject. His
comment was directed in part to the number of partipants in his local
council camp that are from out-of-council. Later in the same post he
comments on the fact that the local council camp deemphasized merit
badges.
Kind of makes you want to go Hmmmmmmm!
<soap box mode on>
Long ago and far away, when I was a Scoutmaster, our Troop went to our
local council summer camp every other year. We tried to go to different
Out-of-Council camps on the off years. To my way of thinking this did
two things. It gave the Scouts a chance to see and do new things and
adventures and it gave the Scouts (especially the older Scouts) a chance
to do something besides work on merit badges - most of the O-o-C camps
had a high adventure program that our local council camp lacked.
In the "dark ages", when I first went to summer camp, merit badges were
available but there were also organized programs that Troops particpated
in as well, especially the first year campers. Today a Scout is almost
expected to come home from summer camp with enough merit badges to
qualify for Star at least and there are few programs. As an example, at
our local camp(and others ???) the only time available for a Scout to
learn to use a canoe is in the evening after dinner. But there is no one
to help him learn how. He could sign up for Canoeing merit badge, but
that is in the morning at the same time as First Aid. And all the kid
wanted to do was to paddle around the lake.
Oh well, I guess thats progress.
<soap box mode off>
YiS
Roy Fisher
District Commissioner - Sioux District
Alamo Area Council
Used to be an Owl }8> ... Always an Eagle!
