Merit badge welfare

I agree.

My wife (ASM) subbed for our SM at summer camp this summer
(he has a new job and couldn't get that much time off). This is the
first year for us having a BOY Scout (just Cubs till now). She wondered
to all the MB classes to make sure our guys were showing up and such.
Her impression was that some of the classes were just "gimes". Most
classes were run by older boys. I visited the Cooking MB class with my
son and other from our Troop. There were so many in the class that
only half the class got to actually do the cooking on any given day.
They did rotate each day but on some days the boys just came to
class and played cards, ate the lunch, and maybe helped cleanup.

As the Outdoor/Activity chair, I published for the boys the list and times
of the MB being offered at camp and the list of prerequisites for each MB.
This was straight from the camp info. In theory, each MB class would only
cover things that could be covered in camp. Many long term tasks and
many written tasks had to be completed and documented before camp.
If not, the counselor just signed off on what was completed and the partial
reports went back to the SMs for their records. I know my wife brought
back several partial reports and gave them to the SM so the boys can
complete the MB later.

My son has been in the Troop just 6 months. Got his 2nd Class at this
week's COH and has 7 MB - 4 of them earned at camp. Maybe they
are being handed out too quickly. I think the ones he earned outside
of camp were not "gimes" though.

Peter Murphy
CM, Pack 125, Outdoor/Activities, Troop 125
Del-Mi District, Crossroads of America Council

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