Star Required Merit Badges
Lawrence Tuck (lawrence.tuck@GTE.NET)
Fri, 8 Jan 1999 08:19:30 -0800
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Can a Scout who is working toward Star rank use two merit badges from =
the same Eagle-required "category" to fulfill his Star requirement to =
earn four Eagle-required merit badges? (Likewise for Life).
I have a scout in my troop who has Swimming, Cycling, Environmental =
Science, and Citizenship in the Community, plus Fishing and Leatherwork. =
As of April 1, does he (under the new version of the Eagle-required =
merit badge list) qualify for Star, or does he still need another =
Eagle-required Merit Badge?
The requirements for Star rank say:
3. Earn six merit badges, including four from the required list for =
Eagle.*
(* The required list for Eagle has 15 merit badges in 12 categories. =
Any of the 15 may be used for this requirement.)
My District Advancement Chairman says, "Yes--but if two of those merit =
badges are from the same category, then one of them must be counted as =
an elective, not a required badge." He's arguing that the words "this =
requirement" refer to "earn six merit badges."
My interpretation is that the words "this requirement" refer to "four =
from the required list for Eagle"--so, for Star and Life, two (or even =
three) from the same category may be counted toward the "four from the =
required list for Eagle." Of course, when you come up for Eagle, you =
have to choose ONLY ONE from each category.
I checked the Scouts-L archives and it seems that this argument has been =
going on for several years (I found discussion threads in the archives =
from 1992) and National hasn't done anything I know about to clarify it. =
I have to wonder if they're deliberately sidestepping the issue and =
leaving it up to local councils to set their own policy. If they really =
wanted to clarify it, they should say either:
( * You must choose only one merit badge listed in items g and j. If you =
have earned more than one of the badges listed in items g and j, choose =
one and list the remaining badges to make your total of 6.) -- a =
variation on what it says in the Eagle requirements
OR
(* The required list for Eagle has 15 merit badges in 12 categories. The =
four merit badges may include more than one from the same category.)
This is going to be an ongoing issue since most of the scouts in my =
troop earn Swimming early-on, and many also earn cycling and/or hiking.
(Now, there's another problem--if a boy uses Swimming, Hiking and =
Cycling toward this Eagle-required quota for Star, he's going to have to =
earn two "extra" Eagle-required badges later on, so it's going to catch =
up with him. I would not ADVISE a scout to go this route, but it's going =
to happen anyway.)
Can anyone refer me to chapter-and-verse that I can quote my District =
Advancement Chairman? Or is this one that National has left up to local =
councils to interpret? Or (unlikely as it may seem ;-) am I the one =
who's wrong?
Larry Tuck
SM, Troop 761
Thousand Oaks, CA=20
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Can a Scout who is working toward Star rank use two merit badges =
from the=20
same Eagle-required "category" to fulfill his Star requirement =
to earn=20
four Eagle-required merit badges? (Likewise for Life).
I have a scout in my troop who has Swimming, Cycling, Environmental =
Science, and Citizenship in the Community, plus Fishing and Leatherwork. =
As of=20
April 1, does he (under the new version of the Eagle-required merit =
badge list)=20
qualify for Star, or does he still need another Eagle-required Merit=20
Badge?
The requirements for Star rank say:
3. Earn six merit =
badges,=20
including four from the required list for Eagle.*
(* The =
required list for Eagle has 15 merit badges in 12 categories. Any of the =
15 may=20
be used for this requirement.)
My District Advancement Chairman =
says,=20
"Yes--but if two of those merit badges are from the same category, =
then one=20
of them must be counted as an elective, not a required badge." He's =
arguing=20
that the words "this requirement" refer to "earn six =
merit=20
badges."
My interpretation is that the words "this=20
requirement" refer to "four from the required list for=20
Eagle"--so, for Star and Life, two (or even three) from the same =
category=20
may be counted toward the "four from the required list for =
Eagle." Of=20
course, when you come up for Eagle, you have to choose ONLY ONE from =
each=20
category.
I checked the Scouts-L archives and it seems that this =
argument=20
has been going on for several years (I found discussion threads in the =
archives=20
from 1992) and National hasn't done anything I know about to clarify it. =
I have=20
to wonder if they're deliberately sidestepping the issue and leaving it =
up to=20
local councils to set their own policy. If they really wanted to clarify =
it,=20
they should say either:
( * You must choose only one merit badge =
listed=20
in items g and j. If you have earned more than one of the badges listed =
in items=20
g and j, choose one and list the remaining badges to make your total of =
6.) -- a=20
variation on what it says in the Eagle requirements
OR
(* =
The=20
required list for Eagle has 15 merit badges in 12 categories. The four =
merit=20
badges may include more than one from the same category.)
This is =
going=20
to be an ongoing issue since most of the scouts in my troop earn =
Swimming=20
early-on, and many also earn cycling and/or hiking.
(Now, there's another problem--if a boy uses Swimming, Hiking and =
Cycling=20
toward this Eagle-required quota for Star, he's going to have to earn =
two=20
"extra" Eagle-required badges later on, so it's going to catch =
up with=20
him. I would not ADVISE a scout to go this route, but it's going to =
happen=20
anyway.)
Can anyone refer me to chapter-and-verse that I can quote my =
District=20
Advancement Chairman? Or is this one that National has left up to local =
councils=20
to interpret? Or (unlikely as it may seem ;-) am I the one who's=20
wrong?
Larry Tuck
SM, Troop 761
Thousand Oaks, CA
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