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MB Program Q's
anitah@SLIP.NET
Sat, 6 Mar 1999 17:36:24 -0800
I'm the mother of a Star scout in a smallish troop (about 30 boys).
I've noticed at the Courts of Honor that very few merit badges are ever
awarded, and it's raised questions in my mind about how the MB program
is supposed to work. Is it typical, for instance, when 17 boys go on a
ski trip, for only 2 of them to decide to work on the merit badge? It
seemed an ideal opportunity, and one that won't come again till next
year (if ever). In this particular case, the troop was given full
information, well in advance, about what they needed to do and who they
needed to call if they wanted to start the badge. Usually, this troop
leaves the matter of merit badges completely up to the boys - there is
nothing adult-initiated, they don't work on badges at meetings, and no
classes or midways are ever offered. Is this the standard procedure?
Because the result, at least in this troop, is that it's rare indeed for
a boy to earn ANY badges, outside of the ones he does at summer camp.
The troop's one Eagle Scout had to rush like mad to finish up his
requirements, earning something like 10 different badges at the last
minute. What IS the typical amount of badges awarded at a CoH?
A separate but related question - how does a boy earn a
special-tools-required badge like auto mechanics or plumbing? Is he
expected to fulfill all the requirements at home, or does the MB
counselor sort of "apprentice" him to learn what he needs to know? I
guess the same question could be asked of specialized-knowledge badges.
Does someone teach the boy, or is he expected to learn on his own?
Anita H. <anitah@slip.net>
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