Cit in the Comm Service hours

I need some feedback. When you read the requirement on Cit in the Comm on the 8 hours of service, sounds to me like it is 8 hours of service to the organization identified in the merit badge. I have counselors allowing any 8 hours of service to count. Is this really correct?? Any suggestions?

Here is the requirement you are speaking of

7. Do the following:

a. Choose a charitable organization outside of Scouting that interests you and brings people in your community together to work for the good of your community.

b. Using a variety of resources (including newspapers, fliers and other literature, the Internet, volunteers, and employees of the organization), find out more about this organization.

c. With your counselor's and your parent's approval, contact the organization and find out what young people can do to help. While working on this merit badge, volunteer at least eight hours of your time for the organization. After your volunteer experience is over, discuss what you have learned with your counselor.

I am a counselor for this MB & I require the Scout to volunteer for the organization he chooses in 7a.

It is up to the MBC, period to approve a service or not.

I also would have preferred "new Service" as stated in the book for an organization identified when the Scout started the Blue card.

My son is doing this badge with a fellow scout. He called a local organization and set up for four hours of work for both scouts. His buddy is trying to call another organization to set up four hours as well. This arrangement was approved by the MBC.

I'm a counselor for this badge too. I read the requirement to mean that it must be a charitable org like a non-profit org, and that all 8 hours of service must be to that particular organization - not just any 8 hours, done anywhere. That means service to government (marching in the town parade, for example) or service to your neighbor (raking the lawn for them) are not part of this badge. Part of the point of the badge (IMO) is to help boys identify groups in their community that people can be part of if they want to "make a difference." It isn't that hard to find a plethora of non-profits in most communities that fit the bill.

But, the counselor in question has final say over what s/he will sign off on. If you disagree you might have a quiet conversation with the individual and ask them to help you understand their perspective. Or, if you're the SM, you might guide boys to a different MBC for that badge. Or, if you're in charge of merit badge counselor training, you might find a way to bring it up in that context.

Oooooh... a great training example. Thanks, all

This is always a tough requirement for Scouts to understand it seems. I am not sure why it seems pretty straight forward to me.

Pick an organization, find out about them, if this organization is OK with your parents and your MBC go help them for 8 hours.

As a MBC for this badge I have accepted hours performed to an organization that was done before the Scout checked with me. Only in the case where the Scout did 7a and 7b first. I also explained to the Scout that it was risky to do the service without my approval. Hopefully when he works on future merit badges he will be more careful. I have also had to reject service hours because they were not done after 7a and 7b.(This message has been edited by ASM 411)

This one seems pretty straightfoward for me, as well. The requirement says "volunteer at least eight hours of your time for THE organization" It doesn't say "an" organization, it says "the" organization. "The" organization is cleary the one described in 7a and 7b.

Thanks for all the replies.

What I have heard is what I read it to be.

8 hours of service to THE org that was picked in req. 7.

also, true, once signed by the MBC, it is a done deal.

I will have a quiet chat.

I cannot seem to stress enough, do what the requirement says. If it says for the scout to demonstrate, then they perform the task, not the MBC show them.

I'll throw a wrench into this LOL (not that my son did this)

what if the boy working on this badge say does a couple hours after doing A and B is then not able (for what ever reason) to do more for that organization... then does A and B for another organization and wants to do the rest of his hours with that organization - would you guys that are MBC for this badge then allow him?

IF he called me in advance and explained the problem, and proposed a solution, I'd buy in. If he jumps without calling me, I might well say I won't accept them.

My first inclination would be to say no, that all 8 hours of service need to be done for the same organization.

I was talking with my son about this the other day. He is not yet working on this badge and when he does, it won't be with me. But he's thinking ahead and he was trying to figure out what would or wouldn't count for the service hours, and why. His take was that breaking up the service to various different orgs might be fine - it is all service, after all, who really cares who it is for. My take is that it isn't fine because working at the same place for a more lengthy period of time (8 hours) gives you a better feel for what that organization is really about and what on-going service feels like. An hour or two here and another couple hours there is just drive-by service. Not good enough for this badge, IMO.

I agree, the merit badge requirements have an intent. and the Eagle Required were not made to be easy.

Brings up various other situations, can you get the astronomy merit badge viewing the stars by going to a planetarium? in my eye, sort of like getting the Swimming merit badge without getting in the water.

Various others I have encountered where camps and MBCs shortcut the badge requirements and lose the intent.

My favorite that sort of sits on the line is Snow Sports, where scouts can get this on a astroturf slope without ever seeing snow.