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A lot of these issues are caused by councils not planning MB events far enough out in advance using MB classes / events as profit centers Fixed it for you

You say sadly; however, a multi patrol troop can easily put on a resident/long term camp on its own for a fifth of the cost and get all.of the non MB experience in without the annoyance of being on a campnwide schedule. If OA took the long term camp requirement out the resident camps.in my state would easily lose 25 to 50% of their campers.

National knows that there is a problem. National has some effort going into recruiting subject matter experts and having national level people train them correctly on the MB process. The issue is at the council and district level, and I believe that is because the MBC training is too brief, has no test, never expires, and far too many people are teaching MB and not even registered as an MBC. National could fix this, I would propose a 3 step solution. S1) Update MBC training, apply a test, training expires every 2 years. S2) Tell councils that they cannot restrict the number of MB an MBC can teach, instead tell councils they can only restrict what is considered qualified to be an MBC. S3) Force every district and council committee to have sitting and meeting MB committees.

Have you seen the commercial where things are going haywire and the female says we need someone who knows COBOL and the guy says what's COBOL.? Scouting HQ IT uses this program.

Oa is owned by and for bs camps . A week long stay where housing and meals are provided is not near the starting idea of a week long event with patrol cooking and activites in tents you carried and set up. My first years our troop did its own. My first time going to council camp was for an event i won.

Way to much . I will make it much simpler start with summer camp where they have 100% control.

As others have said, national won't change things because it hurts their bottom line. Heck they encourage. I remember one council in FL was given all kinds of praise in a NAM video on the number of MBs they awarded during COVID. Sadly this is the attitude of too many parents. Summer camp is supposed to be more than MBs. The attitude is why a camp will give Basketry away, when Scouts did 1/2 the requirements. That is why summer camps give away Canoeing to folks who spend 15 minutes on the water every day, and when the Scouts go on a canoe trek with the troop, cannot do basic maneuvers. And I can go on.

It is interesting that the original question I posed had to do with why the media picked up story that basically represents someone outside of scouting doing a good deed, and treated it as special. Meanwhile we have the Slogan that we in theory expect our youth to consider doing, but we seldom discuss the subject. A while back I stepped in early in the meeting and posed the query to the group, asking them to describe how they may have met that concept of the Slogan. The discussion morphed into a real interactive thing. We talked about a good deed, and what it meant. We talked about how large an effect it might have and whether simply holding a door, for example was a good deed, and that counted. They should not consider themselves a failure in regard to the Slogan if it was not extraordinary. It eventually morphed into also talking about how the Motto interacted with the Slogan, and touched on the Law. The larger question that now comes to me is how often do we bypass these kinds of opportunities? Do we so focus on getting the "plan" for the meeting accomplished that we lose opportunities? Maybe we need to not be so fixated on some things, but instead listen for these opportunities and explore with our youth. I just read a FB piece about how we, as adults and too often educators, neuter the curiosity of our youth for various reasons. It discussed at what age the kids stop asking why, and how it is related to our NOT taking the time to find out if we do not, ourselves, know. How, if we change direction and explore it with them, that it may have a much larger impact on them, but we also open ourselves again to curiosity. The article was really leading up to an encyclopedic book on what are the most common "why or what" questions of young kids. But, while it was come on for the book, it also did open my eyes a bit more, even at my age. We may need to step back a bit and reevaluate our approaches, not just in Scouting, but in general. I am 82, and I just realized that I have actually learned something about the larger world, and also have gotten a different perspective on why we may do what we do.

Council and district advancement committees?! Send me to the promised land where these exist, meet, and care about more than eagle packets.

Guide to Advancement, para 7.0.2.3... "It is sometimes reported that Scouts who have received merit badges through group instructional settings have not fulfilled all the requirements. To offer a quality merit badge program, council and district advancement committees should ensure the following are in place for all group instructional events. • A culture is established for merit badge group instructional events that partial completions are acceptable expected results. • A guide or information sheet is distributed in advance of events that promotes the acceptability of partials, explains how merit badges can be finished after events, lists merit badge prerequisites, and provides other helpful information that will establish realistic expectations for the number of merit badges that can be earned at an event. " If only we would follow our own literature

When our council started adding a "fee" for these types of things a majority of our leaders sound off negatively. After poor attendance due to the fee stuff, partly due to units refusing to particpate, they revised the program. They now find sponsors for costs and no scout is charged. Guess what, attendance grew dramatically. The next step then was a group meting of leaders where our concerns were hear, mostly not prepping the prerequisites and working on unit communications. I personally stopped doing counseling for the events, and I told them why, though part was just my age and related issues, it was also getting few follow ups from the partials. Those that came prepared, also tended to follow up and arrange a meeting to finish. And that is how I feel it should shake out. I should note that I did have a few parents and a leader or two that were upset I did not sign the blue cards automatically. But, I also had a couple that were glad I did not.

THAT. IS. IT! (caps for emphasis). One district had an MBU on the same weekend for decades. Well organized, experts for MBCs, etc. However council was not making any money off of it. They created their own, the same exact weekend, but at a much higher price. Original group followed NCAC, and raised costs a bit so the council could make $1/person profit. You think council would be happy? Council cancelled the event one month before it was to occur, and after the registration deadline to their MBU.

A lot of these issues are caused by councils not planning MB events far enough out in advance.

I was never asked back to one MBC because I sent a pre-requisites list, which didn't get sent, and didn't give away MBs. If it is a MBC with council affiliations, no. If it is a museum doing their own thing, doubtful. Sidenote, I ran an Indian Lore MB day as an OA fundraiser/promotions/equipment maker event. Yes, we charged at the time a steep amount, $35 in the early 2000s, but that included craft supplies, and lunch. Folks knew they would not be able to complete the MB in advance, unless they did the prerequisites. And guess what THE SCOUTS HAD FUN (emphasis), new OA chapter got publicity, and we got enough money to get some ceremonial regalia. My point is, if you make it fun, and let Scouts know in advance, they will still come.

At last night's meeting, one of my Scouts proudly presented a counselor-signed blue card for a merit badge. (No leader signature.) He had attended, on short notice, a "merit badge event" at a local museum (where he had to pay a fee) and had been counselor-approved for a badge. When I asked him about the badge, I sprinkled in the questions I always ask... 1. Did you read the requirements for the merit badge? "No" 2. Did you talk with a Troop leader before meeting with the counselor? "No" 3. Did the counselor review the requirements for the merit badge with you before starting? "No" So then, we reviewed the requirements.... one of the requirements was a task that he could not have completed at the event... 4. Did the counselor ask you to bring any work you had completed ahead of time? "No" 5. So how did the counselor see your work for requirement X ?? "He never saw it." (Later, at home, I check the website for this event, and there are no pre-requisites listed.) 6. Oh? Well, did you complete requirement X? "Yes, I did it at home after I got back." Would you show me that work? He does... Good job! 7. But, the counselor gave you a signed and completed blue card without having X done? "Yes" OK, thanks! Hey, let's review the instructions in your Scout Handbook on how to earn a merit badge (page 416). We review together, and I emphasize the appropriate points... I review blue card instructions with him. I show him the statement on the blue card which says "The applicant has personally appeared before me and demonstrated to my satisfaction that all requirements have been met for the..." We talk about the meaning of "Trustworthy" and "Obedient", and whether the counselors actions reflected those values, and what he, the Scout, should do in a case like this. (Let a leader know ) I signed the card and congratulated him on his badge. So, given that, in the past, I have never once gotten feedback on any of the concerns I submitted, once again I submitted Reporting Merit Badge Counseling Concerns. https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-800_WB.pdf Do you think I'll get any constructive feedback on this one?

Sadly You are right. Even my sons complained about folks getting awarded MBs. One Scout was so fed up with this, he almost gave up on Eagle, saying it is meaningless.

It seems to me that you cant be against a focus on advancement when everyone is constantly talking about "famous eagle.scouts" or "being an eagle is an accomplishment" or "making eagle will help you in life". The moment star, life and eagle went from an award that 1st class scouts could earn to ranks it became a goal. BPs original goal of every scout should want to be a 1st class scout turned into every scout should want to be an eagle.