Hedgehog

 

I do have more hope, now, so thank you for all the advice!

You might want to read this to your leaders (paretheticals for explanation): A Scout (Leader) is trustworthy (in that scouts can trust them to do the right thing), loyal (to scouts that are loyal to their troop), helpful (especially to those that need some help), friendly (a friend is there when you need them), courteous (means doing something above and beyond what you have to do), kind (that should speak for itself), obedient (and follow BSA rules), cheerful (that means cheerful in fulfilling the rest of the oath), thrifty (don't waste time being unscout like), brave (do what is right, no matter what people think), clean and reverent (every child is a gift from God).

We've taken a hybrid approach for some outings.  Older guys set out on a backpackng trip on Friday.  Do 4 miles, camp.  Wake up on Saturday, do 4 miles and meet up with younger scouts.  They do 6 miles together and camp.  On Sunday, they do another 4 miles together.  We've done COPE weekends where they guys are together in the morning and the older guys do some more challenging stuff in the afternoon while the younger guys climb on the rock wall.  We did one campout where one group (mostly 7th graders and up) biked 25 miles to and from camp and another group just took cars.

That being said, we've found that you really shouldn't underestimate the younger guys.  They have enthusiasm and want to do adventurous activities.  We don't limit the boys based on age or rank.  We have more adventurous activities and if the boy thinks they can do it, they are welcome to try.  The only time I've had to dissuade a boy is when a recent Webelos crossover was interested in doing a 50 mile backpacking trip (the parents completely understood that this wasn't a good first backpacking trip when I talked to them, but you've got to love the boy's enthusiasm!).  The more you do with the younger guys, the more they can do.

We've got sea kayacking, backpacking, 

I had a Scout earn the National Outdoor award - Camping last night.  

 

 

I've only seen 1 other Scout in this area with the award.  Do your Scouts earn this?  Are they aware of it?

I didn't know about that.  Thanks for posting.  I looked at this with my son and we realized he qualified for Camping and by the end of the summer would be 8 nights away from a gold device.  He is will be one merit badge short of hiking and 100 miles (a 50 miler and then another 50 miles) short of riding.  I think that the National Medal for Outdoor Acheivement would be a great capstone to my son's scouting experience (and a great goal to keep him involved after earning Eagle). The hardest one would be aquatics because he is not a strong enough swimmer to do a mile swim (I couldn't either) -- but maybe that is the challenge that he needs to improve.

My problem is with the "under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America."  That cuts around 10 days of camping and around 50 miles of backpacking / hiking since joining scouts two and a half years ago.  I can work with our Troop to make more opportunities available for the boys to meet the requirements but the under the auspices langage really will hurt the scout in a unit that doesn't have those opportunities but actually engages in the outdoor activities on their own or with their family.

It is interesting that the Camping device requires 25 more days but doesn't restate the "under the auspices" requirement.  The hiking device requirements refer back to "as outined in requirements 2 and 3" which doesn't make sense because those are the merit badge requirements.  Others are similarly vague.  It looks like you can sail for 25 hours in requirement 4 for aquatics outside the auspices of the BSA (he wants to go small boat sailing to practice what he learned in the merit badge program this summer).  Any thoughts on that or am I being too creative in trying to find a way  to do these things outside of our program.

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Bismarck is exactly right. 

I tend to disagree.  Catholic teaching accepts homosexual orientation, but not homosexual acts.  That is why Catholics did not have any issue with the standards for scouts because under Catholic interpretation of "morally straight" no scout should be sexually active (heterosexual or homosexual).

Catholic units can decide which leaders are selected under the local option.  Despite the prognostications of many non-lawyers, a units owned by a Catholic church can bar any person from being a leader based on the group's beliefs.  This goes for an Eagle Scout returning form college who is promiscious, a 20 year old who is living with and engaging in intimate relationships her boyfriend, an 30 year-old adult who is  commiting adultery, a 55 year old alcoholic or a 40 something homosexual who is cohabitating in an intimate way with another male.  This is no different than what it could do for other ministeries of the church such as a youth group, choir or service group.  The BSA (as well as the LGBT activist groups) know that any legal challenge to a church selecting leaders based on its religious beliefs will fail -- that is why the BSA is willing to back up the religious CO's on this issue.  Plus, there are numerous other groups with lots of money that will stand up to defend the religious COs.

The Diocese's decision is merely symbolic.  The decision really doesn't do anything but hurt the scouts.  Had the Diocese kept scouting, it could have provided units that had leaders who reflected Catholic teachings.  Now, if the boys want to do scouting, they will go to another unit which leaders may or may not reflect Catholic teachings or just quit scouting.  

The logic of disassociating with any organization that is inconsistent with Catholic beliefs is myoptic.  Our children are bombarded with messages that are inconsistent with Catholic teaching on a daily basis.  Do we not join a soccer team because it allows homosexuals to be coaches (even though there never has been one), do we not go to public schools where they teach that homosexuality is normal, do we not go to state parks because homosexuals can be admitted?  Do we not stop to help someone who has been beaten up because they are a homosexual?  

We need to teach our children right from wrong and teach them to understand why we believe what we do.  They will encounter people of all different beliefs in life -- from atheists, agnostics, people who think that fornication and drinking are good fun for a Friday night, people that think it is a good idea to steal things just for kicks, people who use drugs to escape their reality, people who are selfish, cruel and mean, etc.  Scouting does that.  The Law and the Oath -- its all there.  

As parents, it is our job to raise our children with the beliefs we think are correct and to raise our childern to reflect those beliefs in their actions.  Scouting helps us do that -- more than any other program out there.  The boys need Scouting more than the Diocese needs to make a symbolic statement.

Most here know that I am not a fan of parent bashing because 9 times out of 10, the problem is with the unit leaders not taking the time to teach the parents the purpose and workings of the program. Of course the 1 out of 10 is usually a real dozy. But some of my harshest critics turned into our most devoted followers because we gave them consistent guidance that they eventually witnessed. I believe that good scout masters spend 50 percent of their efforts with the adults. 

 

Barry

I give the three minute "coffee cup management" talk to all new parents on campouts (regardless of whether they were scouts when they were younger).  Heck, I give the the three minute "advantages of boy-led" talk to any new parents I see at scouting events.  If the leadership models boy-led, the parents will follow.

In our troop the problem I see is where does the role of "Scoutmaster" end and "Parent" begin?

 

For example some Scouts if they are having an issue, run to their Dad. Even though that person is not in charge where they should be going to the ASM or SM.

 

Another, some leaders do spend more time with their son than they do with the other scouts.

 

So when, where, and how do they take off their "Dad" hat and put on their leader hat and vise versa?

Nope. They should be going to their PL or SPL.

 

Dads are there to drive and supervise, that's it. And no "dads", Mr. Smith or Mr. Jones.

Most dads will follow the example of the leaders.  When a boy comes up to me (as an ASM and often the leader in charge of an outing) and I send them to their PL, most dads will do the same (or send them to me and have me send them to their PL).  In our troop, we try to have leaders who are not the dads work with kids when needed.  Most dads realize that their kids learn better (more easily) from other adults.  

The dad hat vs the leader hat is tough.  My rule is that I try to treat my son the same as other scouts.  If anything, I have higher expectations and standards for him because I know what he can do.  We joke about needing "Scout Repellant" around the adult site because our kids tend to keep coming over -- especially when we have good food.   

My solution is to try to treat the other scouts as if they are my son, rather than treating my son as if he is just another scout.

Our boys have decided that nobody can run for SPL or PL unless they have earned the rank of Star.  The SPL selects his ASPL and the ASPL needs to be at least Star.  The PLs select their APLs and the requirement is at least First Class  That pretty much places the age at around 13 for minimum.  However, our elected SPLs have always been patrol leaders before running for SPL.  For the past two years and for next year our SPLs are 10th graders.  I would prefer 11th graders because the SPLs in our troop have their work cut out for them with four patrols of 12 scouts and monthly outings.

So, I guess I wasn't very clear. what I'm wondering is this... You have the left hand box and then the right hand box on where the SM is expected to sign...

 

Would initials in the left hand side be acceptable...

 

An then have the SM review it.

 Similar to others, we don't have adults sign off on T through 1st requiements.  More senior scouts will sign off for the younger scouts.  In our troop, the SM or ASMs only sign off on service hours, scout spirit and SM conference.  

At summer camp, our scouts working toward 1st Class get a sheet showing what was reviewed.  The scouts take that to a Guide, APL, PL ASPL or SPL for sign off.

By the way, it doesn't hurt to check out the math on that half-birthday.

Also, if it was only the BoR requirement delayed for some adult reason (e.g. only held after the moon is in it's 1st quarter) some CCs will backdate the paperwork.

 

Regardless your boy has class (and a nice set of chops after five years in band). Help him live up to his word.

Also, the rank is earned at the Board of Review and not the Court of Honor.  Some Troops wrongly treat it as the CoH date. I know our troop hands out patches at the CoH (three annually) but reflect the rank earned (as it should be) after the BoR.

Coming from a parent of a 12 - soon to be 13 year-old - boy --- please no.  

The younger boys are very different than girls their age -- the drama for boys is internal  (skills, confidence, etc.) where the drama for girls is external (relationships with friends).  Boy Scouting at that age allows a safe place to fail and an encouraging place to suceed.  Between 11 and 13 these boys make a transition from a child to a young adult.  In Scouting, those boys are the center of attention and should be.  The T-1st program gives them a sense of accomplishment from learning skills and the outdoor program gives them a place to practice those skills and be independent.  Having older boys guide younger boys is amazing.  Our Troop has a wonderful dynamic where the older guys include, befriend and mentor the younger guys.  Throw girls in the mix and that dynamic changes dramatically.

The boys only structure allows the boys to both be more mature (in taking responsibility) and more immature (as I refer to the boys as our bunch of oddballs).  How many 9th grade boys would talk openly about having a heat rash on their buttocks or clogging a flush toilet after a day on the trial or almost getting stung while going behind a tree if girls were part of the Troop?  Wait, maybe that isn't such a bad idea...  

There is something special about Scouting remaining "a game for boys under the leadership of boys under the direction of a man.†

LIke @, I get Venturing (and have toyed with starting a Venturing crew) but think that co-ed should remain an option.  

Scout driven to me means you spark the interest via a vis a troop or patrol sponsored event that covers a requirement or two, then leave the boys to follow up with the MBC. Troop classes would be ok. But I'd avoid anything that smells like a rubber stamping MBU.

OK.  I'll buy that and what Tahawk said.  I think what I do is pretty close to being scout-driven.

The merit badge session that I do isn't required... I announce that I will be doing it and any scouts that are interested need to get a blue card and sign up with me.  I limit it to 8 scouts.  The one-day session is "active" "hands-on" and in a "small group" setting.  Although our discussions are done as a group (but each boy discusses each topic as part of the group), all demonstrations are individual.  There is some instructional teaching - how to use a cooking knife to cut, examples of foods for backpacking/ freezer bag cooking, dehydrating basics, etc.  Most of that stuff isn't a merit badge requirement but nonetheless, the teaching is interactive.  The boys have to do some research ahead of time to prepare -- finding recipies, preparing shopping lists and preparing for the discussions and have some follow-up work to do afterwards (home menu, shopping list and cooking; trail menu, shopping list and cooking; careers in cooking).  They then have to prepare all their documents and schedule a meeting with me to wrap up the merit badge.

I suppose that the merit badge could be done on-on-one (with a buddy), but that would drive me (the counselor) absolutely crazy because I'd have to spend around three hours per scout going throught the explanations and discussions.  So that would mean 24 hours instead of 8 for the one-day.  In that case, they would have to do the cooking on campouts which would compete with the guys trying to get the T-1st requirements and which would mean that I couldn't guide them and encourage them to push their limits (the adults are hands-off and in the next campsite when it comes to patrol cooking).

Like all else in scouting, there are trade-offs but I think that for our troop (over 50 boys) the way we do it works better than summer camp (where our camp discourages doing the badge) or the one-on-one method where the scouts use the BSA merit badge pamphlet and a preprinted worksheet.

For me this is an MB that should be scout-driven rather than done at camp or by the troop. 

According to BSA (and for generations) ALL Merit Badges are supposed to be Scout-driven.

What does "scout-driven" actually mean?  

If you go through the requirements, they determine what needs to be done.  For example, there are things that the scout must "explain", "describe", "discuss" or "show" to their counselor and requirements that a scout must "do".  The scout is supposed to do those, not the counselor (who presumably knows all that already).  Those requirements cannot be changed (i.e. "listen" to an explanation or "watch" a demonstration).

That being said, how is having an organized structure to complete the requirements at camp or through a troop a bad thing?

In scouting, asking everyone is asking nobody.  I remember at a Readyman training, one of the trainers told the boys not to say "someone call 911" but  to designate a specific person -- "you in the blue shirt, call 911."  Find a specific person and ask them to handle a specific role.  

Don't make the role see like it is HUGE, but explain what is entailed.  For Treasurer, "you just have to cut the checks for events and make the deposits of the annual dues and popcorn money."  That seems a lot easier than, "you have to be responsible for all the money."  Popcorn Chair is just passing out the order forms, coordinating the show and sell (or recruiting one parent to do just that), aggregating the orders and placing the order.  Find someone else to coordinate the pick up and distribution.  One parent can pick up the awards at the Scout Shop.  Everyone can do something so that someone doesn't have to do everything.

In our pack, the model for running Dens is that EACH parent ran a den meeting.  The Den leaders sat down at the beginning of the year with thei parents for their den, a handbook and a calendar.  Every parent knows or can learn one thing.  The Den leader did the opening and closing and coordinated the parents.  Nobody has time to run a year's worth of programing but anyone can run a single meeting.  Ask one person in each Den to coordinate the parents and to run the beginning flag ceremony -- that is a Den leader.  Don't buy into any excuses -- you do not need to have been a scout to be a Den Leader or even Cubmaster -- you just have to like providing an opportunity for the boys to have fun.  If you ask someone to fulfill a certain role and they have an excuse, just start explaining the ohter roles that are out there.

For Pack meeting, have a parent take the lead for each meeting.  Is there a parent who is involved with a charity who wants to coordinate a meeting where the Cubs do a good turn?  Is there a parent that loves model rockets?  We had each Den responsible for the food at a meeting (Bears did fall campout, Webelos 1 did Pancake Breakfast, Wolves organized the Pinewood Derby snack bar, Webelos 2 did Blue and Gold and Tigers did end of year campout.  

Many hands make light work.

Its funny, we had one scout this summer take the 4 C's (citizenship in world, nation, community and communications) at camp and he loved it more than if he had done any "outdoor" merit badges.  That is just his personality.

We do counsel the boys to take fun merit badges and not to overload themselves.  We discourage taking badges that they will partial due to having requirements that can't be done either before or during camp such as Camping, Backpacking, Hiking, etc.

I have the same concerns as a lot of you, but the program seems to be pretty well run.  

The highlight or me was that one of the counselors in training came to our campstie to hang out on Thursday night and ended up coaching one of the scouts on how to weave the seat of his stool for his basketry merit badge class.  This boy would have partialed the class without the help.  I watched from a far as the counselor would show the scout how to do something, undo what he did and then have the scout do it.

Nonetheless, I love to retest my son... don't get me wrong - he earned the badge-- but I want to see if he actually learned something.   The best part is that it requires us to go sailing and horseback riding to really see what he learned. He typically really does learn the stuff -- allbeit at a basic level.  But I guess that is what MBs are about -- getting introduced to a topic.  The good news is that he typically wants to learn more and become proficient.

ok so there is pretty good agreement here that this

http://www.big5sportinggoods.com/store/details/Camp%20Chef+Explorer-Two-Burner-Propane-Stove/0730122136000/_/A-2436707?#.VbSFmGxRE5t

is NOT a lightweight stove?? Right? 

 

***

Personally I like a two burner coleman stove, and it is the most likely stove that someone will grow up and use on family camping trips, so it's sort of like a life skill to know how to use one of those type popular camp stoves

I do agree those aren't lightweight (unless compared to a household stove top and oven).  However, I would consider it lightweight for the merit bage if there wasn't an alternative because the skills are transferrable.  I actually find that those stoves are more difficult to cook with than the Coleman two burners because you don't have a lot of control at lower temperatures.  We use a lot of cast iron (griddles and frying pans) and you need to be able to use lower temperatures to avoid burning food.

And yes, the two burner Coleman stoves are exactly what most people will use for family camping.  Unless you are me, and then you use this: http://www.coleman.com/Product/2000020937#.VbTHJ3h3uT8.  

Yeah I've looked into this a bit.

Ziplock bags are safe to heat food in the microwave[according to manufacturer] which seems to mean they don't leach deadly chemicals if heated to extreme temps [in a microwave]. 

If so, then logically I will assume they are also not going to leach deadly chemicals heated to extreme temps in a pot of boiling water. 

 

The highest risk seems to be the danger of the bag melting and pouring hot food on your foot. Doing at test at home when cub scouts were contemplating ziplock omlet cooking, I did discover that the key is to use the larger gallon size freezer bags and securing the bags in the center of a large enough pot that they can't touch the bottom or sides lowers failure rate considerably.

 

I came to the conclusion that for most normal scouters or scouts the number of ziplock omlets or other boil in bag food items eaten in their lifetime is not a huge enough amount to significantly raise health risk. AND adding the cheese to the bags with the eggs meant cub scouts had trouble telling if their eggs were done since they always added soooooo much cheese. easier to add the cheese after they were sure the eggs were cooked or mostly cooked.

I couldn't open the links Stosh posted, but here is another one:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/microwaving-food-in-plastic-dangerous-or-not

I've used regular Ziploc bags in the microwave and they have melted due to the food temperature.  The freezer bags don't seem to melt under similar conditions.

The other problem with the egg in a bag for me is that the liquid doesn't evaporate.  I've found that the idea is great and it is fun to try, but I don't see it as spmething I would do regularly.  For one person, this is the best investment in backpacking gear: http://www.amazon.com/T-fal-A85700-Specialty-Nonstick-4-75-Inch/dp/B000GWG14Q.  If you are ultralight, you can take off half of the handle.

Again, I want to stress that freezer bag cooking doesn't involve boiling the bag.  You just pour hot water (to me it is when you start to see tiny bubbles rise to the top) -- not boiling water --  into the bag (which is in a cozy).  

Oh I have a question,

For cooking mb 6c says they need to cook 2 meals on a lightweight stove or low impact fire.

 

How do you define lightweight stove?

 

 

***

 

But that the primary stove used (first link) is definitely NOT lightweight,

cause it takes two scouts to carry it plus the propane canister.

Even though our guys use the second one, I don't have a problem with the first one as a lightweight stove.  Really, the skills used are pretty much the same on either the one you use of the Coleman-type stove.  I've used the single buner propane type stoves (when I've been camping in the Caribean and you can't transport or buy Isobutane) and I would consider that to be between a lightweight and a backpacking stove.

Boiling in freezer bags are a bad idea, only use boil safe bags.

Interesting blog post.  First, I've been unable to find any other source for the warning other than an often quoted but impossible to find University of Illinois press release.  Second,  a University wouldn't issue a press release without referencing a study or quoting a faculty member.  Third, the press release is gramatically incorrect "There is still question about cancer causing breakdown of plastics and their contact with food during cooking" and very poorly written.  Fourth, the press release doesn't even identify what carcinogenic compounds could be released like dioxin (which chemically can't be leached from plastic despite what rumors say) or BPA/EA (which isn't a carcinogen but an endocrine disruptor).  That caused me to question the veracity of the claims in the alleged press release.

From the research I've done on the internet (which is anything but conclusive) it is unlikely that any dangerous chemicals can leach from food-grade low-density polyethylene.  http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400527/Plastic-Steaming-Bag-Danger.html and http://www.trailcooking.com/trail-cooking-101/freezer-bags-safe/ and http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps1609/www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/602_plastic.html  But everyone has to draw their own conclusions.

I tried the omlette in a bag thing with a regular Ziploc bag and it was a complete failure because the bag hit the sides of the pot and melted.  With that experience, I wouldn't ever put anything in a Ziploc bag and boil it because it isn't practical.  

HOWEVER, freezer bag cooking doesn't require boiling the bag or even putting boiling water in the bag.  The water that goes in should be between 160 degrees and 180 degrees to rehydrate the food (below the "softening" point referenced in the article, whatever that is).  About the same as you would do to make hot chocolate or instant coffee in your BSA mug with the plastic insert (which probably has the same "softening" point).  For me it works, everyone needs to reach their own conclusions.

The trail cooking requirement bothers me. Most treks these days are "boil-n-eat" affairs. Other than hygiene and bear protocol (which I don't' recall seeing the latter in the requirements) what else is there to go over cooking-wise that differes from the patrol or family-based requirements? I'd like to see more about obtaining fresh ingredients or options in meal planning for treks (I.e., how to resupply, trail angels, water purification, etc.).

Check out the website trailcooking.com.  There are recipies there for one pot meals and freezer bag cooking (make your own boil and eat meals).  I teach the boys about the options beyond boil and eat such as:  1) Instant Polenta; 2) Instant Couscous; 3) Instant Potatoes; 4) salami and pepperoni; 5) hard cheeses; 6) dehydrated eggs cooked using a One Egg Wonder (my son and I typically have a made from scratch egg, sausage and cheese tortilla); 7) foil packaged tuna and chicken; 8) dehydrated ground beef (I make my own which allows a bunch of variations on sloppy joes, meatball sandwiches and hamburgers); 9) soups (including Ramen); 10) canned chicken and turkey (how about a trail turkey dinner with turkey, gravy, stuffing and potatoes?); 11) quick cook pasta (3 minutes); 12) Kraft Maccaroni and Cheese (what kid would refuse that while backpacking?); 13) pancakes cooked using the One Egg Wonder (I love the Flapjack protein pancakes); 14) blueberry muffins or cupcakes (see trailcooking website for faux baking); and more.  Not to mention having the boys make their own jerky and trail mix.

I also show the boys about ready to eat items.  I love to take Tastycake Pies, Little Debbie Honey Buns, biscotti and prepackaged chocolate cupcakes.  

There also is the ability to do what I call "first night" meals.  You don't mind having a little extra weight for the first night.  If you will be in a campsite that has a fire ring or you have a backpacking grill (or in my case an old toster oven rack) you can do steak, italian sausages or anything else you desire grilled over a fire.  OK, now I'm officially hungry.

Planning menus and preparing meals should be part of the routine for every troop or patrol who camps monthly.

 

Our problem is that the patrol cooking on campouts is typically done to complete the T-1 cooking requirements.  We have around 8 new boys a year, with around 10 outing a year.  Three of the outings are not patrol based (i.e. backpacking, canoeing, etc.).  One outing we do Troop cooking (due to logistics of transporting gear and space issues preventing he patrols from cooking independently).  One of the outings is typically a one day activity.  So that is 5 outings with 2 patrols.  That gives us around 10 slots for cooking.  I suspect next year we will be running three patrols for outings, so that would give us 5 more slots.

My sense is that doing the one day session has actually made a difference is how the troop cooks.  The older scouts that hand done the session have really taken to it and now mentor and teach the younger scouts when they are doing the T-1 requireents -- merely out of self interest because they want to eat better on campouts!

That being said, even with focusing the skill part of 2 troop meetings and a whole campout, the boys still had to do cooking at home and on the trail.  My younger son was on that campout but still has the backpacking cooking left.

The trail cooking part is difficult.  We didnt have a backpacking trip in the Fall and our Spring trip was cancelled because it was going to be 15 degrees at the end of March.  My son completed it by cooking for me on an AT backpacking trip we took by ourselves (seriousy, it doesnt get better than backpacking and having your son cook for you).  A couple of guys cooked on 6 to 8 mile hikes but I think that most are still waiting on that for a multi-day backpacking trek.  I think that an outdoor program needs at least two backpacking trips during the school year and another summer adventure (backing, canoing, etc..)  I give credit for prior backpacking trips if they write up the menus.

The cooking at home is pretty easy -- especially since I tell the parents that their sons have to cook for them for an entire day and they get to critique the food.  I also tell the parents not to let their kids get away with cereal, sandwiches and hot dogs but to encourage them to cook something more complicated.

just spend time being enough of a bloke to get the unadulterated version of their lives so that I can be well-positioned to give counseling that is relevant/personal and meaningful without being preachy.

 

Honestly, the trust that results from that makes you more of a leader than those with the titles.

The forums tend to be filled with lots of posts of people complaining that scouting is not what it used to be or what it should be or what it could be.  I agree that the program isn't perfect and I see many differences from reading scout book for when my dad was a scout in the 1940s (how many scout books today would teach boys how to fight with sticks -- not that they ever needed teaching).

So my question is what can you do or what do you do to make your program better?  Tip O'Neal said that all politics is local.  My sense is that all scouting is local.  So what do you do in your troop to make scouting better?  Hopefully the answers will inspire, guide and provide ideas.

Here are some of the things that I do:

I'm a merit badge counselor for cooking, personal management, family life, citizenship in the nation, backpacking, camping, cooking and chess.  I take these seriously and follow the requriements and make sure that the boys actually learn what is required.

I"m an ASM and go on most campouts and do my best to encourage the boys to lead in the outdoors (as well as make sure other parents let the boys lead).

I like to play with knives and fire, and encourage the boys to do so at every (appropriate) opportunity while outdoors.

I spend one or two full days a year teaching the boys how to really cook in the outdoors as part of the cooking merit badge.

I give one or two lectures a year on how to choose gear for lightweight backpacking.

I work with the boys to plan exciting adventures such as camping trips, hikes, canoing trips and backpacking trips.  Putting the outing in Scouting is good, but making the outing really cool is even better.

I work with the parents so they understand boy-led and what scouting can do for their sons by talking about how boys grow through scouting.

I talk to boys about how they are doing, ask them if they are having fun, check to see if they are advancing and give them a high five for any job well done.

I talk to the boys and I listen.

I treat each boy as if they are the most important kid in our Troop.  

How about you?

The more I look into requirements of what my son has supposedly accomplished, as well as what a counselor has told him is "all" he needs to do to earn a badge, I see the pencil whipping going on.  What is my son supposed to do about it?

 

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 The boys- or at least the ones I've seen are not begging to have the requirements watered down.  I think in many cases they don't even know what the requirements are, just do what the counselor says, and rejoice when the card is signed.  The adult has the power to not sign.  Why are they doing it, if the badge wasn't earned?

Ask him a question, "What do you think you need to do for this requirement?"  If he says that, "The Counselor said that..." remind him that the question is what HE thinks, not he counselor.  Chances are, if he is a typical 12 year old, he will read the requirement verbatim.  Then ask him "Can you tell me what you did to fulfil that requirement?"  And then follow up with "Do you think that is enough?" If he says that, "The Counselor said that..." remind him that the question is what HE thinks, not he counselor.  If the answer is no, then ask him what else he needs to do to feel that he has done what is required.  

With any luck, he will have learned some important lessons -- you have to think for yourself and make decisions for yourself about what is right.  Maybe he will eve realize that then knowledge is more important then the badge.

To answer your second question, the adults don't understand the program.  The whole idea of a merit badge "class" is wrong.  It is not about teaching but about learning and doing.  The adults assume that if they teach it that is enough.  It isn't.

I run a Cooking Merit Badge program for our toop.  We start off with an hour meeting where the boys plan the menus that they will be cooking in the outdoors.  I do the shopping for them based on their food lists (this saves money because I can combine the lists (so you don't have 4 pounds of butter when each group only needs a 1/4 pound) and can use spices and other ingredents from my pantry at home).

The class is 8 boys where they are paired up into 4 groups.  Then we meet in my backyard on a weekend day at 8:00.  The start out by washing their hands.  Then we prepare a dutch oven full of monkey break. I then teach them how to cut with the various cooking knives and then they chop ham, cheese, onions and peppers.  By the time the monkey bread is ready, they have  made egg omlettes and fried up some bacon.  We then eat and clean up.

We then spend some time going over first aid, foodborne illnesses, safe food handling and food allergies (Requirement 1).  The boys then cut up some potatoes, start a fire, grill some sausages over the open flames and deep fry the potatoes in a dutch oven.  We eat and clean-up.

We then talk about healty eating habits (Requirement 2) and then about cooking methods (Requirement 4).  We talk about backpacking food and make some beef jerky.

That takes us to around 3:00.  The boys then begin cooking dinner and dessert.  Each pair of boys cooks a full meal and dessert both using a Dutch Oven.  In the past they have cooked braised short ribs over polenta, beef lasagna, BBQ spare ribs with apple sauce, cole slaw and corn bread; chicken cacciatore over pasta and beef stew over noodles.  The desserts have included a chocolate cake (not a dump cake, but one baked in a cake pan), chocolate brownies, choccolate chip cheesecake, peach blueberry cobbler and an apple pie.

The boys' parents join us for dinner and we award the Cast Iron Chef honor to the pair that got the best results.  The boys clean up and we call it a day.

We then have one more hour long meeting where we discuss food labels and careers (Requirements 3 and 8).

The boys then have to make their menus, pepare their shopping lists and cook the meals at home and then on a trial hike or backpacking trip (Requirements 5 and 7).  I accept prior cooking on backpacking trips as long as the write up the menu and shopping list. 

So, it probably takes 1 hour ahead of time, 9 hours on the weekend, 1 hour follow up and then the work to do at home and on the trail.

I have thought about designing a program for our summer camp for next summer.  There would have to be an hour a day session for the coursework and then a morning, afternoon and evening session for the outdoor meals in lieu of the dining hall and then two trail hikes for a breakfast and lunch on the trail  

My first reaction is that delivering the bags sounds boring.  It also sounds like a project that is easy for a parent or scout to skip because they think that you probably don't need a lot of people.

We have a great turnout for service projects and our boys typically triple the service hours required for advancement.  The guys love it when they get to really do something as part of the older scouts' Eagle projects.  They enjoy working as a team and seeing the end result.  We do service projects on campouts where the boys work as a team with the older boys leading and where they get to see the finished product.  Add hammers, saws and drills and you've got a line of boys wanting to help.  The goal is to have them say, "that was hard work, but it was fun."