I have witnessed too many abuses of scouting requirements to enumerate them all in a headlong rush to rank advancements. It's apparent that a unit's "Scouting Culture" can easily be focused in an unhealthy lopsided way upon reaching Eagle Rank. If the culture of the unit is "Advancement at any cost," then it will take a very patient and diligent effort to change it around. Perhaps you really want to help change that culture in which case you'd better be ready for a long slog. Maybe you're just interested in providing an "honest" and balanced experience for your boys in which case switching units would be the most direct path.
I'm a district advancement committee member and unit commissioner. I've been a scouter since the early 80s and have seen very few if any group Merit Badge situations that did not involve serious corner cutting and ignoring of requirements. For example, two summers ago I was the Nature MB counselor for an area week-long scout camp. My first meeting with the boys had 20 to 30 participants who had signed up. As it became clear that I expected the boys to actually do each requirement the numbers dropped. They went for the easy classes instead. I believe I ended up giving about 2 partials in the entire week. Individual testing is always a challenge in these settings. I watched how the local EMTs "taught" the First Aid MB: conducted about 3 sessions of sitting in a pavilion telling first aid stuff at the end of which all the boys were signed off whether they'd ever done or answered anything at all! I also taught Pioneering at a camp. Out of the 30 or so boys who attended sessions and learned various parts I have signed exactly one boy's blue card as done and given several partials. One boy has returned to follow up on the partial but has not returned with the completed model. These numbers contrast starkly with the troops where MBs are taught in the group and the entire troop earns the badge though no careful individual record is kept. I think Baden Powell must roll over in his grave each time these misguided events occur.
Merit Badge classes at scout meetings?
in Open Discussion - Program
Posted
I have witnessed too many abuses of scouting requirements to enumerate them all in a headlong rush to rank advancements. It's apparent that a unit's "Scouting Culture" can easily be focused in an unhealthy lopsided way upon reaching Eagle Rank. If the culture of the unit is "Advancement at any cost," then it will take a very patient and diligent effort to change it around. Perhaps you really want to help change that culture in which case you'd better be ready for a long slog. Maybe you're just interested in providing an "honest" and balanced experience for your boys in which case switching units would be the most direct path.
I'm a district advancement committee member and unit commissioner. I've been a scouter since the early 80s and have seen very few if any group Merit Badge situations that did not involve serious corner cutting and ignoring of requirements. For example, two summers ago I was the Nature MB counselor for an area week-long scout camp. My first meeting with the boys had 20 to 30 participants who had signed up. As it became clear that I expected the boys to actually do each requirement the numbers dropped. They went for the easy classes instead. I believe I ended up giving about 2 partials in the entire week. Individual testing is always a challenge in these settings. I watched how the local EMTs "taught" the First Aid MB: conducted about 3 sessions of sitting in a pavilion telling first aid stuff at the end of which all the boys were signed off whether they'd ever done or answered anything at all! I also taught Pioneering at a camp. Out of the 30 or so boys who attended sessions and learned various parts I have signed exactly one boy's blue card as done and given several partials. One boy has returned to follow up on the partial but has not returned with the completed model. These numbers contrast starkly with the troops where MBs are taught in the group and the entire troop earns the badge though no careful individual record is kept. I think Baden Powell must roll over in his grave each time these misguided events occur.