New twist on "contacting a Merit Badge counselor"

[ManassasEagle 10]

This month my Webelos-II's are visiting troop meetings in the area. The troop we visited last week said, and I quote, "the boys are responsible for deciding what Merit Badge they want to earn. That is, if a boy wants to work on a particular Merit Badge, he must let the Scoutmaster know. It is then the Scoutmaster's responsibility to find a counselor for that badge and schedule a time when the counselor can come to a Troop Meeting and teach a class on that badge". I don't think I've ever heard of things done quite that way

[jr56 92]

People have been flamed on this forum for suggesting teaching of merit badges at scout meetings. Ideally the boy and his buddy should meet with the counselor.

[SR540Beaver 116]

Sad to say, I'm sure it happens more than it should. You were good thru the first half of the statement. Once the SM gives the boy a MBC name, it is up to the boy to contact the MBC and set things up. We have just transferred to a new troop. It is a good sized tropp with very active adults volunteers. Many leaders and parents are MBC's. There are some MB's such as Personal Manangement that are taught to multiple boys on a schedule. It is anounced that Mr. So and So will be holding this MB class from this date to this date if you want to sign up. However, the class is on a different night than troop meetings and is scheduled so it does not interfere with any other scouting activities. There seems to be too many troops who just don't know how to deliver the program and end up teaching MB's instead.

[scoutingagain 20]

Personally I think the whole concept of MBs has been perverted. They were intended for a boy to have an opportunity to work one-on-one with an adult counselor who had a particular expertise or interest in a given area. However, now with the G2SS, (and I don't think those should be abandoned) MBs are almost always taught in a classroom or group type setting, whether it's at a summer camp, a MB University, Troop Meeting or group meeting outside the Troop. Unfortunately this has largely taken away the individual initiative to set up a meeting with a counselor. Of the last few Eagle BORs I've sat in on, of over 80 MBs earned, none were earned by any of the scouts outside a group setting.

 

Personally, if there is going to be a MB class, I don't think it matters too much if it's part of a Troop meeting or a separate meeting as long as it doesn't take over a Troop meeting. For us it is not uncommon during a period of a Troop meeting for groups of scouts to meet for a short period with an MB counselor to review progress, "discuss, show or demonstrate" a particular requirement, or set up an outside meeting. We no longer have one big MB class for most of the meeting, which was a previous practice.

 

I'm not really sure what the anwer is, but the MB process today is far different than what was initially intended.

 

SA

[EagleInKY 14]

Good observation SA.

[anarchist 10]

Manassas Eagle

 

can you say "merit badge mill"

 

Bull Run District has "better" troops than that keep looking!

I frequently took my son to meet councelors at the library or at at Mcdonalds... or two scouts to the counselors home...heck, once I even waited at the mans home (playing pool and losing to the guys ten year old daughter)while he ran through his program with number one son...

 

We routinely find two or three M.B. counselor names for our scouts to call for their merit badges...sometimes even in Manassas...and I can recall only once bringing a counselor to our troop meeting in nine years...look hard and long at that troop...and check out a few more!

 

(probably run by a bunch of yankees)

Anarchist

in the Commonwealth(This message has been edited by anarchist)

[ManassasEagle 10]

Oh, believe you me, I know there are "better" troops around us. This particular one was troop visit #2 of our "Four Troops in Four Weeks" whirlwind tour.

 

I pretty much knew what to expect from this one, I was just kind of surprised to hear it stated so bluntly (and with pride even). I also had not said anything to the boys or the parents so as not to bias them beforehand. When I asked my boy "so, how did you like this one" he said "not at all, and neither did any of the other guys". He was surprised when I told him that's about what I expected.

 

Anyways, it seems like the boys and parents "get it" which is a good thing. Wish us luck on troop visit #3 that's coming up this Wednesday.

[anarchist 10]

ManassasEagle,

 

Glad your boys saw through the smoke and mirrors! Tell them to keep those eyes open and scouting will be a great lot of fun...and a life long run of memories and activities...

good luck on three and four! The merit badge "system" doesn't have to be "broke" if we parents and adult leaders will make just a little more effort...it might be a bit different but it does not have to be "group think and group speak"...it can be very close to one on one...with effort!

 

heading just a little south of the junction...

anarchist(This message has been edited by anarchist)

[ScoutingEMT 10]

I heard of an intresting concept run by a local troop.... a "merit badge morning" held over 6 saturday mornings in January and Febuary.... they offer about 15-20 badges, with each scout being able to do 3 MB's (3 sessions of class eack Sat. Morning over 7 weeks)

 

It seemed like a neat way for a troop with a large number of boys and involved adults to present badges, and a way to present some "oddball" badges that some scouts might not have thought about.

 

I'm also involved in a Council project for a summer "science camp" that offers some "oddball" badges to scouts as a summer camp program.

 

Jon