1 year to complete merit badges

[ddhanso]

Hi, how do other troops handle the 1 yr. rule for merit badges? The reason I am asking is I have a life scout who has completed his eagle project and has now completed all his merit badge requirements but 2 of the eagle required has taken much more than a year to complete. I would like to hear your comments before I say what I'm thinking of doing....

Thanks Dave

[SWScouter]

Dave,

 

There is no time limit for a scout to complete a MB. He just needs to complete it before he turns 18.

 

SWScouter

[evmori]

What one year rule?

[ddhanso]

Guys, thanks much. Our committee chair (who has been involved with scouting many years) is the person who told me 4 years ago when my son joined that merit badges need to be completed in one year. Other ASM's have said the same thing. I will discuss this at our next committee meeting.

Thanks Dave

[OldGreyEagle]

to verify check the following link,

 

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/supplemental/18-125/index.html

 

 

it should take you to a web page on the National Council website that indicates the following:

 

 

* There is no time limit for completion of merit badges, but all work on merit badges must be completed before the Scout's 18th birthday.

 

 

To those who think this is rule spouting, I do not apologize, a question was asked and answered(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[Trevorum]

Dave,

 

The fellows above are right of course.

 

But citing chapter and verse to a stogy committee may or may not do any good, if they have "always done it this way". I've heard of cases where unit advancement committees have dug in their heels and effectively said "my way or the highway" to a scout. So, my advice is to be prepared to consult with your district advancement chair and/or find a new unit that does not add to the requirements. Good luck!

 

-trevorum

[CNYScouter]

You didnt say this but I am assuming the MBC is an In-Troop counselors and perhaps a Committee Member/ASM?

 

If not just have the Scout get a new card (with a new date) from the SM and have the MBC sign the new one when he completes the badge.

 

Can you get a list of MBCs from the District Advancement Chair and have the Scout use one of these?

If the District doesnt keep a list how about contacting another troop and seeing the person they use for the MBC will work on it with the Scout.

 

If the Scout kept all of the work from the requirements he already did and has the outdated old blue card (and explains the situation) this new MBC should have no problem in working them to finish the badge.

 

Along with the no time limit for completion of merit badges, except of the 18th birthday, a SM/Troop Committee has no say if a Scout passed an MB or not.

 

If the Scout has a blue card signed by the SM and a MBC he has the Merit Badge.

 

[Beavah]

Yah, there's no time limit from da BSA, ddhanso. Some troops will use a time limit as a way of encouraging boys to finish. That's a goal worth honoring. For long-term badges, a lot of review may be required anyway, in order to meet the BSA's expectations. A badge has to reflect what the boy is able to do, not what he has done.

 

But you've got the right approach, eh? Ask your SM or CC. I'd do it in a friendly way outside of a meeting, at least to start. CNY's suggestion may be the simplest if there's an issue; just get a new card to have the counselor sign, since the boy can do all the requirements, eh?

 

I wouldn't recommend consult with your district advancement chair and/or find a new unit. There's easier and friendlier ways to proceed.

 

Let us know if we can help further.

 

 

[packsaddle]

I agree with Beavah. You are embarking on a 'reeducation' process. Chances are, if your district is like mine, the advancement chair is unlikely to be helpful anyway.

In our immediate vicinity there are several other troops that have been around for a long time. Every one of them has some troop-imposed time limit, down to 6 months for one of them. When this unit took on its new life a few years ago, with a new SM and everything else, I took the opportunity (WITH THE HELP OF MANY PERSONS ON THIS FORUM) to make sure the SM realized what the official regs are and not the local options. It worked and we actually picked up a few older scouts who had become discouraged in those other troops. Good Luck.

[FScouter]

"Some troops will use a time limit as a way of encouraging boys to finish. That's a goal worth honoring."

 

Encouraging boys to finish is certainly honorable. Writing up an (unauthorized) rule may have the unintended result of teaching boys to wait until the last minute, or quit the effort. Maybe there's a better way to teach boys to finish what they've started?

[Beavah]

Encouraging boys to finish is certainly honorable. Writing up an (unauthorized) rule may have the unintended result of teaching boys to wait until the last minute, or quit the effort. Maybe there's a better way to teach boys to finish what they've started?

 

Could well be, FScouter. I've never "gotten" the one year rule myself. To help "push" kids to finish things like summer camp partials, yeh need a much shorter deadline.

 

Maybe the one year rule is a courtesy to the MBC, so he/she doesn't have a lad go AWOL for a long stretch, but instead keeps him movin'. Easier to get MBC's when there's a finite commitment. Might also be to protect the scout in some areas. Our district MBC's are pretty stable, but I've seen districts where there are a lot of changes each year. Can be rough on a boy and a counselor to switch mid-badge.

 

Don't know. Easiest to just go to the SM and ask the easiest way to handle it to move the lad along with minimal fuss. We want to see another Eagle soon, eh? Just lost a good one this week. Need a replacement.

 

[Trevorum]

Preparing for his ECoH, my son and I were reviewing his Scouting history. I was trying to gently plant the notion of palms and I asked how many partials he still had outstanding. He told me he has four, including one from his first summer camp, five years ago. Somehow, I'm skeptical that the paperwork still exists for that one ...

 

[yelruh]

My son also has several unfinished MB's, including one from the first year he was in scouts. Since he's 17 that was a while ago! He actually is in the process of finishing that one up. He didn't finish one requirement to the MBC's satisfaction, so he wouldn't sign off. The MBC wanted something in writing, verses spoken like the requirements said. Unfortunately our son has some minor learning disabilities related to writing..... so that didn't work.

 

He's spoken to another MBC and they just have to find a time that works for both of them. It only should take 10 minutes, because the 2nd MBC knows the first, and was actually there the week at Science Camp when our son was working on this. He's very happy to do it verbally. Since model building it's not something where he will have lost skills or knowledge.

 

My son wants to get it so that he'll have even rows

[scottteng]

The other thing that is a good idea is to save a copy of the requirements you are working on as national seems to alter requirements quite regularly including renumbering. For example my son and several others in his troop are working on camping merit badge for over a year and the requirements that they are working are considerably different than the new ones. Having a copy of the requirements especially when going to a new mb counselor would be in everyones best interest. Not every mb counselor has been around forever and knows the changes made.

[epalmer84]

As noted, the only time limit is when the Scout ages out at 18. Our policy is to provide a gentle reminder for 6 months after submitting any partials, then it is entirely up to the Scout and the counselor. After summer camp, we go through the mess of partials and do up a list of Scouts and the needed requirements. This gets posted on the board through December.

 

Ed