earning Merit Badges

[queenj]

Just to be sure - can my son start earning merit badges now? I know it is not a requirement until the upper ranks. Shouldn't he start with the Eagle-required ones?

[orennoah]

There is no minimum age or rank requirement to begin working on a merit badge.

 

Your son should start working on the merit badge that (a) interests him and (b) is approved by his Scoutmaster.

 

You should start by learning about the "blue card" system and how it is used in your son's Troop.

[Lisabob]

Hi queenj,

 

It sounds like your son just recently became a boy scout, is that right? If so, yes by all means, he can start earning merit badges. Don't force the issue if he isn't interested though, and don't worry about him starting with the Eagle-required MBs. He has several years as a boy scout ahead of him. Also, there's a point (Star & Life rank) where he has to earn some Eagle-required MBs in order to advance further. So it is built into the system - not like he'll get to almost-Eagle and have none of the badges done yet.

 

Part of the purpose of the MBs is to give kids a chance to try new activities and develop new skills. Maybe he'll like an MB so much that it will become a lifelong hobby for him, or possibly even a career track. (Conversely, my son found he disliked one of the MBs he thought would be "cool" and decided that this was *not* what he wanted to do for a living! Also a valuable lesson.)

 

Another purpose, at least in my view, of the MBs is to encourage kids by recognizing their efforts in a different way than rank advancement. They sure feel great when they are awarded their first MB patch!

 

Finally, some MBs are harder than others for young scouts, either because they're not physically ready or because they're not mature enough. Some probably are pitched toward a high school curriculum and could be pretty challenging intellectually for a 10 or 11 year old 5th grader, unless they're deeply interested in the topic already (ex: Environmental Science MB might go well with a high school biology class). I'd say several of the Eagle-required badges are among these. If he is interested, that's one thing, but if you push him into these, he may have a bad experience with them as a new scout. Most new scouts tend to focus on the somewhat simpler badges to earn and have fun doing it, setting them up for working on increasingly difficult badges down the road.

 

So let the MB experience be a positive one for him - let him decide when he's ready to work on them, and which ones he is interested in. As he advances he can work on those Eagle-required badges when he is ready, too. He'll figure out the system pretty quickly once he sees how the other guys in the troop do things too.

 

 

[jackmessick]

Your son should probably start with merit badges that are either

-already an interest of his (such as coin collecting or snow sports or leatherwork)

-an interest of yours that he kind of likes (maybe law or or computers)

-easy. For instance, swimming and first aid are good first badges. So is basketry or home repairs.

 

But he should concentrate on getting the tasks done for Tenderfoot through First Class. We had one boy who earned more than a dozen merit badges over a year and a half, including two summer camps. But he never worked on the early tasks, and was only a Tenderfoot after that amount of time. He quit, citing that he wasn't advancing. When told that he should concentrate on those tasks, he just wouldn't listen. He liked getting the merit badges as awards.

[SSScout]

Usta be a Scout had to be First Class to be able to earn MBs. Now, Scout rank is sufficient. Some Troops use the MBs as a structure for passing the rank requirements: earn First Aid MB and you've automatically passed Second Class and First Class first aid requirements. Is this appropriate? It seems to be the way to go. There are other examples.

 

Check with your District and see if there is a master MB Counselor list.If there isn't, harrass your commissioner and DE and DCuntil there is one. Your Troop probably has a cadre of MB Cs for their own use, too. Encourage your Scout to make his own arrangements ("mom taxi") to meet with the counslor, and be aware that the good ones will insist on "two deep" meetings, you may be called on to stay for the Counselor meetings. Your Scout would be at an advantage if he can get a buddy or two to work on the MB together. More fun too. Let your Scout set the pace.

 

Do some fun ones first, the ones that play to the Scout's talents and interests. There will be time for the ER ones when the desire developes.

 

YiS

[DugNevius]

at summer camp we have our first years go for Camping, Cooking and Swimming first. After that they go for whatever they wish.

 

I am always shocked how many guys going for eagle around 16-17 still dont have Family Life. That one is made for 12 year olds.

[John-in-KC]

Camping??? First year????

 

Even the most conservative camping log would be hard pressed to meet the days and nights in the woodline requirment!

 

Please explain further, I'm not seeing the logic of this MB for a TF/2d Class Scout.

 

YIS

[Beavah]

I am always shocked how many guys going for eagle around 16-17 still dont have Family Life. That one is made for 12 year olds.

 

Yah, I always thought it would be helpful if someone would outline a rough order for those pesky required badges, or "age appropriate guidelines" for MB's. Nuthin' quite like doing Family Life right before you head off to college, or tryin' to do Cit. World as a 12-year-old.

 

queenj, here's what I'd say.

 

FUN AND EASY first. Yeh want your son's first contact with the MB program to be a success. Crafts badges at summer camp are often used for this. Swimming is great if your boy already knows how to swim. So is coin collecting if he's already an avid coin collector. Family Life is a good starter "required" badge for both of you.

 

Trust your SM to direct your son to age-appropriate badges where he can be successful.

 

Don't push your son. Let the program pull.

[fgoodwin]

Rich Diesslin has developed a handy guide to the "degree of difficulty" of the various MBs:

 

http://usscouts.org/advance/docs/MrDsReview.xls

http://usscouts.org/advance/docs/MrDsReview.html