Merit badge work at Troop meetings

[Its Me]

How in the world do you hold troop meeting that provide time nd opportunities for scouts to work on the 11 require MB's? It seem like the whole thing can become a jumbled mess.

 

 

Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following:

First Aid

Citizenship in the Community

Citizenship in the Nation

Citizenship in the World

Communications

Personal Fitness

Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving

Environmental Science

Personal Management

Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling

Camping, and

Family Life *

 

[fgoodwin]

We don't spend troop meeting time on MBs -- the Scouts are expected to work on those on their own, at the direction of their counselors, of course.

[John-in-KC]

Use the monthly themes of Scouting. As the program works, integrate MB opportunities, but let the kids connect the dots on their own.

[John-in-KC]

As a comment, swimming and Lifesaving probably should be in due course at Scout Camp.

 

Our PLC chose to work Cycling as a multi-month activity, culminating in a camp with a 50 mile ride.

 

Short of the final work, the unit program will take care of the camping log for Camping MB.

[Beavah]

Yah, Its Me. The Merit Badge program doesn't work that way, eh? It's supposed to be a mentoring relationship between a few boys and an "expert" in that area. Only when there's not enough local counselors is group instruction supposed to happen, but even then teachin' a whole troop all at once ain't a great way to go.

 

Some troops I know do an "intro" at troop meetings. A counselor is invited to come in and do a presentation or a start-up activity at a meeting. Then boys who are interested can get with him/her after the meeting and set up times to get together and keep workin'.

 

It's possible for a troop to provide some help with individual requirements as they plan events. Hike around the community (Cit. Comm.), plan to attend an international camping event (Cit. World), go hiking (Hiking), etc. Give kids a leg up, so to speak. But after that, it should be the kids goin' out on their own to work on badges. Otherwise, as you say, it's a jumbled mess, and they really don't benefit.

 

What's tough these days is finding good counselors, eh? Ones who really know their material, and are good with boys, and are reliable. Takes some real effort by a district or troop to keep a good list goin'.

 

Beavah

 

[FScouter]

"It seem like the whole thing can become a jumbled mess."

 

That's one of many reasons why BSA does not recommend merit badge instruction as part of a troop meeting.

[scoutldr]

The MB program, when used properly, is designed to do several things...reinforce the method of Adult Association, teach the scout planning and initiative, get outside his comfort zone by contacting a stranger to make an appointment, and to introduce him to a wide range of "experts" who can share the passion for their chosen vocation or hobby. Very seldom do you get that when "Joey's Mom" (or Dad) is the counsellor for 13 merit badges, all spoonfed by the troop.

 

Sorry for the bluntness, but this is one of my pet peeves.

[Eamonn]

"How in the world do you hold troop meeting that provide time nd opportunities for scouts to work on the 11 require MB's?"

As the other wise and learned members have posted the answer is you don't.

Still with a little shall we say "Manipulation"??? You might be able to get the PLC to do some Stealth Merit Badge Work.

Doing things and having activities that do meet and cover the requirements without the Scouts really knowing that they are doing them.

Ea.

[allangr1024]

We do some merit badges in our troop meetings and some on our campouts. In the age of youth protection guildlines, there is to be no one on one contact between youth and adult scouters.

 

The Guild to safe scouting says:

No one-on-one contact.

One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations that require personal

conferences, such as a Scoutmaster's conference, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and

youths.

 

This requirement, which our council says applies to merit badge councelers, almost requires merit badge sessions be attended by parents, or held in a troop meeting setting.

 

When I was a scout, I had to find my own MB coundelers, and that was the biggest impedement to getting Eagle Scout that I had. Now, my scouts cannot visit an expert in any field by themselves.

 

In our meetings, we allow half an hour for the MB classes, and that for rarely more than 3 nights. After that, the scouts are to remain in contact with the counceler and turn in any work they do outside of the meeting classes to him.

 

 

[ScoutNut]

From BSA's "Merit Badge Counselor Instructors Guide", which can be found online at the BSA National site -

 

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

 

"A merit badge counselor must always ensure that a Scout has a "buddy" present at all instruction sessions. Working on merit badges is especially enjoyable when Scouts work together, and the BSA encourages this by making the buddy system a part of the merit badge program. Together the two meet with merit badge counselors, plan projects, and keep their enthusiasm high. The Scout's buddy could be another Scout, a parent or guardian, brother or sister, relative, or friend. The Scout should bring a buddy to all his appointments with his counselor."

 

This does not mean either parents or as a Troop only. This means that 2 Scouts can get together and go to the Merit Badge Expert of their choice (with the approval of their SM).

 

 

[BrotherhoodWWW]

Scoutnut's point about Youth protection is a great one that I think many that have had the YP training miss. The rule is no one-on-one contact. Two deep leadership applies to outings, meetings, and events.

 

Our Troop has in the past and is now doing a merit badge as a Troop. As CC I do not really like this gameplan and am activily trying to change it and the culture that has allowed it to happen.

[mdutch]

While most of us agree that it is preferable not to do merit badges at troop meetings, how would you handle it if the PLC decided that that is what they want to do?

[John-in-KC]

Easiest way to deal with that is to tell them "OK. You obtain an out-of-Troop counselor who is willing to counsel a whole Troop."

 

I do not know too many MB counselors who are willing to do a whole Troop!

 

Now, THAT SAID!!!!

 

Two years ago a goodly chunk of our Crew and Troop went to Philmont. It was reasonable and proper to do a bunch of First Aid training. We agreed to focus several meetings across the Troop and Crew on First Aid. We Scouters agreed to bring in qualified 1st Aid MB Counselors... they were docs certified to do ARC Standard First Aid (the Venturing program standard). We integrated selected youth to instruct certain tasks, but they had to rehearse them in front of the docs.

 

About halfway through the PLC told us some of the younger Scouts were getting bored. We had discussed this beforehand, and they said they'd deal with it. Well, we held them to account.

 

Bottom line: LOOK AT HOW THE ACTIVITIES OF YOUR UNIT PROGRAM CAN BE LEVERAGED INTO THE MERIT BADGE SYSTEM. Occasionally, it will make sense.

 

Allangr, welcome to the Forums. You will note in MB Counselor training that there should be 2 Scouts going to visit a single MB counselor. You can also deal with the no 1/1 issue by having counseling happen in a public place, such as a local restaurant. Follow the advice given in the National YP video. Don't let MBs in your program be a routine!

[PeteM]

scoutldr wrote

The MB program, when used properly, is designed to do several things...reinforce the method of Adult Association, teach the scout planning and initiative, get outside his comfort zone by contacting a stranger to make an appointment, and to introduce him to a wide range of "experts" who can share the passion for their chosen vocation or hobby. Very seldom do you get that when "Joey's Mom" (or Dad) is the counselor for 13 merit badges, all spoon-fed by the troop.

 

What do you do if you have a MBC that signs up to be a merit badge counselor, mainly to see his son advance? This gentleman is the counsleor for about 20 MB's, and the scouts love it when he has class's, since he is so "easy" on them. He just requires that the MB worksheets be completed in order for the scouts to get the badge.

 

Our troop has merit badge work done during the troop meetings, in fact, it is the main focus of the troop meetings, with "lower rank" work coming in second. This is a decision by the PLC to have their meetings run that way. The parents love it because they can see progress in the merit badge's. I am having a tough time convinicing them that it is not just about the end (Eagle), but the journey along the way.

 

Any ideas how I can get the PLC to be more responsive to the needs of the lower rank scouts and not just those that only want merit badges?

 

We have parents that want their son's to go to summer camps that offer a lot of merit badges that their son's can earn in a week, and not go to camps that would develop the scouts grow.

 

[evmori]

What do you do if you have a MBC that signs up to be a merit badge counselor, mainly to see his son advance?

 

A MB counselor is the SM's choice. Don't put dad's name on the blue card!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10