In favor of adding a sewing merit badge

[GS-CS_leader]

In discussing the required merit badges for Eagle, a poster suggested the idea of a sewing merit badge. I think that it's a great idea. Here are my comments:

 

I agree that there should be a sewing merit badge. Before I mention my Girl Scout troop, let me say that I'm also going to discuss why how a sewing merit badge is relevant specifically to the Boy Scouting program with its outdoor activities emphasis.

 

I had my GS troop work on a sewing badge when they were bridging to the "Junior Girl Scout" level. They got new vests, so I taught them how to sew on badges (two techniques depending on whether or not the badge has a bound edge) and had them all sew on all the basic badges (e.g. council ID, troop crest and numbers...) themselves. It even saved the troop a small amount of money because the council shop was selling off the old non-iron-on council ID patches for half price. I was so tired of parents telling me that they couldn't put patches on their daughters vest because they didn't have a sewing machine. (And glue gunning them on only to have them fall off and get lost.) More recently, it pained me to hear a Cub Scout dad talk about how he went to his BOR for Eagle with badges STAPLED on. If I can teach 3rd and 4th graders to sew on badges (even a few who had somewhat poor hand-eye-coordination or lacked patience and immediately declared "I can't do this!"), then surely any Boy Scout with two functional hands can be taught the skill as well.

 

Sewing is relevant to Boy Scouting because it is actually an *outdoor* skill. I once repaired a stuff bag that had been torn open by a bear using dental floss and a needle (and duct tape too, but the repair was better with both). [And for those of you who are wondering, yes, we did hang a proper "bear bag", but it we were camping in Yosemite where the bears knew lots of tricks for getting down bear bags. These days I hear you can't get a backcountry permit in those areas without showing that you have an approved model of bear barrel, but those did not exist back when this incident occurred.] Just recently, I sewed up a rip in the outer layer of my husband's rain jacket. The Goretex membrane below was still intact, so being able to sew saved an otherwise still very functional jacket. I always carry a needle and dental floss (stronger than most thread) on wilderness trips.

[OldGreyBear]

I have to say this to be consistent. But I think a Sewing merit badge sounds so girly as to scare the boys away. Now, Tailoring, that is a masculine profession and oddly enough encompasses the same skills are what GS-CS is talking about. And they are necessarily skills. I almost said these skills could be folded into a Home Economics merit badge, but if I thought sewing was too girly, well anyhow. The skills are required for living, as would be proper dining etiquette and place setting but I digress

[scoutldr]

If there's any sewing done in my house, I do it myself. A skill taught to me by my mother at around age 11 (Tenderfoot). Every badge on my uniform was put there by yours truly. We don't need no stinking Badge Magic!

 

I would rather see it made a rank requirement...sew on your own badge. Not sure there would be enough interest to maintain it as a merit badge. Those that are not popular or fall out of favor don't last very long (to wit "Fruit and Nut Culture").

[mlg0171]

Make it part of a "MacGyvor" style merit badge that also includes duct tape and it will be a hit.

 

(After the duct tape section)

 

"Describe the limitations of duct tape and when it is proper to use strand-based products instead."

 

"Demonstrate how to place a repair patch using a strand-based product."

[Gunny2862]

I would be in favor of a sewing merit badge.

 

I don't' like the Tailoring reframing of it unless they will be required to make a complete and well fitting Suit, with lining. That's just more catering to the PC set and cheapens the Tailoring name - a good tailor is well worth their cost and hard to find, the rest who say they are Tailors but aren't are just weakening the branding of the word.

 

There is a world of fun things to make, cheaper than you can buy them. Especially some of the ultralight gear for hiking. Have to say a lighter pack makes for a better hike. So does a lighter tent, and a lighter sleeping bag. Plus, field repairs CAN be of critical importance and can save a trip from being a near disaster.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, a dot of fabric glue helps hold the badge in place so it stays correctly oriented while I sew it on. Otherwise its just as likely to wind up slightly off kilter, like its wearer.

[GS-CS_leader]

Maybe "Tailoring" would sound less "feminine". That reminds me of the son of one of my mother's friends who was an amazingly accomplished tailor before he was even in high school, sewing many items of clothes for himself. Since he was a small, skinny kid, it allowed him to have the clothes he wanted in a size that fit. I expect that he also altered store-bought clothes, but it was hearing about the suits that he sewed himself that impressed me. However, this boy hid the fact that he sewed his own clothes because he was afraid that other boys would make fun of him if they knew that he sewed. Somehow I don't think he would have believed that calling it "tailoring" instead of "sewing" would make the other boys think better of it. (I have to wonder if he has taught the skill to his own sons.)

 

Then there was a male college student who was in a class where I was the T.A. as a grad student. I complimented him on a really nice-looking backpack which seemed unusually sturdy with a nifty double layer closure on top. I was floored when he told me that he made the backpack himself from his own design. He said he got tired of backpacks that fell apart after a few months of hard use, so he designed his own backpack with specially reinforced sections and double layers at points of wear.

 

I do think that "tailoring" is a bit limiting in what that term covers. From an online dictionary: "Tailor: To practice making men's clothes; to follow the business of a tailor." So strictly speaking, I think that repairing outdoor gear would not be tailoring. I think the term would also not cover learning to applique and making a nice new patrol flag, for example, which seems like a nice application of sewing to BS. But if the term "tailoring" would be more acceptable, then I'd be all for it. On the other hand, "Basketry" and "Pottery" don't sound particularly masculine either.

 

I also agree about the need for youth to learn what used to be called "home economics". Our local middle school calls it "family consumer science". As mentioned in the thread this one was spun off from, "laundry" skills are really practical. That was one of the sections taught in the FCS mentioned above. Household cleaning is another one that I'd add to the list. I taught my husband how to clean a toilet and bathtub and he in turn taught the skill to a roommate (when he did a foreign post-doc and I stayed in the US). Turns out that the roommate had always just let apartments he lived in become increasingly filthy and considered it normal to lose the cleaning deposit when he left. It makes no sense to me that knowing how to fix a toilet (Home Repair MB) is considered good for boys to learn, but not how to clean one. (Contrary-wise, I don't understand why some women seem to think that only men can do basic home repairs.)

[John-in-KC]

I suspect we could get away with Textiles, Tailoring and Tentmaking as a MB name.

 

Make a healthy part of the requirements pertain to canvas, ripstop nylon, Gore-Tex , and other fabrics used in camping and backpacking.

 

Include inserting grommets and zippers, patching, as well as hemming and seam sewing.

 

Make the MB structured: do the heavy canvas stuff first, then work to the lightweight fabrics of shirts and pants.

 

Another option: Integrate at least the heavy fabric stuff into camping MB, integrate the light stuff into something like Family Life MB.

[GS-CS_leader]

I like scoutldr's suggestion to make sewing on a badge a rank requirement. That way any time after that rank, there would be no good excuse for badges stapled on, although these days with Badge Magic perhaps that doesn't happen as much. I sew on my own badges (just earned a Leader's knot ) and the badges of my Cub Scout son (I'll teach him when he crosses over to BS), but even after teaching my GS, I have to admit that when I found out about Badge Magic, I told my GS families about it and collected a group order (along with my CS den families) to buy it directly from the manufacturer for a somewhat better price than at the BS council shop. That's because even after teaching my GS to sew and having them all make sewing kits (even with green thread to use for sewing badges onto their vests), some of them still neglected to attach their badges. Sigh...

[DanKroh]

How about a merit badge called "Clothing Care"?

 

1. Demonstrate hand sewing techniques

a. sew a button on an article of clothing

b. sew a patch on an article of clothing

2. Demonstrate proper operation and care of an iron.

a. iron a dress shirt properly

b. iron dress pants, putting in a proper leg crease

3. Demonstrate proper operation and care of a sewing machine

a. tell the proper use of different stitch types (straight, zig zag, stretch, etc.)

b. use a sewing machine to construct a simple, useful cloth article from scratch (we used to make drawstring gym bags in home economics in school)

c. use a sewing machine to repair an article of clothing

d. use a sewing machine to install a zipper

e. use a sewing machine to creat a buttonhole

4. Demonstrate the proper operation and care of a washing machine and dryer.

a. tell what the different cycles/temperature setting on a washing machine are used for

b. tell what the different settings on a dryer are used for

c. explain the advantages/disadvantage of different types of detergent, fabric softeners, pretreatments, and bleaches and when they should be used.

d. do your own laundry for a month.

e. explain when an item may need to be hand-washed or dry-cleaned.

 

I could probably come up with more eventually, but that's what comes to mind right now as really useful skills. Would certainly save the young men (and their mothers) a lot of grief their first month of living on their own....

[GS-CS_leader]

Yes, you could integrate sewing requiremtns into the current "Textile" MB.

For requirements, see: http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php?title=Textile

 

I agree that some components of sewing could (should?) be added to the Textile MB. After all, a piece of canvas or other fabric is not very useful before it is cut and sewn into something else.

 

And I also feel more specific "home ec" skills should be required in the "Family Life" MB. Some boys probably do these things as part of the "home duties" or "chores", but I think that specifically household chores should be mentioned separately. I do like my son to help with weeding the lawn and raking leaves and other "manly" chores, but not everyone has a yard, while everyone's home has routine indoor maintenance duties that need doing (very few families have all these tasks done by hired help).

[raisinemright]

I like adding tentmaking. We had a Pack/Troop family campout a couple months ago. Another troop was at teh same campground and I was admiring their 20X40 canvas tent with a separate room for Scoutmasters and a huge screened in dining area.

 

The SM made the tent himself. To say I was impressed would be an understatement.

[mschwartz]

I'd be very much in favor of a "Family Consumer Skills" merit badge - sewing, laundry, fundamental cleaning, basic grocery shopping... the sorts of things that young men out on their own (first apartment, off at college, whatever) really should know how to do. After all, isn't the Scout Motto "Be Prepared"? Shouldn't they be learning how to Be Prepared for Life?

 

We use Badge Magic for everything BUT rank badges - because it is such a pain to remove, and every time you advance in rank you have to take the old badge off before you can put the new one on! I've sewed them on for my boys so far, but when my First Class scout makes Star, he'll be doing it.

 

YIS,

Marietta

[anarchist]

 

Narrator: "Don't need no sewing merit badge! Its all "modern moms" fault!" (script notes :duck for cover...for appropriate number of years)!

 

Back in the dark ages "Mom" sat me down with my Cub Scout uniform and MADE ME watch her sew on my pack numbers and council patch. She then tacked on my den number and MADE ME sew it the rest of the way...then came my rank patches Wolf Bear and Lion and arrow points..she tacked them on and I sewed the rest... As a cub some of our activities were sewing very pprimative stuffed animals, bean bags and finally small leather "Native American medicine pouches"

 

When I became a Boy Scout Mom had me rip the old patches off(my first uniform was a hand-me-down) and gave me my new patches and her sewing kit...I was on my own. Each patch looked better than the last...

 

Then also, as a scout we were expected to try our hand at making a small ruck sack, sleeping bag or tent from canvas -it was all part of a scout is thrifty....all by the way, now lost to most scouts now days...even though you can find examples in the scout literature.

 

Backpack enthusiasts have made their own gear for years, patterns and designs are traded back and forth but we seem have lost the art...or the time...through becoming more "modern"...

 

And this is not a "new" phenomena, I witnessed this first hand in high school (pterodactyls had just gone extinct) when it was pointed out that I was a better "seamstress" than my girl friend (and future better half)...who in a fit of domesticity had just sewed a "popped button" onto the inside facing of my shirt...(oops!)

 

Later I scored major "points" with my future mother-in-law by "making" her a leather "purse" that in her words was better than anything she had seen in the stores (just a copy of the black powder possibles bag I had made for myself...with a few extra zippers). Like cooking, sewing is valuable to young men but it should be taught in CUB SCOUTS!

 

As equipment/QM mentor for the troop I teach scouts to sew patches on flys and tents annually (we always sew the patch as well ad "glue/seal" it on...the also learn to re grommit flys and do in the field duct tape repairs! (limitations?)

Anarchist

 

As a merit badge I am afraid it would be a flop...Now duct tape is another matter...but mlg0171....I was unaware of any limitation of that noble product? ;>)

 

 

[starwolfmom]

Scouting did teach my son to sew, with or without a merit badge.

 

Earlier this fall, in preparation for attending the Scout Brigade at Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, my son decided that he wanted a uniform. This was a week before the event, and I informed him that I didn't have time to make him one. He told me he didn't expect me to; he would do it himself, including making the haversack that was part of the uniform. When I asked him whether he even knew how to sew, he informed me, "Well, in leatherworking, I had to stitch together the pouch for my OA regalia, and I suppose sewing uses the same principles." He did ask me to show him how to sew on buttons (his uniform required about 20 button). I did, and he did the rest. Toward the end, we did break down and get some of the heat-fuse stuff, but that was just an extra layer in addition to the sewing, not in place of it.

 

I've learned that I don't need to be surprised at the skills my son has--chances are, he learned them in Scouting.

 

Elizabeth

[Twocubdad]

OGE and some of the old timers may remeber a professional who used to post here, Dave something, I think.

 

One of his hobbies was sewing and I think he developed a set of requirements and even an outline of a MB book. I think I remember that he had submitted it to national for consideration. So it's out there.