Biggest Misfit Merit Badge at Scout Camp

[John-in-KC]

OK, folks...

 

Based on what you've seen at your Scout Camps, what's the Merit Badge which has the biggest misfit to being at a Scout Camp?

 

For me, it's LAW. If there was EVER an in-town MB, it's LAW. Our Scout Camp Director wants to do LAW MB at Scout Camp.

 

He'd be better off with First Aid, imo.

 

[moxieman]

Computers MB...back when the MB still had an IBM punch card on it and personal computers were unheard of beyond a Commodore 64 with one of them new-fangle 150K 8 inch floppy drives.

 

Fingerprinting seems to pop-up a lot the last few years. Usually, when a unit attending that particular week has a law enforcement officer as one of their volunteers who steps forward to offer it.

 

Back in the early 90's one of our camps also offered Atomic Science, back when there was still a nuclear power plant an hour's drive away from here. My kid bro earned that one. Probably the only kid in the troop to ever do so.

 

They may seem like misfits, but sometimes, misfits are what gets the kids excited--something different they might never have thought of taking before.

 

[Lisabob]

Scholarship MB would have to be right up there with Law MB. Both fine MBs, but at camp? 'Course I feel that way about several of the Eagle-required MBs too (family life, communications, the citizenships, personal management come to mind)but that is clearly a losing battle.

[scottteng]

Sports & Athletics without making the precamp season long requirements clear. Young scouts sign up for these thinking they are like PE in school.

[Gold Winger]

Music. Law. Dentistry. Sports.

 

Painting was one that wound up at camp a couple of years ago. Someone thought that it was artistic type painting but it was house painting. The camp did get EVERYTHING painted so that was a plus.

 

 

[frank10]

Way back in the 80, two of us in the trade showed up unannounced at camp strang with two vans loaded with PCs and network equipment. ten scouts earned computer MB that week. About half of them had never laid their hands on a PC before that day.

 

Had to get creative on a few requirements:

Send a message or chat on a network... Each scout was given a chance to chat on line but first agreed that they would not give any personal information such as name or location. They spent a good long chatting with the camper on network... I wonder if they ever figured out that they were talking to each other from one van to the other. It said on a network, didn't say it hat to be more than 12 feet.

 

One of the best camps I have ever done.

[evmori]

Communications. There is no way it can be completed at camp.

[eagle90]

Don't want to be critical, but doesn't the Computers Merit Badge at camp kind of defeat the purpose of Camp? Kids holed up in vans typing away when they could be out sailing, boating, pioneering, shooting, etc.? To me only outdoor merit badges should be offered at camp.

[jr56]

Just my personal opinion, but anytime there is a special opportunity to provide a merit badge at camp that otherwise wouldn't be available, I say go for it. That is part of the appeal of the merit badge program, to get the kids to try something new and different. They may discover a new hobby, or career. Seems I've read that in official literature somewhere.

[epalmer84]

Model Design & Building has been offered at Camp Shenandoah for several years. This has nothing to do with snap together cars.

 

Ed

[Beavah]

Yah, I'm pretty creative, but I'd have a hard time doin' Law MB at camp. You'd have to turn it into a class instead of a mentorin' experience, and fudge 2-3 major requirements. I think Dentistry might win, though. American Business and Labor would also be pretty tough, I reckon.

 

My least favorites are da same as Lisa'bobs, eh? The Citizenship badges, Family Life, Communications, Personal Management, even Personal Fitness really don't have any business bein' done at camp.

 

Beavah

 

[Gold Winger]

" That is part of the appeal of the merit badge program, to get the kids to try something new and different. "

 

However, what does it accomplish when the requirements are shortcut and some even ignored?

[packsaddle]

As long as LisaBob and Beavah are in agreement I might as well mention that I also agree with them. I also agree with the sentiment by eagle90 that the boys ought to be doing active things at camp, rather than contributing to the standing crop of lard.

 

Edited part: WARNING! Hijack attempt...Dentistry MB reminded me: I am wondering how many of you out there are like me and reject that painkilling needle, just curious. I rejected the 'deadening' for many years only to find out later that I wasn't really saving any money. But by that time I was 'set-in-my-ways' so I still reject it.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[frank10]

I can't believe I'm going to try to defend myself here but here goes...

 

Each year I take kids to camp with the promise that they will do and see things they have NEVER seen or done in their lives.

Now, I wouldn't bother to hold a computers MB class now since mos of the kids could teach it. But this was the early 80's. Most of the boys and adults had seen a computer, heck, my high school had 6 of them Apple IIe's for 500 students to share.

Now, I'm sure some of they were cheated out of a chance to earn leather work and basketry but most of they will not feel the loss.

 

BTW: scouts were not in the vans, the computers were.

[jmwalston]

Art, Crime Prevention, and Journalism were on the list of badges offered at the Camp our Troop went to last year. It was more of a MB gameshow than a Scout Camp.