How long to finish merit badge partials?

[kittle]

I know this has probably been asked before, but can someone show me where it says how long a boy has to finish a merit badge? I will need it in print to show our committee. I didn't think there was a time limit (other than 18th birthday). Our troop committee says that the boy only has one year. Please help.

[CNYScouter]

There is no time limit for the completion of Merit Badges other than the age of 18.

 

 

This in on page 34 of the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures guide.

 

This can be purchased at your local scout store or it can be downloaded at:

 

http://www.gwinnettbsa.org/downloads/2008AdvancementGuideBook.pdf

[ljnrsu]

The scout has until his 18th birthday to finish a merit badge.

 

Use this link: http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors/FAQ.aspx

 

About halfway down the page you will find:

Question: How much time does a Scout have to complete all the requirements for a merit badge?

Answer: There is no time limit as long as the Scout completes all the necessary requirements by the time he reaches age 18.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[Beavah]

Yah, while what CNY and ljnrsu say is true, it might not actually be the issue, eh?

 

First, a boy can keep workin' with a single Merit Badge Counselor for as long as he and the MBC like, until he finishes his badge. That is what the BSA means by a boy havin' until his 18th birthday. As a Canoeing MBC, I once worked for three full seasons to help a handicapped lad earn the badge.

 

But that's not usually what the issue is, eh? The issue is often that a lad just doesn't get back to his MBC, or fades out, or doesn't respond, or has an incomplete badge from camp. There is no obligation for a Merit Badge Counselor to continue working with a boy for 6 years, or any particular length of time, and there is no such thing as a merit badge "partial" that another MBC is required to accept, and there's no obligation for a Scoutmaster to sign a new card authorizing the lad to work with a new MBC.

 

So yep, as long as a lad is honestly working with a single MBC, he can take as long as he and the MBC are workin' together. But a boy who comes home from summer camp with a "partial" can be told that he has to demonstrate all those requirements by a new MBC, and the troop can choose to assign the lads only to MBC's who agree not to honor "old" incomplete badge work.

 

Honestly, the notion that anyone should accept a two-year-old incomplete badge from somebody else without re-checking the lad on those requirements doesn't serve the boy or the program well. Our job is to teach character, after all. Generally speakin' there's real merit to a unit setting a reasonable deadline for boys to help push 'em to complete things in a timely manner (and a way that's courteous and respectful of their counselor!).

 

I wouldn't be botherin' your committee about this, kittle. I suspect they've learned from experience that this is a reasonable way to help boys set goals and work to finish in a timely manner.

 

Beavah(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[John-in-KC]

One note:

 

My Council Scout Reservations will not honor a camp MB partial more than 1 camping season downline.

 

EXAMPLE:

Scout takes Wilderness Survival MB at Scout Camp A, gets a partial in year X.

 

He re-attends in year X+1, but doesn't do anything about completing the MB

 

He re-attends in year X+2, and tries to present his partial: He'll be turned down.

 

Council Advancement Committee is OK with this, BTW.

[evmori]

Until they are completed or the Scout turns 18 years of age.

[BryanSpellman]

Sad that these Units and Council Camps seam to thing they know better than National. And NO the Scout does not have to RESHOW a MBC completed Requirements from a Camp or other MBC. If a Scout comes to a MBC with all requirements save 1 finished then all the MBC needs to do is sign off on that one requirement. Anything else is a detriment to the Scout. Lecture the Scout if you want but you CANNOT make him redo the MB...what nonsense.

[kittle]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will have to ask committee if this policy is only for MBs began at summer camp.

 

Beavah,

 

This is only one of the issues that I have differed in opinion over the committee. I am going to be with this troop for a very long time and would like to help make it the best for the boys who are in it. My son didn't push on these couple of MBs because he was stuck on advancement and very discouraged about scouts all together. He has since became unstuck and would like to finish the things that he as started. Now he is being discouraged because he is going to have to redo work that he has already done once. I do like my son's troop but there is room for improvement in any group.

 

 

[Beavah]

Yah, kittle, there sure is! All of us should be ready to offer help where we see a need, and I certainly wouldn't discourage yeh from being helpful and friendly.

 

I reckon there is also room for improvement in every lad, especially if a bump like demonstratin' something he's already learned leads to discouragement rather than fun or determination. Most boys I know if asked to demonstrate solo canoeing again, or building a fire again, or first aid for bleeding again will laugh, leap in, and whip it off in no time. If your son is gettin' discouraged about that stuff, my guess is that either he was shortchanged in learnin' the stuff by his first MBC (so he's not confident in his skill), or there's too much emphasis on "getting stuff" advancement in your troop's program, and not enough emphasis on fun/outdoors/"learning stuff" advancement.

 

I'd look to those areas as ones which could use help and improvement, eh? Those have substance for kids. Da rules about how long for MBs really don't.

 

Beavah

 

[Beavah]

And NO the Scout does not have to RESHOW a MBC completed Requirements from a Camp or other MBC. If a Scout comes to a MBC with all requirements save 1 finished then all the MBC needs to do is sign off on that one requirement.

 

------

 

Yah, BryanSpellman, I'm not quite sure what yeh mean here.

 

In da BSA, there is really no such thing as a "partial" merit badge, eh? No requirement to use a blue card or even log any kind of individual requirement signoffs. No MBC is required to accept a requirement as being complete based on da word or signature of any other MBC or person. It's entirely at the MBC's discretion. What the MBC is charged with is personally ensuring that the boy has met all the requirements before he/she approves the badge. How that's done is entirely up to the MBC, except that it must be done individually with each boy.

 

I agree with yeh that sometimes being too picky is annoying. I reckon if a lad or his SM tells a camping MBC that the boy did a rappel on the campout two months ago, it's a bit silly for the MBC not to take the SM or boy at his word and have him go on another rappeling campout with the MBC. At the same time, I'd say it's not OK for a MBC to take the fact that the scout earned First Class three years ago as fulfilling the requirements #1 and #2 for Camping or Canoeing or any of the outdoor MB's, eh? Those requirements are there to be demonstrated to the MBC, to ensure current knowledge by the boy. Doesn't matter that the SM and a BOR already signed off, the MBC should test 'em for the badge. Now, if the boy just finished First Aid MB with a fellow counselor would it be OK for the MBC to accept that? Yah, sure. But he/she wouldn't have to accept it.

 

Personally, when I counsel badges, I do my best to live up to da BSA's policy, eh? "To the fullest extent possible, the counselor-scout relationship should allow the scout to gain the full benefit of the mentoring, expertise, and relationship with the counselor" and all that. I'd never ever accept a nearly complete card from someone else and just sign off da last thing. Where's the fun and learning in that? I'm goin' to grab a couple canoes and go hit a river with the boy and his buddy. We're goin' to have fun and get wet and work hard and demonstrate all kinds of skills.

 

Anything else would be a detriment to the scout.

 

Beavah

 

[BryanSpellman]

kittle,

 

Ask your Troop Committee to show you where it says that the Scout has 1 Year to complete a Merit Badge...

 

As a District Advancement Chair I can tell you that it is nowhere! Ask you TC to read the Red Book or Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures.

 

But if he wants you to give him proof ask for the same from him...

 

In the end it's all about the Scouts.

[SR540Beaver]

Beavah: "Personally, when I counsel badges, I do my best to live up to da BSA's policy, eh? "To the fullest extent possible, the counselor-scout relationship should allow the scout to gain the full benefit of the mentoring, expertise, and relationship with the counselor" and all that. I'd never ever accept a nearly complete card from someone else and just sign off da last thing. Where's the fun and learning in that? I'm goin' to grab a couple canoes and go hit a river with the boy and his buddy. We're goin' to have fun and get wet and work hard and demonstrate all kinds of skills."

 

I guess we can come up with all sorts of scenarios, but I've seen this happen more than once. A booy starts a MB with one MBC who doesn't reup as a MBC or becomes unavailable for one reason or another. The boy has already received the benefit of the mentoring, expertise and relationship with his former counselor. He just has one requirement left on a MB that had 90 day tracking requirements. Are you really going to make him repeat the requirements for your satisfaction? Wouldn't a short discussion to determine whether he learned the subject to be comfortable assisting with the last requirement be more in order?

 

Keep in mind, the Scout/MBC rrelationship is two way. The scout is free to find someone who will help him finish his goal instead of accepting someone who will make them start over.

[Beavah]

The scout is free to find someone who will help him finish his goal instead of accepting someone who will make them start over.

 

I honestly don't get the "start over" bit. Unless the boy didn't learn a thing from his former MBC, he's not starting over. A Scout Learns, that's the first step, eh? Then a Scout is Tested. If the boy has already learned, the testing part is nothing but fun, and hardly takes any time at all. What lad isn't perfectly delighted to tell or show an interested adult what he can do?

 

Only if the lad has been shortchanged, and hasn't learned and benefited fully from the badge is there an issue, eh? And in that case, what caring adult who is followin' the BSA program would deprive the lad of the chance to really learn and grow by pencil-whipping an approval?

 

Your duty [as MBC] is to be satisfied that each Scout who comes to you meets all the requirements for the merit badge you are coaching. - BSA Guide for Merit Badge Counselors

 

Beavah

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[evmori]

If a Scout comes to me with a partial MB, I will review what he has learned to that point before completing the rest of the MB. It is my name going on that MB approval & I want to make sure the Scout earned the badge.

[kittle]

Beavah,

 

You misunderstood my last post. He was not discouraged about MB advancement. He had no problem be asked question and going over what he had already learned from the started MBs. He was stuck on RANK advancement and discouraged about Scouts. Our Troop would not accept partial pull-ups as improvement and he was having serious issue with the pull-ups. It took him til he was 14 to make First class because of the pull-ups. He is now months from being able to go before his Life BOR, PL, and wanting to run for SPL. I want to see boys encouraged instead of discouraged just because it is 'how we have always done things'.