Scout teaching Merit Badge

[John-in-KC 311]

And you were wrong to do that. It's the responsibility of over-18 members of the staff to do the examination and make the call that a Scout has earned the merit badge.

[shortridge 184]

I also freely admit that I was wrong to do so as well.

 

In my defense, I didn't know any better - this was the way we were told to do it. (Although ignorance of the law is no excuse!) It was one of those things that even the national inspectors nodded and winked at. A glance at the staff lineup during evening retreat ceremonies would have been enough to tell that there weren't enough qualified adult MB instructors to go around - too much peach fuzz and pimples.

 

Also, requiring that level of supervision from the 18+ year-olds would have effectively ground the MB program to a catastrophic halt. There would be simply no way to get everyone through in a week's time. I'm talking under 15 "adult" area directors for a camp of about 300 or so Scouts. The staff has since doubled in size since I worked there, but I sincerely doubt the adult-to-minor staff ratio has improved much.

 

I'm not defending this arrangement by any means, but simply explaining it.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[scoutingagain 20]

There is absolutely nothing wrong or against any advancement policy that I'm aware of, of having a youth member teach a skill or content of any merit badge inside or outside of a summer camp environment. However the youth member cannot act in the capacity of a MBC, which is to confirm the candidate has met the MB requirements to his/her satifaction. For a scout to earn a MB, an adult MBC, should be involved in the process. They certainly can be aided by a youth member with appropriate skill/knowledge in the "teaching" process.

 

SA

[TheScout 10]

The MBC is supposed to review each scout individually in the camp environment as well. It is impossible to do for some areas that do hundreds of merit badges a week and only have one actual MBC. I don't know the solution.

 

Do you have one John-in-KC? They probably told you somewhere in your military days you should not make a complaint without offering a solution.

[John-in-KC 311]

Yes, in our Council, at our two Scout Reservations, here is our staff structure, in each Lodge:

 

- Several INSTRUCTORS. These are Scouts under 18 years old. Lowest pay range.

 

- Several COUNSELORS. These are transitional SCOUTERS, over 18 but less than 21. Middle pay range. Yes, a COUNSELOR signs off on MBs.

 

- 1-2 ASSISTANT DIRECTORS. These may be transitional Scouters, or they may be over 21 Scouters. They've been to National Camp School. Nat'l Camp Standards determine how many ADs get hired. They get an upper pay range.

 

- 1 DIRECTOR. This is an over-21 Scouter. He's been to National Camp School. He/she has the highest pay rate in the lodge.

 

Thus, in each Lodge (aquatics, ecology, Scoutcraft...) we have multiple folks over 18 who are qualified to examine Scouts for their MBs. ADs and the Director assist Counselors in managing the testing phase of MBs for Scouts.

 

You asked.

[shortridge 184]

< whistles >

 

That's sweet.

 

How large is that camp (acreage and attendance)?

 

My camp is lucky to have enough of-age people to send to NCS to cover the basic director positions. Except for aquatics (where there's a boatyard and a pool), there are no assistant directors.

 

I agree with John - the only solution is increasing staffing. And the only way I see to do that, as I've argued here and elsewhere, is to make the entire staff package far more attractive (pay, benefits, bonuses, living environment).

[John-in-KC 311]

H Roe Bartle Scout Reservation has 3 Camps and six 10 day Camp sessions. Each Camp beds 500 a night. During Sixth Session this year, we will close one of the camps, and two will stay open. It's a starting date of school in our area thing. The Reservation overall has use of 4200 acres of owned and Army Corps of Engineers land.

 

Theodore Naish Scout Reservation, Central Camp, has 3 seven day Camp sessions (then does Webelos Camp for the Council). It beds 450 a night. Theodore Naish is 1200 acres of urban wilderness in Kansas City (the burbs have grown up around it!).(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[TheScout 10]

I don't know about most camps, but mine certainly did not have the staff over 18 to make that work. But it is great of course if you have the people and the money.

[John-in-KC 311]

You asked for a viable solution. You got one. Scout in peace.

[TheScout 10]

I did. And thank you for your response. It is interesting to here how other camps do such things.

 

I don't know if it is viable in all cases though. It certainly would not have been at my camp.

[bmcdonald138 10]

Any Scout who has worked on Camp Staff as an instructor or has the required experience level/expertise to instruct the MB is ok with me. For example, I've had Scouts that were highly ranked athletes in Wrestling and Cross Country/Track and Field where they placed high in their sport at the State High School Tournament/Meet level....Those guys were very qualified to instruct Physical Fitness MB. I also had Scout that was a highly ranked amateur Bicycle Racer. Who better than this kid to instruct Cycling MB? I like to ride and run, but these kids were phenomenal, gifted athletes...None worked on camp staff since summer was their primary racing season etc....Young scouts really looked up to this stellar athletes.

[ghermanno 11]

The problem is NOT having the youth train/educate the Scout, the problem is the blue card signature. No Merit Badge can be signed-off by anyone other than a registered merit badge counselor. If it is, the SM/Advancement committee can disqualify the merit badge.

 

Here again, it is not the camp or the counselor that is being shortchanged, it is the Scout.

 

Yes, we in Scouting need more adult volunteers. But slight of hand manuvers are NOT the Scouting way. We need to tell the adults that the boys will miss out on something becuase of lack of volunteers or charge more so we can hire them.

 

YiS,

Rick

[Beavah 205]

But slight of hand manuvers are NOT the Scouting way.

 

Yeh have actually attended a summer camp a time or two, right?

 

I think we all recognize that this just isn't possible at camp without some sleight of hand. Let's even take John-in-KC's figures for Bartle (which is a very fine camp, BTW). At 1500 campers per week, yeh can probably figure that the Nature area will see at least 1500 MBs, probably more. Each Nature MB typically has 10 or so requirements, often with sub-parts. So that's probably around 20,000 different things that are supposed to be examined individually. They've got a handful of counselors and a few directors. Call it 8 or so people, round up to 10. So each person has to conduct 2,000 checkouts. Workin' a ten hour day, that's 200 per hour or over three per minute.

 

Not counting the time they spend doin' instruction, eh?

 

No question, the summer camp MB experience almost everywhere is but a shadow of what it should be. Also no question that if we want lads to get MBs at summer camp, we have to cut corners. Or triple camp fees while cuttin' number of campers in half .

 

Beavah

 

[Herms 10]

How about reducing the amount of merit badges boys are ALLOWED to take at camp. I've seen boys go to camp and get 5, 6 merit badges in one week. If camps were to limit boys to two maybe three merit badges it would releave some of the burden on counselors.

[John-in-KC 311]

There is one other option; it goes back to when I was a youth.

 

Summer Camps are not there to close out the task and get the youth to an MB award. They are there to provide the teaching and the wilderness classroom support. The MB Counselor in town does the final testing and sign-off.

 

Of course, that was 40 years ago, and I suspect at $$$ for a week of camp, parents want results.

 

Thinking about this some more: EagleSon staffs our Cub Family Resident Overnight Camp (Bear Camp). Yes, he and his fellow young adults work hard to do their share of the work. They help Cubs/Partners with tool boxes, on the ranges, at the waterpark and all that... but they don't sign off requirements. The unit leaders are given a list of requirements the youth got exposure to. Akela, be it DL or Mom/Dad, get the sign-off responsibility.

 

Maybe we do re-align what we do in camps?