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Scouts eager to earn Merit Badges


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I had a brand new scout come up to me last night at the end of the meeting wanting a blue card and counselor for some Merit Badges he wanted to work on. This is from memory, so it is not exactly complete: Cooking, Oceanography, Vetrinary Medicine, Dentistry, Fire Safety, Hiking, Nuclear Science, Climbing, Whitewater, Small Boat Sailing, Pottery, Photography, Shotgun Shooting, and Archery (I think that is all of them).

 

In his defense, he is a "wicked-smart" boy, i.q. well over 140 (he does 3-digit multiplication in his head). He is very energetic, and has the discipline to follow through with what he starts. I wanted to make sure I did not squelch his enthusiasm, so I began by asking him if he had looked at the requirements. Of course he said no, so we took a minute and reviewed the Hiking MB requirements (good example as there are only 6 short requirements). I think he began to realize they are more complicated than Belt Loops or even Webelos activity badges. I wrote down one of the good MB websites and encouraged him to look over the reqs for these, pick out a couple, and I would find him counselors. Once those were completed, he could work on more, but, though I would support him on all of them, lets get off to an easy start.

 

Did I do him right?

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Yes I think you gave him good counsel.

 

It is great that he is eager. Merit badges can be a lot of fun and there's certainly a lot of variety to choose from. You might want to talk with him about possibly working on a couple of those listed at summer camp, if he's going. Archery & Shotgun shooting come to mind there, maybe climbing and the water ones (depending on your camp's program - in most camps I've seen, those are age- or rank-limited badges due to their popularity).

 

Some of the ones that are more scout-skill focused, you might want to talk with him about starting on, with the realization that it might take a while to complete. But giving him a blue card and having him start on (say) cooking and hiking might make sense if you know he's going to have opportunities to do some of the requirements at upcoming camp outs.

 

Being "wicked smart" can be both an asset and a liability. He's probably very good at reading the book, fulfilling the requirements and checking off boxes, and the MB program may offer him a way to channel his need for individually-paced activity and achievement. On the other hand, he might also benefit a LOT from other aspects of the scouting program that are more about interpersonal relationships and learning physical skills too. Obviously I don't know this kid so it might not fit him, but a lot of the time kids who are truly academically gifted and excel in school, really need this other side of the scouting program to help them balance out their personal growth.

 

 

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Yes, I think you did OK. You don't want to control his ambition, but instead guide it toward growth. Never ever get in the way of a boys dreams. I saw in our local paper a new 13 year old Eagle Scout who is much the same way. He was not pushed by his family or troop to advance so quickly, he is just smart, ambitious and likes that kind of stuff. There is nothing wrong with that kind of passion. In fact it should be used to your advantage. I tried to steer such scouts in a direction to prepare them for the immediate skill they needed like you are doing; cooking, camping, swimming and so on. Let him choose the badges, but make sure he is doing personal growth badges as well and let him know you are his biggest cheer leader as he goes. Typically these scouts are also ambitious with leadership and struggle a little with maturity because they push themselves before they are ready. That will slow them down just a bit, but at the same time he will follow your guidance very closely. If you do it right, you will have him as a great role model until he is 18.

 

Barry

 

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Skipper,

 

You did EXACTLY right. I am trying to wake my SM's up to the idea that THEY are the gatekeepers for MB's. Not roadblocks nor drive-thru windows. If they approve a boy going to MB University or, heaven forbid, MB Camporee, they are responsible for the type of Scout they get and the dis-service they provided the scout by allowing it.

 

Keep up the good work. The youth will learn more and appreaciate it more due to learning.

 

YiS,

 

Rick

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Wow, does this kid sleep?

 

You did the best thing of all by showing him that MBs are way more involved than belt loops. He probably thought he coud knock these out with a few hours on the internet. ;)

 

My husband, a 1987 vintage Eagle, told me there used to be skill awards that went on the belt. Whatever happened to those?

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Looks like he picked the coolest titles to start with. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a mountain-climbing archer dentist who can build nuclear devices while sailing away to his personal vet clinic-slash-pottery studio?

 

It's great to see that enthusiasm. And you did just the right thing in focusing it a wee bit.

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:D Way to go!!! :D

 

I like his enthusiasm, I like that you're focusing him to the journey, not the instant gratification.

 

I think he probably can do one outdoor (hiking) and one indoor (dentistry) concurrently. As he shows he can manage the workload, let his pack get a bit heavier.

 

I know a lot of troops who could use your for a SM. :)

 

 

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Thanks for the encouraging words. We are all working hard to make our troop the best we can for the scouts. It is a slow battle, but we are steadily making progress.

 

I am finding troop dynamics to be very refreshing, and yet draining. Yes, I am taking on too much, but I am also working to relieve my other duties in scouts. Being SM to 15-20 boy scouts takes 10x the amount of time and energy as does being CM for a healthy pack of 60 cub scouts. But I am glad I stepped up to do this.

 

Funny, growing up I always saw this troop as the big, dark, evil troop, and the biggest rival against which we could not begin to compete. It had 80+ scouts and was the largest troop in the council (my troop of 20-25 was just 1 mile up the same street). Anyone ever see the old Bloom County with the group on their galactic mission against the Death Star (depicted as the ATT logo)? That was the way I felt about this troop. Now here I am building up the program, trying to make thier program better and stronger. Irony can be so...ironic.

 

I've said that being a CM was the easiest job in Scouting; if that is true, then being SM is the most fufilling.

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Interesting comment Buffalo Skipper. I try to impress on new scout leaders that adults in boy run troops work harder than adults in adult run troops because they work with each individually instead, not a group or mob. Its one thing to tell all the scouts at once that they must wear a full uniform. It is quite another guiding each scout individually to understand the value of wearing a full uniform.

 

The irony of what I just said is that I also think the good Scoutmasters of boy run programs look like they are the laziest Scoutmaster because they never stand in front of the scouts.

 

Barry

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Although "getting a Blue Card" does not mean anything more than "an officially date the MB has been started". the SM may be the gatekeeper of the MB, but he is not the valve that controls the speed.

 

I mean I sorta agree he is asking for more than usual, at least in my Troop.

 

As far as I know, I don't think there is a BSA limit to how many a Scout can start/request at any one time.

 

He may have an active family that does all sorts of things, and now since he officially has a card and has made contact with a MB of his choice, items may apply. I would let him know there are places in a MB where the councilor needs to approve items before they get done.

 

My son picked up 3-4 blue Cards that may have items that can be completed during our Trip out west this summer. I would not expect them all to be done at the same time, and I doubt the SM does either.

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In an unrelated thread, I had suggested a copy of the requirements guidebook as something leaders should read.

 

Might I suggest you grab this from the Troop's library next week and sign it out to this lad so he can start reading through some of those requirements? I know you suggested some websites, but some of those requirements may be outdated - and there is still something to be said about being able to curl up on the couch with the requirements book in hand.

 

Whitewater has a prerequisite merit badge that needs to be earned - either Canoeing or Kayaking, depending on the type of vessel the lad wants to earn the Whitewater badge with (he can't earn Canoeing and not Kayaking then try to earn Whitewater with a kayak).

 

I think the way you handled it initially was great - giving him the opportunity to think a bit more without slowing his enthusiasm - and without standing in his way and saying "no". I hope you'll make it a point to follow through at the next meeting and see if he's taken a look at some of those merit badges. You might even use Whitewater as a way to point out how he should read the requirements carefully - and that you're ready to give him a blue card for canoeing or kayaking whenever he's ready.

 

 

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Actually, whitewater is probably the most challenging for us. The nearest white water is about 300 miles away (hence the challenge). The troop actually bought a copy of the "Requirements 2009" book just 3 weeks ago. We have a very extensive library with the troop. When looking at the Pioneering requirements, we realized that the newest copy we had of the Pioneering MB book was from 1990, and we had one which was the 1980 printing of the 1974 edition, 1967. We now have 2 new copies, but you get the idea (that was when I was a scout!).

 

This is why I encourage the online sources (usscouts.org) as it appears to always be up to date.

 

Like I have said here and in other threads, our troop (youth and adults) have forgotten how to earn and counsel merit badges. The district will be putting on a Merit Badge counselor training next week, and I will be there along with 6 other counselors I have recently recruited. We are getting there.

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I'm not BW, but I am a District MB Counselor Trainer now, thanks to my DAC.

 

Here are the tools in my toolbox:

 

Expendables

- Adult Leader App (1 per)

- MB Counselor App (1 per)

- Application for Merit Badge, No. 34124 (1 per as a sample)

- Pens

 

Texts:

- Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures #33088 (Current year)

- BSA Requirements #33215 (Current Year)

- Guide for Merit Badge Counseling, No. 34532

- Merit Badge Counselor Instructors Guide #18-125 (note, the pdf download of this is down at the moment)

- Boy Scout Handbook, No. 33105

- Sample MB pamphlets

- Scoutmaster HB, No 33009

 

WEBSITES

- BSA Website, MB Requirements: http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx

- BSA Website, Guide to MB Counseling:

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/guideformeritbadgecounselors.aspx

- US Scouting Service Project website:

http://usscouts.org/meritbadges.asp (excellent analytical product)

 

My key points to my training audience:

1) You self-select to counsel, based on subjects you have a competency in :)

2) The Scoutmaster is the Gatekeeper.

3) Follow YP guidelines!!

4) Do not add to, do not take from. You may account for "ages and stages" in doing that. If it says "write a report" (and IIRC Forestry still does), I expect something for an 11 year old, and I usually expect something else from a 17 year old.

5) No time limit to complete a MB.

6) Scout starts under requirements of Date X. He may complete under those requirements.

7) The Scout is there as much for "Adult Association" as he is for "Advancement."

8) Thank you!!! for volunteering.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

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