FrankBoss Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 If a kid wants to pursue a merit badge on his own and has a councilor in the troop do we discourage this until other boy's are interested? I've herd that they aren't to do merit badges on their own. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwd-scouter Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Don't discourage him. A scout only needs a buddy to visit with the counselor. Buddy can be a friend, a parent, whatever - doesn't have to be a fellow scout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 What gwd said. Don't discourage them!!! This is an example of bad gatekeeping!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankBoss Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 thats what I thought....keep those boys rollin. Thanks Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghermanno Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 FrankBoss, I am assuming "on his own" does not mean that he did not ask the SM first. He still needs the SM's signed BC and to be sure the MBC is registered. Other than that, you are correct. The boy decides what MB he would like to work on and he does NOT need more than one Scout. There MUST be more than one person though, either another boy or an adult that the BOY selects (not the MBC). This is for Youth Protection purposes. YiS, Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankBoss Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 On his own as in not in a class with other scouts.. not to by pass proceeder but some kids have interest that are not share by the other boys. contact the MBC and SM is not a problem. Thanks Again Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FScouter Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Similarly, a boy should not be railroaded into attending a group merit badge class/lecture just because the other boys are doing so or because the SM pushes it. A merit badge is in individual effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beavah Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Yah, FrankBoss, nothin' wrong with that, eh? Lots of boys have individual interests that their buddies in the troop might not share. A trained MBC knows how to deal with this just fine. Sometimes they meet in a public place with other adults (like a Doc who meets with a boy interested in medicine MB at his office with other staff present and doors open), sometimes they ask a lad's parent to come along and sit in, sometimes they'll buddy kids up from two different troops. Lots of ways to skin a cat, eh? Encourage the lad, and then let the adults worry about how to manage no one-on-one. Beavah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDPT00 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 "There MUST be more than one person though, either another boy or an adult that the BOY selects (not the MBC). This is for Youth Protection purposes." I'm very curious where this information originated. Can you supply a source? Thanks, BDPT00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwHeck Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 The youth protection aspect is no 'one on one'... in our troop, we tend to handle this by meeting at a public location in full view of others such as at the public library or, if meeting at a house, ensuring that someone else is present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortridge Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 BDPT100: "The Scout then contacts the merit badge counselor and makes an appointment. The merit badge counselor sets a date and time to meet with the Scout and his buddy, and may suggest the Scout bring the merit badge pamphlet along with the blue card." - Guide for Merit Badge Counselors, http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDPT00 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Thanks for the replies, but you missed the question. Where does it say that the additional person cannot be the choice of the counselor? This is stated as fact to a person who is seeking advice. Whether a good idea or not, I don't believe it to be so. BDPT00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortridge Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 "A merit badge counselor must always ensure that a Scout has a "buddy" present at all instruction sessions. Working on merit badges is especially enjoyable when Scouts work together, and the BSA encourages this by making the buddy system a part of the merit badge program. Together the two meet with merit badge counselors, plan projects, and keep their enthusiasm high. The Scout's buddy could be another Scout, a parent or guardian, brother or sister, relative, or friend. The Scout should bring a buddy to all his appointments with his counselor." -- http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/TrainingModules/MeritBadgeCounselorInstructorsGuide.aspx It's clear that the buddy is the Scout's buddy, not the MBC's. Frankly, I'd be a little weirded out by an MBC who tried to dictate a Scout's choice of a buddy. What would be the point? You want to make sure the buddy is someone the Scout is comfortable learning with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NealOnWheels Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 From the Scoutmaster Handbook: "Along with another Scout, a relative, or a friend, the Scout sets up and attends his first appointment with the merit badge counselor. (No one-on-one contact is permitted. A Scout must have a buddy with him at each meeting with a merit badge counselor.)" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beavah Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Yah, da policy is no one-on-one, eh? How yeh solve no one-on-one is up to da boy/parent/MBC/SM/unit. Everything else in da literature is just suggestions or guidance on how yeh might go about it. Don't read too much into isolated words like "A Scout's buddy" or "A Merit Badge counselor must ensure." Meetin' in a public place is OK, havin' parents tag along is OK, havin' multiple kids do the badge together (even if they don't know each other beforehand) is OK, havin' a boy bring a buddy is OK, havin' a second registered adult is OK. Whatever. Just don't be dumb and do Home Repairs MB one-on-one in your dark, windowless basement because that's where your tools happen to be. Beavah (This message has been edited by Beavah) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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