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Merit badge pursuit


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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

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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

 

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"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

 

 

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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.

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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

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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

 

 

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"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.

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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.)"

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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)

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