Heritage MB requirements issued today by BSA

[OwntheNight]

BSA has issued the requirements for the new Heritage MB today. Here they are:

 

Requirements

 

1. Discuss with your counselor the life and times of Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. Explain why he felt a program like Scouting would be good for the young men of his day. Include in your discussion how Scouting was introduced in the United States, and the origins of Boy Scouting and Cub Scouting under Baden-Powell.

2. Do the following:

1. Give a short biographical sketch of any TWO of the following, and tell of their roles in how Scouting developed and grew in the United States prior to 1940.

1. Daniel Carter Beard

2. William D. Boyce

3. Waite Phillips

4. Ernest Thompson Seton

5. James E. West

2. Discuss the significance to Scouting of any TWO of the following:

1. Brownsea Island

2. The First World Scout Jamboree

3. Boy Scout Handbook

4. Boys Life magazine

3. Discuss with your counselor how Scoutings programs have developed over time and been adapted to fit different age groups and interests (Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Exploring, Venturing).

4. Do ONE of the following:

1. Attend either a BSA national jamboree, OR world Scout jamboree, OR a national BSA high-adventure base. While there, keep a journal documenting your day-to-day experiences. Upon your return, report to your counselor what you did, saw, and learned. You may include photos, brochures, and other documents in your report.

2. Write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.* Obtain information about this facility. Give a short report on what you think the role of this museum is in the Scouting program.

* *If you visit the BSAs national traveling tour, Adventure Base 100, in 2010, you may use this experience to fulfill requirement 4b. Visit www.adventurebase100.org (with your parents permission) for the schedule and for more information.

5. Learn about the history of your unit or Scouting in your area. Interview at least two people (one from the past and one from the present) associated with your troop. These individuals could be adult unit leaders, Scouts, troop committee members, or representatives of your troops chartered organization. Find out when your unit was originally chartered. Create a report of your findings on the history of your troop, and present it to your patrol or troop or at a court of honor, and then add it to the troops library. This presentation could be in the form of an oral/written report, an exhibit, a scrapbook, or a computer presentation such as a slide show.

6. Make a collection of some of your personal patches and other Scouting memorabilia. With their permission, you may include items borrowed from family members or friends who have been in Scouting in the past, or you may include photographs of these items. Show this collection to your counselor, and share what you have learned about items in the collection. (There is no requirement regarding how large or small this collection must be.)

7. Reproduce the equipment for an old-time Scouting game such as those played at Brownsea Island. You may find one on your own (with your counselors approval), or pick one from the Scouting Heritage merit badge pamphlet. Teach and play the game with other Scouts.

8. Interview at least three people (different from those you interviewed for requirement 5) over the age of 50 who were Scouts. Find out about their Scouting experiences. Ask about the impact that Scouting has had on their lives. Share what you learned with your counselor.

[moxieman]

4. Do ONE of the following:

1. Attend either a BSA national jamboree, OR world Scout jamboree, OR a national BSA high-adventure base. While there, keep a journal documenting your day-to-day experiences. Upon your return, report to your counselor what you did, saw, and learned. You may include photos, brochures, and other documents in your report.

2. Write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.* Obtain information about this facility. Give a short report on what you think the role of this museum is in the Scouting program.

* *If you visit the BSAs national traveling tour, Adventure Base 100, in 2010, you may use this experience to fulfill requirement 4b. Visit www.adventurebase100.org (with your parents permission) for the schedule and for more information.

 

You know, there are a LOT of youth in my council who can't afford to complete the requirement above. I'm sure we're not the only ones in this boat. Since when did the BSA decide to create merit badges that exclude a lot of youth from every being able to complete it?

 

Let's see...nearest the Adventure Base comes to Maine: Boston, MA over the July 4th holiday--that's a 3 to 4 hour drive from here if you're insane enough to try and drive into Boston on a holiday weekend.

 

Current Nearest National High Adventure Base (Maine one hasn't been National in many years): Minnosota--half-way across the country.

Current cost for a youth from this area to attend National Jamboree: Approximately $1,400 or so.

World Jamboree...let's not go there.

Irving TX is over 2,000 miles away.

 

If this one lasts five years without altering this requirement or being dropped, I'll be surprised.

[moxieman]

Should have checked the Scouting Magazine website prior to responding--National has already corrected #4 (as of 4:10pm Eastern on 5/4) to now read:

 

4 Do ONE of the following:

a. Attend either a BSA national jamboree, OR world Scout jamboree, OR a national BSA high-adventure base. While there, keep a journal documenting your day-to-day experiences. Upon your return, report to your counselor what you did, saw, and learned. You may include photos, brochures, and other documents in your report.

 

b. Write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.* Obtain information about this facility. Give a short report on what you think the role of this museum is in the Scouting program.

* *If you visit the BSAs national traveling tour, Adventure Base 100, in 2010, you may use this experience to fulfill requirement 4b. Visit www.adventurebase100.org (with your parents permission) for the schedule and for more information.

 

That's a bit more reasonable for scouts who can't afford to visit one of those locations/events.(This message has been edited by moxieman)

[shortridge]

The key is "write" or visit the National Scouting Museum. If Scouts are even remotely interested in this, the museum folks are going to get swamped! And all they're going to be doing, realistically, is mailing out brochures and info packets - not responding to questions.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[Bando]

Great idea for a merit badge, I was looking forward to helping some scouts earn this one, but the requirements are incredibly poor for what it could be.

[Lisabob]

Well I am glad they announced this. One thing I notice - the touring BSA museum bus is in my state - THIS WEEKEND. Great to have advance notice of things like this.

[skeptic]

Once again, some individuals are fuming unnecessarily. The Museum has a very nice web site which can be reviewed along with the materials which might be sent via mail. This is not a difficult requirement with which to deal. Personally, I would have hoped to see a bit stronger requirement for the BSA history time line and so on; but it is overall very well done. As with any merit badge, we would hope that the counselor might set some basic expectations for a boy that chooses to do the badge. Most likely I will end up a counselor, and certainly will have my personal interpretations on a couple of them. Have to get a pamphlet to review first, though.