Thoughts on Merit Badges from Jambo??

[skeptic]

One of my concerns the past couple of Jambo's, which I did not attend, was the amount of merit badges "earned" at the Jambo. So, I made it a point to visit the midway and observe. Overall, it did not seem as if boys were being "handed" the badges. A number of the booths specifically noted that a scout was likely to only get a partial, unless he had valid verification of some prior completions. Certainly, at least in the areas I observed, the boys were required to actually do things, and were also tested. The men and women running the activities were very conscientious and worked extremely hard to accommodate the masses (in the most popular badges). Certainly was superior to many summer camp offerings, at least in my observation.

 

What think others that might have valid observations from this Jambo, and others?

[Twocubdad]

I spent a fair bit of time at the midway and would agree with your observations.

 

Several adults commented to me that they thought some of the MBs advertising "earn this merit badge in two hours" (or whatever) was a bit distasteful and encouraged boys to go out and earn "cheap" merit badges. I'd suggest those adults sit through the American Business merit badge. Free Markets at work! If a Scout wants to maximize his opportunities and earn three MBs in the same time he may get a partial on one, then good for him! I believe my economics professor called that "enlightened self interest."

 

In case some folks haven't heard, there are some merit badges which are easier than others.

[GKlose]

Secondhand, but...I asked my son if he visited the Merit Badge Midway. "Yes." Well, did you work on anything. "No, all the classes were 3 or 4 hours long and the guy I was with only had two hours."

 

But I was pretty impressed to see, in one of the Jamboree newsletters, that they went to a paperless (blue card-less) system of reporting back to the unit and the council that a merit badge had been earned. I'm hoping it might be something of a trial run for major improvements in online advancement reporting.

 

Guy

[SR540Beaver]

We encourage the boys to visit the midway, but we don't encourage that they try earning any MB's. We also don't discourage it if they really have a desire. Jamboree costs a boat load of money and there are things to see and do there that they probably won't ever get to do back home. Earning an MB back home happens all the time. So we want them to visit and get an idea or feel for an MB and come back home and pursue it there. Don't stand in line for hours waiting to do something you can do at home and miss out on everything else there is to do.

[Bando]

When I went to Jamboree as a Scout, I think I earned 4 merit badges. And still had time to do tons of other fun things. One was a fairly obscure merit badge I wanted to earn at home (Atomic Energy), but couldn't find a counselor, so I took about 6 hours of program time to do it there. Ended up having a blast, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my scouting career. Something that stands out a decade later. The other 3 were an afternoon out there with my buddies shopping for things we could do quickly. Yeah, a little cheap, but we all ended up with radically different badges we never would have attempted at home, and learned a little something along the way. The counselors know what they're doing, they're passionate about their field, and it's a good a way as any to earn a merit badge.

 

I don't understand the Scoutmasters who absolutely tell their kids NOT to earn a merit badge at Jamboree. Here's an opportunity to earn most or all of nearly every merit badge on the list. Yeah, sometimes a kid will take some time away from doing activities you think they -should- be doing, but as long as they're not going to Jamboree to do something mindnumbingly easy to find a counselor for at home (who goes to Jambo to take First Aid, anyway?), why not encourage them to try a new skill and have some fun? I earned Veterinary Medicine at Jamboree. Never would have given that a shot at home. Send the kid off to Fish Hook Lake to earn Fishing in a morning or two doing something that's both fun AND program. Why not?

 

Merit Badge Midway is just another program option to get kids thinking outside the box and do a little advancement along the way. It's an incredible resource. Why not try to get them to utilize it instead of treating it as a waste of time, as so many adults at Jamboree seemed to do?

[Buffalo Skipper]

I had 2 scouts go to the NJ: both 13, one First Class (having previously completed 4 MBs) and the other Life (having nearly 40 MBs). I advised both before they left: Keep in mind the cost of the Jamboree...do you want to spend that money earning a few MBs (which you may be able to earn at home) or would you prefer to do activities which were specifically related to the NJ and could not be done at home. I also advised them that there would be some uniquely qualified counselors there and that they should not pass by a MB opportunity which may prove to be a unique experience.

 

They camp back with 2 MBs and 2 partials, and 3 MBs respectively.

 

The FC scout, who had been losing interest in Scouts came back fired up and ready to continue working on MBs and begin advancing. It was a great sight to see. The Life scout earned badges he would have had limited opportunity to complete at home, and was very excited about the ones he earned.

 

Separately, I was both disappointed and impressed by the administrative side of the Jamboree MB process. These scouts were required to turn in their sheets to their contingent SM, leaving nothing for the scouts to present to the troop. I emailed their CSM, but have not heard back in almost a week. I did go through the council PD (who is a personal friend) and he was able to send me the scans of their 7 badges (completions and partials). Accordingly, we are now able to print the advancement reports required to purchase and present the badges to these scouts. I did not see where the scans were obtained, I got the impression that these were scanned at the Jamboree and that there was some index system with which the PD looked them up and emailed them to me, but I really do not know.

 

In the end, it was not a problem, but if these are entered directly into Scoutnet (as I was told they were to be), then we cannot print them on our troop Scoutnet report because we were not the ones who made the update. I can "fake" the report on Troopmaster, but that is really not the way I want to keep troop records of advancement.

[SR540Beaver]

Keep in mind that every merit badge is "represented" at Jamboree and not all are taught.

[Twocubdad]

BuffSkip -- it was the jamboree SM who fouled that up. The boys should give the blue sheets to their home troop. Ask the jambo SM if he will please forward the blue sheets to you.

 

I spoke with an ASM from a nearby troop which was strongly encouraging their Scouts to earn at least 5 MBs at jamboree. They were even offering merit badges in the campsite taught by the adult leaders.

 

To me that's just as wrong-headed as the troops which tell their boys not to earn any MBs at jambo because they can earn them at home.

 

Truth is, just about everything at jamboree can be done at home. Difference is everything at jamboree is bigger and better. Like trading patches? There were a lifetime of patches to trade. Mountain Boarding? Did anyone get to go boarding with Shawn White?

 

Is there a Scout camp anywhere that doesn't offer Woodcarving MB? But did you stick your head in that tent? The people teaching woodcarving were incredible.

 

I heard a rumor that THE administrator of NASA helped as the Space Exploration tent. I know there were astronauts there during the jambo. Five years ago my son earned Aviation MB from one of the Blue Angles.

 

Our only advice to the boys was not to spend ALL their time on any one thing. While we had boys earn 5 or 6 MBs, we also had boys who went fishing just about everyday and others who spent hours and hours trading patches.

 

If they had fun, who's to complain?

[Kahuna]

I may be a bit biased, working at the Stamp Collecting tent, but the boys who left there with a complete badge knew their stuff. They may not be expert stamp collectors, but they knew the requirement. Incidentally, it took them 4-5 hours to finish, which meant they had to come back several times.

[evilleramsfan]

I was supposed to be on staff for the Surveying merit badge (had to cancel due to the economy) and I can tell you that any boy who earned it got a first class education. All the permanent staff members are registered surveyors and several have licenses in multiple states. I know several offered the use of their personal equipment. The results of the Jamboree are reported to the national association.

[Cubby's Cubmaster]

My 2 nephews ages 14, 12 each earned 9 merit badges at Jambo this year. I was shocked! They decided they'd work their tails off. They got to the merit badge midway when it opened and worked all day every day except the last day they were there. They would have earned 10 each but on the last day they rested and enjoyed the Jambo activities. Go to hand it to them in that they applied themselves...but whew!

 

I attended the 1981 Jambo. I did most of the Jambo activities, earned the 'rocker' patch and never thought about doing the merit badge midway. One reason was I could do merit badges at summer camp or with a troop merit badge counselor--so why waste my time at Jambo doing that. Second reason was there was so much to do...I didn't want to miss it. Before I aged out of scouts, I earned a silver palm so I had no regrets and was glad I did the Jambo activities and not the merit badges.

 

I see from my son's experience (he is an 11 yr old Tenderfoot) that summer camp merit badges are more of a focus than when I was a boy. Some of his friends earned 7 merit badges at summer camp--two earned 8! I never got more than 5 and that was full time work back then, because when I was at summer camp, we cooked for ourselves and had planned troop activities that we didn't want to miss. Back then, most scouts earned 2-4 merit badges during the week. Kids these days don't cook and they don't have much in the way of planned troop activities at summer camp--so I they have more time to work on merit badges.

 

All in all, IMHO I think merit badge and rank requirements are harder these days than when I was a scout. I know the kids have more time at camp (and Jambo if they choose) to earn them. I don't think they are treated differently than I was as a scout as far as fulfilling the requirements--that is, I think the merit badge counselors do their best to ensure the scouts actually do the merit badge work.

 

But seriously, I wonder what their scoutmaster will say when he find out about them earning 9 merit badges at Jambo!

 

YIS,

Cubby's Cubmaster