What MB to counsel?

[clemlaw]

I noticed on scouting.org that the MB counselor training I took a few months ago showed up on my record, so I ought to send in a MB counselor application to the council.

 

I don't want to spread myself too thin, so I'm wondering what MB's I should make myself available for. I looked through the requirements, and I'm competent to counsel a number of them. The actual list of counselors is not published, so I can't just browse through and see where they're lacking.

 

For the next five years or so, my main involvement with Scouting will be as a Cub Scout leader, so I'm not connected with any particular troop. So my name would just be on the list for individual Scouts to call, which I understand is getting less and less common. (I was kind of surprised when I took the training that out of about 20 other people, I was the only one who wasn't there on behalf of a single troop.)

 

Which of the following do you think there's a particular need for?

 

American Heritage

American Cultures

My undergraduate degree is in History, so I suppose I ought to know something about these subjects.

 

Electronics

Radio

I'm an amateur radio operator, so Radio is probably the one I would be most interested in counseling. However, one of our summer council camps offers this MB (with a broadcasting emphasis, rather than amateur radio). That strikes me as kind of a strange thing to be doing at summer camp, but it does mean that it's available to many Scouts in the council. Someone who works in the electronics industry would probably be a better counselor for Electronics, but everything the merit badge requires is well within my skill level.

 

Law

I'm a lawyer, although I'm not particularly excited about counseling it. I never got it as a youth--one of the parents in my troop was a lawyer, but before I got around to signing up for it, he got sent to federal prison. Actually, there's a pretty good chance that I'll tell the Scouts, "this law thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. Keep up your grades so that you can get into engineering school." But learning that bit of wisdom might be worth getting the badge.

 

Scouting Heritage

Even if I'm not the counselor, I can still be one of the former scouts over 50 that they need to interview.

 

Coin Collecting

Stamp Collecting

I was quite the numismatist and philatelist in my younger day, and Coin Collecting was my first merit badge as a Tenderfoot, so it has a special spot for me. I really don't have much to do with either these days, although I still always go through the change in my pocket, and carefully inspect stamps on the mail I receive.

 

In addition, by virtue of being a former Scout myself, I'm probably competent to counsel most of the required MB's (e.g., Citizenships), and most of the "Scoutcraft" MB's (Camping, Cooking, etc.) But I'm guessing that those are taken care of pretty well within the troops and at council camps.

 

As a Scout, there were a couple of MB's that I might have been interested in, but wasn't able to get because there wasn't a counselor readily available. So I'm most interested in filling in any of those kinds of gaps.

 

And unless there was some strong particular need, I'm not interested in conducting "classes" in any of these subjects.

 

I'll probably ask around the council as well, but I'm wondering what thoughts you guys have.

[NealOnWheels]

If the merit badge counselor list is not published how are Scoutmasters going to find you anyway?

 

I would choose which merit badges you are most passionate for.

[moosetracker]

In our council the MB is not published on the web or what-not, but is emailed to one or two people in a troop.. Names & contact info may be sensitive.. Such as we had a MB counciler who was a state trooper working with the bike gangs in our state..

 

Also we prefer the boys going to the SM or Advancment coordinator for the info, rather then having mom or dad look up the list on the internet and organizing it for the boy (although alot of MBC will tell parents they will be happy to talk to their son when he calls them himself)..

 

I can tell you as an MBC.. If you want calls, go for at least one or two MB that are required, then choose one or two that you enjoy. You will get the calls for the required MB's, and may over 10 years get some nibbles on the ones that are electives..

 

The ones most people in the troop can do, such as camping, maybe not, I think your citizen ones would get you some nibbles..

 

Is your Pack associated with a troop? Even if you are not sure that will be the troop your son is going to end up in, I would talk with the SM and find out what required MB the troop may be lacking, that you can fill. Then you can anchor as a MBC for that troop, but make sure you do not check off troop only. Most likely although the scouts don't know you personally, they will still choose you because you are associated with their troop..

 

My husband gets calls for the lifesaving, swimming MB's out of troop all the time. I don't for Family Life and Communications.. But we both get many in troop.

 

then neither of us get much for the elective MB's we signed up for, in troop or out.

 

Just my observations..

[Eagle007]

moose, I don't know for sure but it sounds to me as if the trooper is working in an undercover capacity within the biker gangs. So if I were that trooper involved in current undercover work I would probably not sign up as a MBC. I would also not allow my son(s)to use him as such nor would I recommend my scouts to him. No offense to the trooper but there are way too many risk factors and unknowns involved for the kids to be completely safe in my opinion.

 

You will more than likely never know if a law enforcment officer is working undercover but obviously someone in this situation did. I speak from experience in these matters and would hope that the trooper would use his best judgement when interacting with kids, if that makes sense.

 

 

 

 

[moosetracker]

No, he wasn't undercover. The bikers knew he was the state trooper assigned to them. Took years, but overall he was respected by them. In fact just recently there was a shakeup and he is no longer assigned to them. Obviously over time, the bikers must have got his information because he told us the leader of one of the gangs did call him and ask who the idiot was that replaced him.

 

He was our SM for a few years, and a wonderful SM at that..

[GKlose]

I counsel seven merit badges, based upon my vocation, avocation and hobbies/interests. Signed up 3 years ago, and was trained (twice). I've gotten calls on most of them. In order of popularity:

 

Music (about 10 scouts, 5 within the troop)

Genealogy (1 outside the troop, 4 within the troop)

Disabilities Awareness (4 within the troop)

Computers (2 within the troop)

Cooking (several starts, in and out of the troop, but only one from outside the troop has finished it)

Photography (1 within the troop)

Engineering (none)

 

My guess is that calls are fairly random...most of the Music MB Scouts have been on the young side, and it isn't a difficult MB to handle. I think Genealogy is pretty easy to do, too.

 

Cooking, to me, is fairly difficult. Lots of detail. I typically warn Scouts starting on it that there are a lot of details to handle and to read the requirements carefully. That's probably why I have so many starts and only one finished (the Scout that finished it was pretty focused and came prepared).

 

Guy

[Eagle007]

moose, Kudos to the trooper. It takes a special breed to do certain types of jobs including law enforcement, EMS, Firefighting and scouting, just to name a few.

[clemlaw]

>>>>If the merit badge counselor list is not published how are Scoutmasters going to find you anyway? >No, he wasn't undercover.

[John-in-KC]

clemlaw,

 

To me, merit badge counseling is at least as much about your own passion for the subject, your own fun, as it is the needs of the District (I am not a practicioner of "in-troop only" counseling; the kids learn our buttons. It's a better Adult Association process for them to meet a stranger, it will equip them for the job interview when they are 16.)

 

So to me, it's COUNSEL what you enjoy, ENJOY what you counsel.

 

 

[moosetracker]

clemlaw will be a stranger to this troop, although affiliated with it for MB counsoling.

 

As my husband who is district advancement tells the units in our district.. "It is not up to us to find the MBC, it is up to you.. Go out and ask your neighbor the doctor, or your best friend the Veterinarian or your brother the auto mechanic."..

 

Being associated to a troop, just means the troop has asked you to help with the MB counsiling and you agreed. Or in Clem's case he asks them and they trip all over themselves with welcoming him in.. Then you are affiliated to a troop..

 

Doesn't mean the kids know you anymore then they know the person teaching the MB in the unit down the street. Hopefully the SM will ask you some questions and get an idea about who you are before he sends his scouts to you.(This message has been edited by moosetracker)

[clemlaw]

>>>>>I am not a practicioner of "in-troop only" counseling; the kids learn our buttons. It's a better Adult Association process for them to meet a stranger, it will equip them for the job interview when they are 16.)

 

So to me, it's COUNSEL what you enjoy, ENJOY what you counsel.

[Kahuna]

If you enjoy stamp collecting and can find some Scouts who are interested, I would encourage you to do that as much as possible. I worked the Stamp Collecting MB at the Jamboree and we were swamped. Most of those kids were not collectors, but hopefully some of them are now. Philately is dying of old age.

[boomerscout]

I don't want to spread myself too thin, so I'm wondering what MB's I should make myself available for"

 

Can you consult the mbc list to determine which mb already have enough? Maybe start with three. Every six to nine months drop the least used and add a fresh one?

[boomerscout]

I don't want to spread myself too thin, so I'm wondering what MB's I should make myself available for"

 

Can you consult the mbc list to determine which mb already have enough? Maybe start with three not so well covered. Every six to nine months drop the least used and add a fresh one?

[boomerscout]

I don't want to spread myself too thin, so I'm wondering what MB's I should make myself available for"

 

Can you consult the mbc list to determine which mb already have enough? Maybe start with three not so well covered. Every six to nine months drop the least used and add a fresh one?