Parents as Merit Badge Counselors

[John-in-KC 311]

Flyingfish,

 

Surely there is another master carpenter in your District who is also a MB Counselor.

 

The boy, sooner than later, will have to introduce himself to a complete stranger and ask for a job. Why not have him practice well now, by going outside his comfort zone.

 

Now, if Dad was the only master carpenter in your District, then that's a wholly different story.

[Flyingfish 10]

John-in-KC,

The master carpenter situation is what the grown ups call an analogy.

I never said the scenario had one person that was the only qualified counselor for any badge. Try not engage in sweeping generalities.

 

I happen to be in a somewhat specialized field that most people rarely run across.

 

I am qualified to counsel several required badges that I worry about what my son will take away from another counselor.

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

Flyingfish,

 

At 54 years old, I think I'm an adult!

 

Point is this: MB Counselors self-select based on their own assessment of knowledge, skills, and abilities. There are limited exceptions: Aquatics and shooting sports come to mind.

 

I do not counsel over 100 of the merit badges BSA offers: I do not have the knowledge base and skills to counsel them. The 5 I do counsel, I think I'm pretty darn good at.

 

If you are truly the only expert in your area, then of course your son comes to you for that MB. If you're just worried, then let him learn from others and come back and ask you, "Dad, what about...?" It becomes a win-win.

[moosetracker 132]

flyfishing - your comment..

I am qualified to counsel several required badges that I worry about what my son will take away from another counselor.

 

 

If your son is getting all meritbadges at either summer camp, something like a MB college and you, there are things you can (and should) do to curb that.. If your son is going to other MBC's for many of his badges & you for a few, then don't sweat it..

 

Just make sure you are not circumventing the learning process of how to call complete strangers and ask for their time and help.. It is a great learning process that will help him as he matures and needs to do just that..

 

If you want to make sure he learned for the other MBC things you think are important, then do things (hopefully not homework style, but father/son style) to get him to learn it before he takes the meritbadge.. Taking your master carpentry example, work on a father/son woodworking project where you make sure you stop to explain things to him.. Then when he goes to the councilor he has knowledge he has gained working with his Dad.. The other way is when he finishes a Merit badge, simply review it with him.. Not in a test/drill style, but as an interested parent with knowledge and intrest in that area.. Add to his knowledge with a few "Did you guys talk about this? Or I always found ______ fascinating because _________.."

 

Just make sure he has opportunity to make those adult connections, even if you could do alot of the Meritbadges with him..

[RememberSchiff 3663]

Tried and failed to recruit two more MBC last night. One look at that over-the-top background check on the Adult volunteer application killed all hope.

 

Anyway, I had this idea for the Council level Quality Whatever-it-is-called-this-year Award.

"Council must have at least two qualified MBC's, not otherwise serving as adult leaders, for each elective merit badges offered by the BSA." Maybe have area exceptions for certain badges, but something like that. While Council is making the rounds for business donations, I would like them to recruit some outside talent for MBC's.

 

My $0.02