MB at Camporee

[rjscout]

The troop attended a Camporee that had a few Merit Badges offered. I had recently signed up to be a MBC in one of those areas. I thought that the Camporee would give me a good insight into how an MBC should operate. I volunteered to assist, but I was not acting as an MBC. It looks like the requirements were a bit watered down. Activities that are written to perform an action turned out to be 'watch someone perform the activity' and listen to his description of what he is doing. Is it typical to have the requirements modified to this extent as part of a Camporee that has LOTS of boys going after these MBs?

[moosetracker]

Just like Summer camp, (and individual units). It all depends who is running the event.. Some will do it right, and hand you a partial, some with cheat the system, call it good enough, and thus cheat the boys out of doing it right.

 

We ran a Camporee many years back on a theme of first aide.. We had some things that could be checked off for a first aid MB.. But it was not meant to be complete, then we had other things that were not for the MB at all.. So we did some races on stretchers, and had a medical helecopter fly in and land so the boys got to go in and check it out.. (I know the schedule was messed up on that as they had an emergancy, but they did arrive later in the day.. Some things were nothing but pure fun, But we did do the full CPR course complete with alot of dummies (like 10-20) and I can't remember what they used, but there were two ways to make sure the faces were sanatized, one was a full cleanning.. But there was something else like changing out the face part, or some insertion tube (don't really remember).. Anyway the scouts really did the hands on CPR to get the credit for it.

 

There were other things that got a sign off for a First aid requirement at the course, I don't remember it all, but it wasn't the full MB we didn't want it to be.

[John-in-KC]

Run away if they ask you to do this again. Now, if they ask you what you need to get it done, and how much of a partial you can give, well, then you might want to participate.

 

We say ... don't add to, don't take from ... so that the advancement awarded (a merit badge in this case) is pretty uniform, no matter whether the Scout is in Kansas, Idaho, Alabama, or Vermont.

 

At the end of the day, it's how well you can look at the Scouts who get your signature on a MB app and say "I gave them my best."

 

[Venividi]

The format required in order to enable scouts to complete merit badges at camporees, merit badge universities, etc. (i.e., large group settings), simply does not line up with what BSA states as the value of the MB program. It does expose the scouts to a topic that they might otherwise not have been exposed to, but: There is too much material to cover in that short of a time. Too much "I'll demonstrate, you copy and you're complete". Too many "students" for one person or to test all those requirements individually, let alone serve as a mentor. Too much instructor led for a boy to experience initiative, no need for a boy to exerience initiative nor to overcome the fear of telephoning an adult that he does not know.

 

According to the Merit Badge Counselor Instructor's guide

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/18-125.pdf

 

- The merit badge itself is a simple embroidered patch, but the intangible end result of earning it is that the Scout gains self-confidence from overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal.

- the real opportunity for a counselor lies in coachinghelping Scouts over the different hurdles of the requirements and helping make them aware of the deeper aspects of the subject from their knowledge and experience

- Merit badge counselors provide an excellent means for a Scout to grow through his exposure to outstanding adults who serve as examples and mentors to them. The opportunity to deal with business leaders, trained specialists, and experienced hobbyists while in the pursuit of a merit badge offers the Scout a chance for personal growth and possibly a life-altering experience.

- the real opportunity for a counselor lies in coachinghelping Scouts over the different hurdles of the requirements and helping make them aware of the deeper aspects of the subject from their knowledge and experience

- Group instruction is acceptable, but each Scout must be tested and passed individually.

I have not seen any MB university or camporee offered MB be able to provide for these things.

 

I have been asked to teach a MB in group settings at troop meetings and MB universities. I have turned them down, because when comparing the results with what BSA states are the benefits of using counselors, I conclude that counseling in a group setting is a waste of both my time and the boys' time. Other people consider the same information and arrive at the opposite conclusion, so consider what you value, and decide accordingly.(This message has been edited by venividi)

[SR540Beaver]

Bear with me as I tell a story. When my son was a 9th grader, he was called to the office. It was the only time in his life. The kids had a habit of leaving books, notebooks and other personal materials in a teachers room and she had had enough. She rounded it all up and sent it to the office. What got my son called into the Vice Principal's office was what was in his notebook. Someone decided to play a prank on him and wrote the word "penis" all over the inside of his notebook. The VP asked him if it was his notebook. Yes sir. Then the VP opened it and showed it to him and asked what all the writing in it was about. My son's eyes were as big as saucers as he said, "I have no idea sir, I didn't write it". His shocked reaction told the VP he was telling the truth. They visited a little and then the VP asked my son what he did outside of school. He said, "Boy Scouts". The VP replied, "that's it! I know the minute we started talking that there was something different about you and the way you carried yourself." Turns out this VP had been a scout, made it to Life, worked on his Eagle project but never finished and was an Arrowman to boot. They became friends and he became a great encouragement to my son in both his education and his scouting.

 

What does that story have to do with MB's. Adult association. Our scouts learn how to present and handle themselves in an adult world thru adult association. The VP saw an confidence, maturity and attitude that in part came from the scouting experience. Our scouts get a lot of adult association just thru scouting, but MB's enhance that experience when the boys do it the old fashioned way of calling up an MBC and scehduling time with a the MBC and a buddy to work with them instead of in a group setting.

 

I'm not against a group setting. Our troop offers certain MB's, especially some of the Eagle required MB's that we want ot make sure the boys get a high quality experience on. They are never done as part of troop meetings, but held seperatly. We also hold an annual MB Fair, but we have very high standards and will not allow them to be watered down.

 

All of that being said, my personal preference would be to avoid MB Fairs, doing MB's as part of a Camporee (that isn't what a Camporee is about to begin with) and many of the MB's done at summer camp. My preference is doing it the old school way with a kid having to pick up the phone and call a stranger, make the request, work out the details, meet them, look in their eye, shake their hand and learn under them. One, they learn something that they never knew before. Two, they fulfill rank advancement requirements. Three, they learn about themselves, about others and how to interact and be self confident. I'm perfectly cool with a kid making Eagle with exactly 21 MB's as long as the process makes the scout into a better person along the way.

[Beavah]

Well, rjscout, did they use EDGE to teach MBs at da camporee?

 

I think your instincts are exactly right, eh? The best instructors and counselors go into teaching with goals in mind for the learners, rather than goals for themselves or the event. So what yeh saw was that the boys weren't reaching the goals for the badge and for personal growth. And that's what we're all about, eh?

 

That's why a lot of us don't care for these MB Fairs and the like. Not because they can't be done well, but because 90% of the time the boys are shortchanged. As an introduction to the topic and the badge, a group setting can be just fine. But yeh have to follow it up with individual mentoring and attention and evaluation, and that can't happen in a large group setting.

 

Real learning doesn't happen in a few hours on one weekend. It takes time and effort and focus. That's why it causes da sort of personal growth we want boys to get in Scouting.

 

Beavah

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[BadenP]

I agree with you Beavah, these "fast food" MB mills have no place in the BSA and take away the value and experience for the boy of really earning that award.

[Oak Tree]

For the last two years our district camporee has focused on merit badges. I am not normally a fan of the merit badges as taught at summer camp or at merit badge universities, but these badges at the camporee were pretty well done by all accounts.

 

Prior to this, the district used to run some type of challenge station, where you'd go around from place to place and complete the task at the station. These were not as well done, and I think there are a few reasons for this. There was nothing to lose or gain by doing the station well or poorly, for either the presenter or the participants. The stations were typically dictated by an overall camporee theme, so the troops didn't come up with them, and didn't put a whole lot of energy into them.

 

Last year we did the historical merit badges. This year it was Geocaching. In both cases the district divided up all the requirements and asked each troop to run a station where one or two (or even one-half) requirements were covered. The troops all did pretty nice jobs with this. They could pick the requirement they were good at, do a pretty thorough job of covering it, and check each boy to whatever level they wanted to. Because the badges weren't necessarily intended to be earned there, it was fine to go home with partials. There were no time requirements - boys could move to whichever station they wanted to. There was no pressure to sign off on requirements that had not actually been achieved.

 

I was pretty happy with this. The boys get to interact with multiple "experts", and it was definitely more organized and more effective than other styles of camporees in the past.

[rjscout]

Great feedback! I am new to the Boy Scout side after my son recently crossed to a Troop. The boys had fun and learned a lot, but I don't think the MBs were very thorough. I do plan to be much more thorough with the MB that I am signed up for.

 

Thanks to all!!!

 

rj