Camp Merit Badges

[eagle90 125]

Is it just me or are we emphasizing Merit Badges at camp way too much? How can one possibly earn 8 MB's in a normal 6 day summer camp and do all the requirements? To me that is way too much class time, and not enough time for just enjoying the surroundings, walking in the woods, having fellowship with your buddies, etc. We ask our Scouts to sign up for 2-3 MB's maximum. Then go to free swim, open shooting, wander thru the nature lodge, have some FUN! Agree? Disagree?

 

Dale

[madkins007 10]

I think we over-emphasise merit badges too much in general- Scout meetings, summer camp, workshops, etc.

 

[evmori 11]

I would agree with the over emphasis on merit badges.

 

8 in a week? Why not. Basketry, Leatherwork & Woodcarving can be completed in 3 days. If a Scout can shoot, Rifle can be completed in 4 days. Space Exploration & Wilderness Survival are fairly easy. Swimming & Mammal Study are not that tough, either. That makes 8!

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[scoutldr 726]

In my experience, scouts are actively discouraged from "walking around, enjoying the surroundings and, generally hanging out." (to paraphrase) Only group free time is scheduled (reminds me of the poster who said she actually scheduled time to be spontaneous!)

 

I think the prevailing opinion is, that "idle hands are the devil's workshop" and if scouts aren't 100% scheduled, they will think up things to do that have nothing to do with scouting.

 

 

[Greeneagle5 10]

I agree, MBs are over emphasized and many times at most (but not all) Camps. As an ASM I've been frustrated in my attempts to direct the Troop, and most particularly the older Scouts, towards camps with a more "high adventure" program for their motivational excitement and experiences. As an example, the local summer camp offered "Whitewater MB" this year to older Scouts that had previously earned the "Canoeing

MB". Unfortunately for these Scouts (and program) the river used for the MB was so low this summer that "pulling" the canoes and kayaks were much more common(98% of the outing) than paddling them.

As a WW-MB conselor I was very disappointed in the council's continued Summer Camp -MB program degradation. Also, the instructor for this course,although a fantastic and very talented young man, had extremely minimal experience in swift water boating.

I've become excedingly disappointed in many of "BSA,INC.s" entrenched policies and inflated MB programs. It needs to be "tweaked" back into shape for the Scouts' benefit.

G5

[EagleInKY 14]

I agree with the over-emphasis as well. I was guilty of it myself during my first year as scoutmaster. This year, we encouraged the guys to leave some free time to do those other things. Most did not want to, and ended up with a pretty full schedule. I think that their parents, in many cases, pushed them to take as much as possible.

[LPC_Thumper 10]

As a former camp program area coordinator (that would be the adult in charge of an area, in case that title is a camp specific one), I watched from different eyes than I had as a Scoutmaster at the same camp.

 

The camp tries to react to the demands of the troops, after all if we don't supply what they want, why would they come back? If they don't come back, it's safe to assume we won't have this camp in the future... You following the logic? So if the troops are asking for more merit badge times, we'll supply them, if they want more free time, or more High Adventure time, or whatever, we'll do our best to supply that.

 

Now as a Scoutmaster, I bring the troop to camp and the boys have been worked up by their parents to bring home as many MBs as possible. Many times these boys are very willing to please, and want to ensure that Mom & Dad are pleased with him. Mom & Dad have heard that camp is a great place to earn those badges for Eagle, and heck isn't that why we're doing this? Many times that all they know is that you earn enough badges from camp, and they'll make Eagle, that's all they know, and all they care about...

 

Now where did they learn that? YOU Mr(s) Scoutmaster all but said that. They don't know program, you do. YOU allowed other adults to tell them this.

 

When I got to help start a new troop after being an SM in a different one, and after working on staff at a camp, we spent time with the parents and tried to help them understand. When we taught them what could happen, or boys came to camp with that attitude too. We take our older boys to some sort of a High Adventure camp, and have many kids that will do two camps per summer. The older guys refer to them as "working" camp and "fun" camp. The new adults hear this from the older boy's parents and fall into the attitude as well. It works for us, good luck with this...

[jr56 92]

I have had boys both ways. Some want to earn as many merit badges as they can, others want to hang out and have a good time. Others want to concentrate on a particular area of camp they like (waterfront, shooting etc). I try to let they boys do what interests them the most. I would say the average scout ends up taking 2-3 merit badges.