What do you do when.....

[troop_358_potlatch 10]

your son is kind of shy and will not contact merit badge counselors? My son has finished the requirements for a merit badge, but he is shy and won't contact the counselor to get his blue card signed off.

[red feather 10]

How old is your son? What rank and how long has he been in scouting? One solution might be have hem do a merit badge with another scout, this might ease him into the merit badge process.

 

yis

[troop_358_potlatch 10]

My son is 12. He joined cubs as a wolf.He has been a member of the troop since April 2002.He really likes scouting, but just has a hard time talking to new people. It took him awhile to get used to the new adults that are a part of the troop.

[Eagledad 2777]

I might bring them together in relaxed atmosphere and just talk. Eventually one of them could bring the subject up and let it go from there.

 

I might ask the counselor to call and to see if your son has questions. See where you son goes with that.

 

I admire you asking because the MB program was designed with this in mind. Small steps toward man size confidence.

 

I love this Scouting stuff.

 

Barry

[hops_scout 9]

I have the same problem. I dont like using the phone at all. I wont even call relatives because I hate using the phone. Here is one thing that could be condsidered a technology effect.

[Scoutmaster Ron 12]

Are you saying he completed the requirements for a merit badge without ever contacting the counselor?.....Scouts must contact the M.B. counselors before even starting the merit badge. Shouldnt he allready have a buddy doing the merit badge with him?

[dan 10]

Why would he have to have a buddy to do the merit badge with? A buddy to meet with the counselor, but not do the merit badge.

[mk9750 11]

All of the above points are good. He should have a buddy when doing a Merit Badge, ESPECIALLY if it with someone he doesn't know. He should have contacted the councelor before he started. And, a very important part of the MB program is a boy learning to interact with adults. This is even more valuable when it is a stranger. However, at 12 years old, there is reason for a boy to feel aprehensive in this situation. If he was 16, I'd say suck it up and make the call. But a t 12, someone like the Scoutmaster or Advancement chair could help make the initial contact for him. I'd steer away from the parents doing it. There's more harm than good in that. But if a known adult can grease the skids a little with an unknown adult, eventually he will get the confidence to take care of this himself.

 

Don't do it for him, but keep encouraging him to take care of this without procrastination. He'll be a better Scout, and eventually a better man, for it.

 

And this brings up another point. We as adults, and MB councelors in particular for this discussion, should be attentive to these kinds of problems. We can often be the cause of an otherwise great Scout becoming disinterested if we don't meet kids half way. They are learning. They aren't always sure of themselves. We know the ropes, and we can help. Eagledad suggests that maybe the councelor could call the boy. This small gesture, even though it isn't one of the requirements to be a councelor, just might pave the way for a boy to succeed. A phone call is a pretty small price to pay for that.

 

Good luck! Keep at it!

 

Mark

[Scoutmaster Ron 12]

Agree with you DAN....from my experience it's usually been two scouts doing the M.B. together. In Troop_358's original post it implys or at least how I'm reading he is that he has completed all of the requirements prior to ever contacting a M.B. counselor.

[troop_358_potlatch 10]

The counselor did this merit badge at a few troop meetings. My son missed part of the discussion one night, but he finished the requirements at a later time.He did a work sheet that I had gotten off the merit badge website.It was turned into the counselor, but she would not accept just that. He worked for 3 hours to finish this. I would think that it would be proof that he had done what he was supposed to do.

[k9gold-scout 10]

I always encourage parents to sit in on merit badge sessions, but I do tell them not to coach their son or to answer any questions. The can make coments after the session is over. Part of the process of earning a MB is releating to new adults. Now he can prepair and know the subjet but he must be able to explain the requirements to the counselor and he must do everything that is required.

[k9gold-scout 10]

I always encourage parents to sit in on merit badge sessions, but I do tell them not to coach their son or to answer any questions. The can make coments after the session is over. Part of the process of earning a MB is releating to new adults. Now he can prepair and know the subjet but he must be able to explain the requirements to the counselor and he must do everything that is required.

[k9gold-scout 10]

I always encourage parents to sit in on merit badge sessions, but I do tell them not to coach their son or to answer any questions. The can make coments after the session is over. Part of the process of earning a MB is releating to new adults. Now he can prepair and know the subjet but he must be able to explain the requirements to the counselor and he must do everything that is required.

[k9gold-scout 10]

I always encourage parents to sit in on merit badge sessions, but I do tell them not to coach their son or to answer any questions. The can make coments after the session is over. Part of the process of earning a MB is releating to new adults. Now he can prepair and know the subjet but he must be able to explain the requirements to the counselor and he must do everything that is required.

[acco40 95]

troop_358, Merit Badge counselors have the option of accepting the Merit Badge worksheets or not. They are fully in their right to not accept them.

 

MB counselors should follow all YP guidelines. However, it is not necessary (and I think somewhat silly) to think that the boys have to earn the MBs in pairs. If a boy has trouble cold calling an adult, don't become an enabler. You can have him practice with you, have him call grandpa and practice, etc. but DO NOT MAKE THE CALL FOR HIM! Four year olds can be taught proper phone manners.