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Your First Merit Badge....


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So, what's the story behind the first merit badge that you earned....here's mine

 

My first was Cooking (1962) - spent months getting the requirements right, and per my usual, always putting in some extra effort in trying something new. Most of the time, the "new" just didn't work out as planned. Such as the time when attempting a peach cobbler using an old army mess kit for a Dutch Oven. P.A. and I had hiked out into desert some 7 or 8 miles for an overnighter. We pitched a simple camp using a puncho as shelter, and of all the rare events that could happened in the desert, it did. It rain enough so that the peach cobbler was both half cooked, and half burnt. Overall, looking back on this event, I gotta admit that this was probadly the finest peach cobbler ever made...

 

The other time, was near Ft. Apache, started cooking biscuts in a cardboard oven at a camporee....guess someone thought it was a good ideal and passed it on.

 

However, when it came time to head off to the M.B. councellor for the sign off, the only way to go was either by foot, or via bike since he was some 15 miles distance. I decided the bike would be quicker, and in the process of getting there and back it became apparent that the two key merit badges was Hiking and Cycling.

 

The realization was that it was possible while working on those requirements, one could also work on numerous additional requirements of closely related merit badges at the same time, allowing one to earn a half dozen or so merit badges in the process. For example, while working on the requirements for Cycling, it was easy to work on the requirements for Nature, Botany, Bird Study, Astronmy, Insect Life, Geology Photography, Art, Reading, Scholarship and even Public Speaking (I still talk to myself).

 

Without a doubt, it was the Cooking mb that gave me the insight on how to not only advance quicker, but to have a lot more fun in doing so. It also led me to my passion for canoeing....

 

 

 

 

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I got a number of MBs my first summer in the troop, but I suppose the first were Nature and Conservation which I earned at summer camp.

 

In our troop, the usual rotation was to take Camping and Cooking your first summer at camp and Nature and Conservation the second. But a buddy of mine was a year older and convinced me to take those with him. I had not problems with either, as I was always our troop's go-to guy when it came to plants and trees and such.

 

Problem came the second summer when I needed to take Camping and Cooking. Now I had to take the two by myself. Although I easily had the required 20 nights, the counselor required that we camp with the merit badge class (an added requirement?). Of course it was a miserable, rainy night and I was stuck camping by myself and terribly home sick.

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Photography. Rocky, our Asst. Scoutmaster worked for a film developing company in the 60's & 70's & would announce the date for a trip to his workplace a few months in advance. A couple of us worked on the reqs, my story line was "first aid for a broken arm', we shot our photos & before we went to the shop on the appointed morning Rocky had us each shoot another roll of 12 pictures. We developed the last roll, as required; Rocky ran our storied pictures through the automated eauipment but allowed us to view, enlarge etc & press the print buttons after the film wound its way from the developing tanks to the printing station.

 

A great experience overall. Although at every meeting he never pushed us, we had to go to him when we thought that we were ready no deadlines except the trip. Sometimes we'd check w/ each other & all meet w/ him other times individuals would catch him on their own at a troop meeting. Everyone was done their story at least a week before the trip.

 

 

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Scholarship

 

When I first joined in our brand new Troop, our SPL was a transfer Second Class Scout and everybody else was new. One could not earn Merit Badges until one was a Second Class Scout and then some merit badges were restricted until you had completed the corresponding First Class requirements.

 

Someone noticed the Scholarship Merit Badge. At that time, your teacher was the counselor, so right after I passed Second Class Scout, I did the requirements and passed it pretty quickly.

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My "first" merit badge was Orienteering. The first crew campout was with the Boy Scout troop. Attendance of the crew was really low, in fact, I was the only girl and there was one other guy, so we spent our weekend with the troop that was doing their oreinteering merit badge. I completed all of the requirements with the boys and although, I couldn't techincally earn the merit badge, I was an honorary recipiant. Later that year, an advisor of the crew and his son surprised me by presenting me with my very own orienteering merit badge.

 

Now I am a merit badge counselor for 9 merit badges including orienteering. I guess the troop trained me pretty well.

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"an advisor of the crew and his son surprised me by presenting me with my very own orienteering merit badge."

 

Heck Outdoor Thinker, that was me and my son YoungSpikedEagle, how soon we forget...

 

BTW, the scene of the Orientering Merit Badge Campout was Hawk Mountain Scout Camp, I mention this because Ourdoor Thinker completed Camp School there as a Scout Craft Director in June, 2003.

 

oooh ooooh mark this as another Victory for scouting(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

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Coin collecting. The main thing I remember about it is that it was with a counselor who was not with our troop but lived in the same town, and as an 11-year-old Second Class Scout I walked alone to his house and met with him alone. How times have changed. I think I met with him twice, at the initial meeting I remember he groused at me for not knowing some obscure fact that was in the pamphlet but not in the requirements, so I got the pamphlet and passed at the second meeting. I'm pretty sure the obscure question was something about nickels, but I don't remember whether it was the buffalo head or the Jefferson. I think it's pretty good that I remember anything about it at all after 34 years, especially considering that quite often I can't remember where I put my keys 10 minutes ago.

 

To answer for my son, at his first summer camp this past July he earned his first three merit badges, Leatherwork, Textiles and Fingerprinting. He's still at "Scout" level (two requirements left for Tenderfoot and then about four for Second Class) but he has three merit badges. I think I had to be Second Class to work on a merit badge, waaaay back when.

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OGE: I didnt forget. I dont think I ever will and YoungSpikedEagle's look on his face when I hugged him upon recieving my Orienteering Merit Badge is also something that I won't soon forget. Oh good times with the crew!

 

Also, I am honored to be one of your scouting victories!

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First Aid (circa 1977). It was a two day class put on by our Unit Commisioner, Art Shaumberg. Had about 5 boys in the class from two troops. I almost didn't get the mb due to "failing" the final exam. Art gave me some extra tutoring and I passed. I believe it was the hardest MB I took.

 

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Textile

 

Georgia Tech's School of Textile Engineering put on a Saturday merit badge class. It really was quite fascinating seeing the different machines and how they spun thread into cloth. I still remember learning that some sheet fabrics (at least back then) start life as a tube, not unlike a sock, and are then "split" to form a flat sheet.

 

I also remember that one of the products on display was ASBESTOS CLOTH. Boy, that was a long time ago....

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Geneology

 

I had no interest in it, but my mom was trying to make a family tree at the time, so we went together(no, she didn't get the badge:-)). I don't remember anything about it, but heck, one MB closer to Eagle.

 

J.B.

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