How Do Scouts Find Merit Badge Counselors?

[LeCastor]

If a Scout decides he wants to work on the Welding Merit Badge, for example, how does he (or a volunteer in the Troop) go about finding the proper, registered merit badge counselor?

[Torchwood]

The District and/or Council Advancement Chair should be providing an updated list to every Unit Leader. The first step in a Scout working on a chosen Merit Badge is to talk to his Scoutmaster to get a Blue Card and the contact info for the appropriate counselor.

[Stosh]

Our boy will just sign up for it at summer camp....

[jr56]

In the ideal world, the District would provide a list of MB counselors, but unusual MB's sometimes don't have registered counselors.

In this case, Welding, does the scout know a relative, or a teacher in the community that is a welder?   Have the scout ask that person to fill out an application as a MB counselor, and you are good to go.

[Gone]

We have a few options.

 

1) Our adult leaders as the PLC each planning year which MBs they want us to staff. They boys give us a list and the adults develop the course. The boys establish the schedule and plan out all else. The adults get the experts and put on the class. The MBC establishes the cirricculum and the course work. These are the unit-based MBs.

 

2) Summer camp is the next method. The boys do research all year prior to our planning meeting to identify places they want to go and MBs they way to take. These locations are voted on by the troop. Unused locations are kept by the scribe for future consideration.

 

3) Local programs (museums, ranches, parks) will,put on specialty programs (e.g., horsemanship, animal husbandry, forestry, etc.). Adults and scouts alike look for these programs and being them to the PLC.

 

4) We network with other units to share MBCs. 19 units have banded together to keep and share this info. District does not provide this information.

 

5) Council has an outdated list. It is a last resort. We help scouts validate external MBCs and we encourage parents to attend with their scouts to keep two deep intact.

[TAHAWK]

I am on three district lists, and I get contacted every year and asked: 1) what MBs do I want to counsel; 2) am I still open to any candidate (which the districts encourage); 3) to confirm I am current on YPT.  

 

My impression from talking to Scouts and Scouters is that most Scouts go to counselors on their troop's separate list.