Merit Badge signoffs

[Trevorum 24]

One of the problems with most MB requirements is that they are written for such a wide range of abilities - from 10 to 17 years old. Now, it's true that some MBs are "starters" (e.g. Basketry) and are generally earned by the younger crowd, while others (e.g. Atomic Energy) have more difficult requirements and are mostly pursued by the older fellows. However, mixed age groups are the norm and MB curricula must be simultaneously possible for a 5th grader and challenging for a 12th grader.

[acco40 95]

Trevorum - I respectfully disagree. MBs have requirements. They must be met regardless of age. Now, the teaching or mentoring approach shown by the counselor (we belong to a council, but we counsel Scouts) may be tailored to the age, maturity and intelligence of the Scout but the requirements are constant.

 

In that respect, I will allow a 11 year old 5th grader to take the engineering MB but I would advise against it.

[Trevorum 24]

acco - I think we're in agreement. Maybe I didn't express myslf clearly. Certainly the requirements must be met regardless of age! However, the understanding an 11 year old has from, Personal Management, say, is going to be very different from that of a 17 year old. I'm just saying that MB counselors must teach to their audience and sometimes that's tough with a mixed age group. It's like designing a history curriculum that will be comprehensible and interesting to a class with 5th graders as well as 12th graders.

[FScouter 24]

"MB counselors must teach to their audience and sometimes that's tough with a mixed age group."

- Another good reason why group merit badge instruction isn't the best way.

[troop251scout 10]

My troop doesnt have a rule against their parent conducting the mb for them the only thing they ask is that another scout do the merit badge at the same time so they will treat both as if they were scouts from the troop not their own son/sons. This has seemed to work + it gives others a chance todo the meritbadges!

[torribug 10]

The problem with having to conduct the merit badge sessions with another scout in addition to your own son is that you have to find another scout that wants to do that merit badge! For example - I personally don't want my son to earn any of the Citizenship badges at camp (or merit badge university) because I don't have faith that they are truly covering everything adequately; I don't want my son to "earn" them as "gimme" merit badges. However, a lot of the other boys DO earn their Citizenship badges at camp - they know it's easier! Another example is some of the harder non-Eagle required merit badges such as Soil and Water conservation. There's a lot of work required for that, and unless a scout is going for the Hornaday award, it's difficult to get them interested in working on a merit badge outside of Summer Camp. It's also often difficult to get schedules to mesh outside of regular meeting nights to work on the merit badges.

 

Bug