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Does anyone know of a comprehensive list of merit badges to be featured at the 2010 Jamboree, or a list of merit badges that were featured at the 2005 Jambo? I've read in a few places that there were/will be nearly a hundred booths so that would suggest that the majority of merit badges will be covered. Seems to me that it would be a great chance to be able to complete requirements that are difficult to do at home or for which qualified counselors are hard to find.

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NC,

 

I was there in 2005 and will be returning in 2010. As I recall, ALL or nearly all MB's are "represented". Some can be earned, but others are merely displays or limited in what you can earn. We didn't discourage boys from going and participating, but we didn't encourage it either. The boys and their parents spent a ton of money to experience all the sights, sounds and activities the Jamboree affords and they can do an MB back at home. In our thinking, it was getting the most bang for your buck and taking time to do an MB at Jambo that could be done at home wasn't part of the bang they were paying for.......but that is just one opinion on the subject.

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From someone who has been to Jamboree's as both a youth and an adult, I TOTALLY AGREE with SR540Beaver!! Although they can get merit badges at the Jambo, they would REALLY miss out on the opportunity to experience all of the other fantastic things at the Jamboree. My opinion (for what it's worth) pick ONE they may never have thought about expierencing, and spend the rest of the time having fun!! An expierence like this doesn't occur often. My oldest (16) is going next year and this is how I am going to counsel him.

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Another thought... I know it is still a year away, but if your boys plan on trading patches at the Jambo, it is a good idea to start getting your council's CSP's and OA flaps now. There is usually a run on them by the other guys latter in the year.

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  • 1 month later...

I am an assitant director for one of the merit badge booths and its my understnding that they are trying to make the midway bigger and add more badges. (Not all badges can or should be earned at the jambo.) So if you have seen it in the past you should be happy with the midway in 2010. I don't know if they will put out a list or not.

 

While I would love to have all the boys earn a badge at our booth keep in mind this will be the only Jambo that most boys will attend. Make sure you are not forcing them to spend time earning badges when they could do the same badge at home. Let them decide to attend the midway or not. There are so many activities at the Jambo most won't have time to see and do everything anyway.

 

Get them out of the campsite and out into the Jambo grounds!!!!!! Have fun!!!

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OneCubSon (now an Eagle Scout) attended Jambo in '05 and came home with four or five MBs. He had an incredible experience with them all, including Wood Carving. Yes, you can earn every merit badge at home, but can you earn Aviation with the Blue Angels? Can you earn Geology with scientists from USGS? Merit badges you may consider mundane are taught by some of the top people in that field in the country. Earning a merit badge through these folks is definitely part of the once-in-a-lifetime experience of Jamboree. While I wouldn't want my Scouts to focus on any one thing to the exclusion of the rest of Jamboree, I wouldn't want them to miss the opportunities at the midway either.

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I recall reading someplace that visitors can't participate in the midway - they have a very limited slate of options of activities. But I can't find that on the Web site.

 

###

 

I was wondering, on a related subject, if anyone knew what a "religious resection" was. To wit, from the Jambo homepage: "Daily activities will offer fun, challenge, an opportunity for religious resections ..."

 

??? Is this a special Jambo thing, or just a really bad typo?

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Shortridge: Whoa... really bad typo...From my past experience,

 

IMHO, that should read "...religious REFLECTION..."

 

Musta been written by someone in Medical Department.

 

(This message has been edited by SSScout)

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Having served as SM in 2001 and 2005.

 

I was more than happy to set the little darlings off on their merry way after breakfast.

The only requirement placed upon them was that they had to be with another Scout from the Troop.

This wasn't as easy as it might seem.

Having two Scouts who want to do the same MB?

We did have a couple of Lads who were happy to work on MB's.

 

There was a lot of complaints that the people staffing the MB's were allowing non-jamboree participants take the badges and the Scouts who had paid were being turned away.

When this was brought up at a sub-camp meeting. The answer was that as many of the MB Staff were not BSA members it was a little unreasonable to ask them to police who was and who wasn't a participant. Even though the participants all had IDs.

OJ didn't bother with the midway when he went as a participant in 2001 and didn't have time when he went back as a youth staff member in 2005.

My feelings?

Hey whatever rocks your boat!

Eamonn.

(OK I did feel that way too much time was spend on patch trading and the PLC did ask that the entire Troop take a day off from trading. That seemed to work well.)

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Sometime along the way, a list will be promulgated. And last minute additions will be made. Some MBs you will be able to earn in one sitting, if you plan ahead and do some prelim work (Bugling and the various collecting MBs come to mind) before you get to the Jambo. Others, you need to come each day, or two or three, and you can earn it at the Jambo. Some you will, by necessity, only get a partial for your efforts at the Jambo.

It will be, as they say, first come, first serve. There will be a scramble the first day, and some replanning and some second choices.

But there will be some really creative chances available. Real plumbing done. Farm Mechanics and Railroading did some neat, ah, arranging of possibilities. Metalworking had small forges. And there was Woodcarving and Leatherwork and the rest.

 

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