Parents as MB Counselors

[ScouterPaul 11]

Bob

You got me thinking. Our summer camp is also offering Space Exploration. Would you consider an Aerospace Engineer employed by GE who worked on the Shuttle Program for 10 years to be qualified? I'm asking because I happen to know one.

[ScouterPaul 11]

Bob

I think I see where Ed is coming from on the campout "testing". If you can assign a task to an adult that requires some teaching, even if the task isn't related to their expertise, we as leaders can observe and make judgements on their ability to teach. Ed is this what you were saying?

[Bob White 20]

Scouter Paul,

At first glance yes. But I'd show him or her the merit badge requirements and ask "can you do these things with the scouts" if they said yes, I'd ask for them to complete the applications.

 

Then I would explain the merit badge process to them.

 

Bob

[frankj 10]

Thank you Ed and Bob for the replies. The question of parents as MB counselors was not mentioned in the policy and procedure guide that I have been following as a new Advan Chairman. Our troop has been in place for only 3-4 years and we have two boys working on Eagle. I don't want them to be tripped up down the road. While I have the attention of Bob and Ed: what do I do with the growing stack of completed MB cards? My instincts say secure storage somewhere. Any ideas?

[Bob White 20]

Frankj,

The answer to your first question can be found in the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures manual page 10 column 2 Qualifications of Counselors.

 

As to your question on recordkeeping. There are many levels of record keeping:

1)Your unit should be filing an advancement report at least once a month with your council office and you should retain a copy of it. That form is available through your council office or local professional.

2) Your scouts should recieve the actual award they earn (be it a rank, Merit Badge, etc.) with two troop meetings. When you recieve the award you should also get the pocket certificate card. Fill that card out and present it at the next Court of Honor (you should be doing 4 each year). The scout needs to retain that card for his own record of advancement. We found that a throat lozenge tin is the perfect size to store those cards in we have the scouts decorate them and keep their record cards at home.

 

3) Merit badge cards divide into three sections one is retained by the MB counselor, one by the scout (put it in the tin) and the last one either by the unit or the council office (varies by council). If your council doesn't want it I would make an envelope for each sscout and keep it for the duration of the scouts membership.

 

Good advancement recordkeeping pays off when you have to verify advancment when a scout reaches Eagle.

 

There is a troop records book available at your council service center for recordkeeping but I prefer the the modern way, there are some excellent software programs available that help make record keeping easier. TroopMaster is the most widely used. Look for ads in Scouting Magazine.

 

Hope this helps,

Bob

[Bob White 20]

Frankj,

The answer to your first question can be found in the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures manual page 10 column 2 Qualifications of Counselors.

 

As to your question on recordkeeping. There are many levels of record keeping:

1)Your unit should be filing an advancement report at least once a month with your council office and you should retain a copy of it. That form is available through your council office or local professional.

2) Your scouts should recieve the actual award they earn (be it a rank, Merit Badge, etc.) with two troop meetings. When you recieve the award you should also get the pocket certificate card. Fill that card out and present it at the next Court of Honor (you should be doing 4 each year). The scout needs to retain that card for his own record of advancement. We found that a throat lozenge tin is the perfect size to store those cards in we have the scouts decorate them and keep their record cards at home.

 

3) Merit badge cards divide into three sections one is retained by the MB counselor, one by the scout (put it in the tin) and the last one either by the unit or the council office (varies by council). If your council doesn't want it I would make an envelope for each sscout and keep it for the duration of the scouts membership.

 

Good advancement recordkeeping pays off when you have to verify advancment when a scout reaches Eagle.

 

There is a troop records book available at your council service center for recordkeeping but I prefer the the modern way, there are some excellent software programs available that help make record keeping easier. TroopMaster is the most widely used. Look for ads in Scouting Magazine.

 

Hope this helps,

Bob

[evmori 11]

Bob,

Thanks for handling the apology. Sometimes I find it hard to put my thoughts on paper.

 

Merit badges are an important part of Scouting and must be earned. If they are just given the Scout learns nothing and comes away from the experience with a distorted view of how things are earned.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

[SagerScout 10]

We have a problem in my council that there is NO available list of merit badge counselors. Small troops have no choice but to have parents sign up as MB counselors, and our kids are outa luck if they don't have the skill set needed and it can't be covered at camp.

 

We've begged, pleaded, and cajoled, they have been "working on a list" for two years now.

 

Julia

 

[ScouterPaul 11]

We just started our troop so I'm very interested in questions regarding Merit Badge Councelors. Our District is working on an updated counselor list, hopefully they will have one soon. We plan on spending our first year getting all of our Scouts to First Class.

[Bob White 20]

Sager,

 

I recommend you encourage your District Executive to visit the Junior High Schools and High Schools in your are with a list of merit badges and Merit Badge Counselor Orientation manuals.

 

He can explain the benefits of the MB program in motivating scouts in there school work. I have found that teachers in reading, science, phys ed, music and social studies have been very willing to not only be MB counselors but to make minor adjustments in there lesson plans to accomodate the merit badge work.

 

Right now my son is taking a 4 week course in what we used to call Home Economics (theres a new name now). The teacher sent home a flyer saying that if our son or daughter was in 4-H, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, the following awards can be earned by participating in this class. Among the items listed was the Textiles Merit Badge for which she is a counselor.

 

Another good place to go is the local Police and Fire dept. they will be happy to provide counselors for First-Aid, Safety, Finger Printing, Law Enforcement among others. many of the people in those professions were scouts.

 

If you have a local LDS church they will provide a Geneology MB counselor.

 

If there are specific MBs you are having trouble finding counselors for, post them in a new string and I and others will be glad to recommend area resources you might not yet have tapped.

 

I hope this helps,

Bob(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[shemgren 10]

Parent can sign off any requirements in the Boy Scout program provided they are qualified as a Troop Leader (SM, ASM, CC or MC) or as a Merit Badge Counselor in the Merit Badge in question.

 

My troop, as well as many troops in my area, have a policy that prohibits family members from signing off on requirements.

 

In addition, since you can sign up for 6 merit badges, my troop has a policy that you can only use one counselor for 2 Eagle required and 4 merit badges in total. This is in place to help the boys meet other adults while working on the scouting trail. Again, many of the troops in my area have simular policies.

 

I would advise that the Scout find someone other than the family member to sign off on requirements, and if that is happening, the the adult take precautions that he/she treats the Scout the same way as all the others.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

I have a quesiton for those of you who have "policies" concerning how many merit badges a scout may earn from a parent or any other merit badge counselor.

 

As this is not supported by any BSA policy, what do/would you do if a scout challenged it. Say in Shemgren's troop (not picking on you, you just have the last post) a scout wants to do 6 merit badges, all Eagle required and wants his father to be the counselor. His father is well qualified and is listed as a registered Merit badge counselor. You tell the scout that is against the Troops policy, but his father, a trained counselor says the troop policy is contrary to BSA policy and he will fight you all the way. What do you do?

 

BTW, our troop has an "informal adult agreement" no parent will sign off an Eagle required merit badge for their son unless its done in a group. As far as I know, this has always been respected, but if a parent came forward and did it, the troop cant stop it(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[Bob White 20]

Shemgren,

Your troop is in violation of a number of nationally controlled advancement policies of which your troop has no authority to change.

 

Your SM and advancement chair need to either attend trainingg, read the Advancement Policies and Procedures manual or both.

 

You cannot restrict how many Merit Badges a counselor can counsel. You cannot restrict a parent who is a registered MB counselor from counseling their son. You cannot restrict how many times a scout uses a MB counselor as long as that counselor is registered for those badges.

 

I realize you have a rational for all these decisions however Advancement is strictly controlled by published policies of the BSA and you are not permitted to alter them.

 

Bob White

[Bob White 20]

shemgren,

I just looked at your profile and was shocked to see you are an Assistant District Commissioner. One of the main obligations of a Commissioner is to uphold the rules and regulations of the BSA, that's why you are "commissioned" by your council.

 

How can you justify supporting actions that are directly in opposition to the scouting program?

 

Bob(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[evmori 11]

ScoutPaul,

Yes that was what I was trying to get at! Thanks for seing the forest through the trees.

 

Bob,

If I'm not mistaken, it is part of the Scoutmasters job to pick a merit badge counselor prior to giving the Scout permission to complete the badge. And yes I know htos task can be delegated.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1