merit badge 'classes' when and how?

[LauraT7]

I know doing merit badge work for the entire troop during meetings is not encouraged - there are other things to do.

 

Our district has been doing "Merit Badge Opportunity Days" for the past 2-3 years - spring and fall - kind of a merit badge college - where for three alternating saturdays, they meet at the local LDS church and sign up for MB classes.

 

the first one was insane - good - but crazy. they expected about 150 boys and got something like 700. they offered any MB they were able to hook a counselor to teach - from First Aid to fingerprinting - probably 20 or more badges. they put no restrictions on who took what classes, so we had first yr tenderfeet signing up for Chemistry. (really tough) of course, the Eagle badges were very popular - esp the Citizenship ones. They offered 5 sessions each Sat - so the boys could earn up to 5 badges, and didn't limit class size - so some classes were 30-50 boys.

By the second Sat many had dropped out - it was too much like school, too crazy - but they still had 2-3 times the boys they had expected.

 

the MBOD's since then have put restrictions on badges -you must be first class to sign up for Eagle badges, and they only offer 3 sessions instead of 5 - made it less crazy. They offer only about adozen different badges and the fall MBOD's don't offer the Eagle badges at all. cuts down the attendance at that one considerably.

 

We have boys and parent counselors that have offered to 'teach' or lead a badge - esp the Eagle ones and ones not offered at camp.

 

I am a counselor, for among other things, Family Life, and Personal Management. Another SM and i have been tossing around the idea of offering one of these as a group/ class. although both are very individual badges - their are some parts that could benefit from group discussions, and having a structure and a timetable to follow.

 

We have also talked about doing other badges - like photography, or communications as a group.

 

my questions are - if your troop has or would offer badges to the troop to work on as a group - how have you done it? other than MB colleges or camp settings? do you offer it and meet before or after a regular meeting? doe you poick another meeting time or place? evenings or weekends? what sugtgstions would you offer in teaching the material?

 

 

 

[CharityAK]

Our troop will sometimes work towards a merit badge together - related to an activity. For instance, they spent a weekend canoeing and met most of the requirements for the canoeing badge. They then rented out the local pool a few weeks later and wrapped up the rest of the requirements.

 

One of our fundraisers involves helping a local farmer who then gives the boys a percentage of his Farmer Market sales. Many have earned their gardening badge in the process of helping this farmer.

 

But...the troop discourages using regular meeting time to earn merit badges in a classroom like setting.

 

I am the Advancement Chair and a merit badge counselor for quite a few of the science-based badges (I had a business writing, developing and selling science curriculum to home educators). Just to use my time efficiently, I am offering an Astronomy merit badge class to any of our boys interested. We will meet on a different night than troop night for 4 nights in a row (at my home) followed by a field trip to a local telescope sight.

 

Charity(This message has been edited by CharityAK)

[mk9750]

The only MBs we have any luck at all doing en masse are Rifle and Shotgun, and then only the demonstration of the parts of a rifle and rifle safety. This is basically a canned NRA presentation expanded to about four times their depth because we don't think that their safety program is detailed enough (interestingly, we find the BSA's program even LESS detailed). After this demo, all requirments are done individually.

 

We've tried to do many MBs in groups, in and out of Troop meetings. We can't make them work. My suspicion has always been that that's why BSA discourages the idea: It doesn't work. Now, except for the two field sports above, the closest you'll ever see us get to doing a MB at a meeting is when a Patrol has expressed an interest in doing an outing designed to work on a MB. Then, the Counselor spends 10 minutes or so explaining to the group his expectations for completion of the badge.

 

One time as a favor to a Scout from another Troop, I agreed to work on either Communications or Personal Management with him and his buddy at the same time. This became a disaster, as I never was confident that either completed the requirements on their own. Now, if I agree to work with someone like that, I seperate them and work individually.

 

Mark

[KoreaScouter]

I think it depends on the badge, how many Scouts are interested, and the counselor's preferences.

 

I'll use Aviation as an example. In a former Troop, we were located on an Air Force Base with an Aero Club whose manager was an Eagle Scout, and military pilots as counselors. Naturally, we had lots of interest in the badge all the time, so there was a critical mass of interested Scouts. The counselors found the best way to complete the requirements, including the flight, was to do group sessions at the Aero Club ground school, with the models and instrument mockups, and the Aero Club manager would donate the plane in a single block of time, based on the number of Scouts working on the badge. Much preferable to sending them over there two at a time throughout the year.

 

I know there are divergent opinions on MB roundups, colleges, or whatever you call group MB sessions. If they're done properly, they can provide good opportunities for Scouts to earn badges they want or need. They shouldn't be pushed or forced to participate, no shortcuts, counselors should be registered/trained, etc.

 

KS

 

 

[Eamonn]

A letter arrived from my sons Scoutmaster."Attend the next three Scout meetings and earn the Nature Merit Badge."

OJ, has no interest in earning the Nature Merit Badge. So he didn't attend the meeting.

I wonder how many other Scouts of the 30+ in his troop had a real interest in the Nature Merit Badge? Or was it just an Adult who knew better then everyone else?

This kind of stuff is not what Scouting is about.

Where was the PLC?

Where was the yearly plan?

I could see it if the letter had read "All those interested in ..." But it didn't.

By the way he did attend the Venturing meeting that was after the troop meeting, and the SM asked why he wasn't at Scouts and OJ expressed his feelings.

Eamonn

[Fat Old Guy]

" This is basically a canned NRA presentation expanded to about four times their depth because we don't think that their safety program is detailed enough (interestingly, we find the BSA's program even LESS detailed)."

 

What's so complicated? Treat all firearms as if they are loaded. Never point it anything that you don't want a hole in. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. A Gunnery Sergeant yelled this into my ear about 30 years ago and I haven't forgotten it.

[LauraT7]

We have also done some badge REQUIREMENTS as a troop - particularly the bike trips that we've tacked on a few extra miles to make it the 25 or 50 mile amount in the biking badge - or Covering First aid requirements in meetings, where it's easy to tack on something while you've got all the equipment out. But we've never done a badge in three troop meetings and automatically included all the boys.

 

But we have found a lack of interest in the badge colleges because they don't offer what our boys want.

 

But your comments have helped me refine what we want to do -

 

First - we never intended to make it during a troop meeting or for the entire troop - we were going to have a sign up list- Something like "Badge counselors Mrs T and Mrs J Will be offering the "Family Life Merit Badge" on Mon 1/2 hour before meeting and 90 days later (date) on mon before meeting." please read and come prepared to cover the following requirements the first night.

 

This particular badge is not very involved - mostly home work and pre- approval of a project - a couple of discussions with the counselor - but doing it before or after meeting times makes it convenient for those interested and provides the automatic dual YP guidelines.

___________________

 

Another badge i would REALLY like to offer is Photography - mostly because I and my son are the main photographers for the troop activities and i would like to see MORE photos of the troop in action from a different perspective than ours. I have often bought disposable cameras (esp the waterproof ones - they are GREAT!) and given them to boys on trips and gotten some good photos - but I would like to see less blurring, better cropping and less thumbs and fingers! LOL! Also, if i knew a boy had taken the badge and understood my cameras (digital and 35 mm)i would be willing to let them use them for the badge and on outings. This one would probably be done on a separate time and day than before or after meetings - especially as it is more activity based - with some actual 'teaching'. We also have two Badge counselors for this badge in our troop - so we could cover the 2 deep leadership and split the teaching part.

_________________

 

another reason for this idea is that we are having committee problems - they are nixing and stalling on some of the boys good ideas for outings, and the boys are getting frustrated. We had NO activities for September - because the committee couldn't get their act together and approve things (see my committee headache post on the main board)

 

BUT

 

patrol outings ( which our boys aren't really used to planning yet - but we're encouraging them) and things like these Merit badge activities would be outside the Committee's jurisdiction.

 

I'm a big believer in Scouting being mostly OUTING - if all you do is meetings - they lose interest quickly. I've recently heard through the grapevine that a boy or two is shopping other troops becasue they are not getting the opportunities to work on advancements and badges like they want.

 

Our boys are new to being self-directed, and are still looking for a little more structure. they do have to be TAUGHT to be self-reliant. I think a few badge classes might be a good way to provide minimum structure and make them start to direct themselves.

 

Any more ideas?

 

 

 

___________-

 

I can see that different badges would have different requirements for DOING them - such as doing archery at an archery range with instructors vs. something like perwonal management or communications - which could easily be done with the facilities available to us at our generous CO church. -

 

i guess I'm looking for ideas that could make it work better or

[Eagledad]

>>Another badge i would REALLY like to offer is Photography -

[Eamonn]

Much as I hate to be pedantic. I see Merit Badges as something that each boy decides to do or not do. He also decides when he wants to do it.

As I do the rounds visiting Troop meetings, there are way too many Adults who think that they know best or that the boys need more direction. This is out and out Humbug.

Yes, as you follow your plan of what the troop is doing there are things that fulfill merit badge requirements and yes we need to let the boy know that he has completed these. But the final word as to him wanting to take this to the next level is his.

Eamonn

[Eamonn]

Much as I hate to be pedantic. I see Merit Badges as something that each boy decides to do or not do. He also decides when he wants to do it.

As I do the rounds visiting Troop meetings, there are way too many Adults who think that they know best or that the boys need more direction. This is out and out Humbug.

Yes, as you follow your plan of what the troop is doing there are things that fulfill merit badge requirements and yes we need to let the boy know that he has completed these. But the final word as to him wanting to take this to the next level is his.

Eamonn

[Eamonn]

Much as I hate to be pedantic. I see Merit Badges as something that each boy decides to do or not do. He also decides when he wants to do it.

As I do the rounds visiting Troop meetings, there are way too many Adults who think that they know best or that the boys need more direction. This is out and out Humbug.

Yes, as you follow your plan of what the troop is doing there are things that fulfill merit badge requirements and yes we need to let the boy know that he has completed these. But the final word as to him wanting to take this to the next level is his.

Eamonn

[mk9750]

Eamonn, I don't know about pedantic, but in this case, you were certainly redundant!

 

Mark

[dsteele]

Not pedantic, but redundant! That made me laugh out loud (which is LOL to the die-hards.)

 

Click once, Eamonn. I'm the one with tremors. What's your excuse?

 

By the way, good for OJ!

 

DS

[AlphaCentauri]

If Boy Scouts don't work with boys in groups for merit badges, how do you avoid the situation where a boy is alone with an adult merit badge counselor?

[Bob White]

"If Boy Scouts don't work with boys in groups for merit badges, how do you avoid the situation where a boy is alone with an adult merit badge counselor?"

 

By folowing the program and having the scout bring a partner with him to meet with the counselor. That partner can be another scout, a parent, a friend, or sibling.