Merit Badges & Troop Meetings

1. Merit Badges & Troop Meetings

2. Jambo100 Registration Open • http://www.minsitrails.com/Jambo100.aspx • Or Playwicki.org news item if you forget

3. Program • Cub Scout • Belt Loops: Art, Astronomy, Compass, marbles, Map, Music, and Science • Shooting Sports • Boy Scout • “Select” merit badges • Building Competition • Hotdog Eating Contest • Venture Scout • Non-Specific Venture Program

4. Cost (Food Not Included) • Early Fee for Weekend (by Mar 1) • Youth $25, Adult $10 • Regular Fee for Weekend (after Mar 1) • Youth $30, Adult $15 • Day Pass (by Mar 1) • Youth $20, Adult $10 • Day Pass (after Mar 1) • Youth $25, Adult $15

5. Unit Leader Award of Merit • Scoutmaster Award of Merit replaced with Unit Leader Award of Merit • Available across all branches of Scouting • Requirements are profoundly doable

6. Unit Leader Award of Merit • Submission Reviewed by Council and submitted for recognition • If earned, District would be glad to aid in presentation to recognize excellent leaders • Form available Online, click on title

7. Website Additions • Awards and Recognitions Information • Outline of available awards for youth and adults • Includes unique district awards • Online Sign-Up for District Dinner • To Sign-Up for Event, click on event title • Meetings – No Registration • Events by 3rd Parties – No Registration

8. Merit Badges in Troops • Why? • Fun – Some activities are enjoyable even without getting a badge • Economies of Scale – Instructors time is valuable, large groups can be more efficient • Promotes year round advancement – Prove there’s more times to get badges than camp • Ensures quality of instruction – Unit leaders see every step of instruction, can help set standard • Fits into troop program – some regular troop activities are also requirements

9. Merit Badges in Troops • How Merit Badges Work • Pick a Subject • Get Buddy • Contact Counselor • Show Your Stuff • Get the Badge Steps for Troop-organized Badges May Be Different But All Parts Still Present

10. Planning – Selecting the Badge • Time available • Time Intensive Badges – Personal Management, Personal Fitness, American Business • Logistics Intensive Badges – American Cultures, Backpacking, Cycling, Athletics, Public Speaking • Short Badges – Textiles, Fingerprinting, Pets, Electricity, Golf, Indian Lore, Mammal Study, Music

11. Planning – Selecting the Badge • Difficulty • Whitewater – Contains some of the hardest badge requirements, period. • Other “Designed by Zealots” – Plant Science (try Gardening), Medicine, Nature (trust me) • Lesson: Not every kid can earn every badge

12. Planning – Selecting the Badge • Difficulty • List of alternate requirements for Scouts with special needs:

13. Planning – Selecting the Badge • Necessary Resources • Require Tools – Woodworking, Photography, • Hard to Get Experts – Cinematography, Genealogy • Required Trips – May not have local resources that fit with troop’s schedule. • Getting Counselor – contact AnnaMarie Pepper at apepper@bsamail.org for list.

14. Planning – Considering Ages • While any Scout may attempt a badge, some are best done by certain age ranges. • Social Development - Auto Mechanics, Traffic Safety, Personal Management, Family Life • Physical Development – Climbing, Archery, Shotgun Shooting, Rifle Shooting, Athletics, Whitewater • Change badge options based on ages • Have alternate program for those who won’t benefit.

15. Planning – Attendance • Don’t assume that every Scout will attend every meeting. • Try to complete whole requirements • Plan out several meetings for time-intensive requirements • Limit meeting pre-requisites except when easy to do at home or impossible to do at a meeting

16. Planning - Verification • Very easy in 1-to-1 to check every kid, not always case in troop • Try: • Individual review while doing troop activity • Take advantage of “discuss” requirements • Use patrols with adult supervision to verify • Worksheets + Group Discussion

17. Badges You Can Do • Entirely during troop meetings • Engineering • Nuclear Science • Fingerprinting • Textiles • Art • Electricity • Electronics • First Aid

18. Badges You Can Do • Entirely during troop meetings plus a trip • Astronomy • Bird Study • Forestry • Composite Materials • Archaeology • Wilderness Survival • Fire Safety • Fishing, Fly Fishing • Graphic Arts • Pioneering

19. Badges You Can Do • Finish during troop meeting after many trips • Hiking • Backpacking • Canoeing • American Cultures • Orienteering

20. Surprisingly Interesting • Disabilities Awareness • Drafting • Model Design and Building • Radio • Space Exploration • Law • Theater • Journalism (two trips)

21. Harder to Do • Cooking (requires each Scout to serve three people) • Nature (a lot of requirements) • Genealogy, Family Life (very personal) • Citizenship in the World and Nation (a lot of definitions that Scouts need to prove they know) • American Business (kids must run a business)

22. Historic Badges • National Offering Four Historic Badges • Carpentry • Pathfinding • Signaling • Tracking

23. Signaling • Requirements: • Make an electric buzzer outfit, wireless, blinker, or other signaling device. Send and receive in the International Morse Code, by buzzer or other sound device, a complete message of not less than 35 words, at a rate of not less than 35 letters per minute. • Demonstrate an ability to send and receive a message in the International Morse Code by wigwag and by blinker or other light signaling device at a rate of not less than 20 letters per minute. • Send and receive by Semaphore Code at the rate of not less than 30 letters per minute. • Know the proper application of the International Morse Code and Semaphore Codes; when, where, and how they can be used to best advantage. • Discuss briefly various other codes and methods of signaling which are in common use.

24. Resources • Badge Reviews – Mr. D’s Merit Badge Reviews on Usscouts.org. • Outlines and Help – New meritbadge.org supplemental guides, meritbadge.org/wiki • Age Appropriate Activities – Guide to Safe Scouting’s Age Appropriateness Chart