An explanation and benefits of the merit badge program from a merit badge councilor perspective.
Show Notes:
- The merit badge worksheets included here are not meant to replace merit badge instruction. In fact, many councilor require you to participate in a discussion about the accomplishments of a badge, and not simply hand in the worksheets. As most things in scouting, these sheets should be used as a tool.
Transcript:
As a merit badge councilor for a number of merit badges, some of which are Eagle required, I have met with lots of scouts over the years.
Depending on the badge and the scouts preparedness I have seen an individual scout numerous times. The more prepared the scout is, generally, the easier the process goes.
But the merit badge process is not all about the specific merit badge that is being worked on. The process is an opportunity for the scout to interact with an adult who they may not know.
This can be frightening; it’s sort of like a job interview of sorts.
It’s expected for the scout to pick up the phone and call the merit badge councilor, to introduce himself and explain why he is calling. The scout needs to communicate information, and in return receive information to reach a goal, that of working on and earning a merit badge.
As a result, I’m not a big fan of councils that have merit badge days, or even troops that service all the merit badges within the troop. I feel it lessens the experience, and actually robs the scout of that interaction.
Scouts who meet for merit badges are supposed to come prepared with the book, any pre-work discussed and dressed in Class A uniform, unless otherwise discussed.
In meeting with scouts, I’ve met at my home, and also in local libraries.
From a merit badge councilor perspective, it’s always better to have someone around, when meeting with a scout. In fact it’s a requirement of youth protection. Meeting in a public setting, such as a table in the library solves this, but I usually ask the parent to stick around just out of ear shot.
Some well meaning parents sometimes will jump in and answer the questions being posed, or do the “Johnny, you remember going to the state capital with us this summer, don’t you”, which kind negates the question. So, for that reason, I like parents across the room a bit.
While you can discuss anything related within the session, the scout must do the requirement as stated. Sometimes you can take a circumtucious route to get then to the place where they say the right thing, but in general if the requirement states to do “A”, they need to do “A”.
I have seen this to be somewhat of a problem at scout camps, as some junior merit badge councilors are more concerned with johnny being in the room with 20 scouts more than actually having Johnny specifically complete the requirement.
This also, is a detriment to the scout.
While as a scoutmaster, you can’t really insert yourself into the process, you can steer scouts away from badge classes and camps that don’t follow the guidelines correctly, and you can also have troop activities that “reinforce” the skills or activities they completed, but it’s not the ideal scenario. But this is what works for us.
Take what you like and leave the rest, and as we say in Woodbadge, feedback is a gift, leave yours below in the comments, with the hope we can all learn together.
I’m Scoutmaster Dave, and this was merit badge instruction.
