Cooking MB - combining old and new requirements

[ksungela]

Hi,
I recently became a counselor for Cooking. I'm meeting with a scout that has partial sign-off on the cooking merit badge. I asked him which version is he working toward. He said a combination of old vs. new requirements. He started the badge prior to Jan. 1, 2014.
Scouting.org states- "...Otherwise, he may switch to—or begin work—using the new requirements..."
My question is, what requirements must be met if he switches from the old requirements to the new ones? Is it a one for one swap, number by number? For example, if he has requirements 1-4 signed off on for the old requirements, can he complete 5-8 on the new and be done? Can anyone please clarify?
Thanks in advance.

[Mrw]

He may either finish with the old requirements or start over with the new. The only way the old requirements would count towards earning the badge with the new requirements would be if the requirement was the same for both versions.

[PaulSWolf]

Looking at the old and new requirements, the ONLY requirement that is the same is requirement 8. If he did that, he can get credit for it toward the new requirements.

There are parts of requirement 1 that are SIMILAR, but not identical. If he did those (old requirements 1b, 1c1, 1c2, 1c3, and 1c6), he can get credit for most of the comparable new requirements (1c, 1d1, 1d2, 1d3, & 1d6), but must still do the rest of requirement 1c and 1d that was not included in the old requirements.

None of the other old requirements are close enough matches to the current requirements to allow credit for them if he wishes to use the new requirements to finish the badge.

So he must either finish with the old requirements, which is quite acceptable, or complete all of the new requirements, as they are written, allowing for the limited recognition of previous work for requirements 1c, 1d, and 8 that I indicated above..

[ksungela]

Thanks for the replies. The transition for this badge was an issue for scouts at summer camp last year who anticipated getting full sign-off. I was not involved at that time, but think some counselors and/or scouts interpreted it differently. The choice between working toward old or new requirements is clear, but anticipate issues none the less. Scouts may have been told they can complete a combination of the requirements and although they think they have completed everything, they have not.

[Quailman]

The Guide to Advancement has a section on this. 7.0.4.3 What to Do When Requirements Change. I seem to recall that the 2013 edition was clearer on this. Use the requirements as stated. If they change after the Scout has begun work on it, he may continue to use those requirements, or change to the new set, but not a hybrid.

It's somewhat coincidence that Paul can compare the old and new requirements like that. Often the revision bears little resemblance to the original.

Something I learned from the GTA concerns changes made after the annual requirements have been published:

"If changes to merit badge requirements are introduced in a revised merit badge pamphlet after the January release of the Boy Scout Requirements book, then the Scout has until the following January 1 to decide what to do. He may continue—or begin work—using the old merit badge requirements and the old pamphlet; or he may switch to—or begin work—using the new requirements and the new pamphlet. Unless it is otherwise stated in the merit badge pamphlet, Boy Scout Requirements, or official communications from the National Council, if a Scout chooses to use the old merit badge requirements and pamphlet, he may continue using them until he has completed the badge."

[topshot]

So to clarify for my similar question, my son has a partial for Cooking that he started at camp in 2011. He still needed 4abc, 6abc and 7ad from the old. While he's done all of those since then they were never signed off since our counselor was gone quite a bit (military) and has dropped his registration so he needs to find a new one. So can he complete just those old reqs I listed and get the badge or must he start over with the new one? 7.0.4.3 makes it sound like a counselor could make him start from scratch.

[Quailman]

The last paragraph of 7.0.4.3 says "There is no time limit between starting and completing
a badge, although a counselor may determine so much time has passed since any effort took place that the new requirements must be used."

The implication is that once work has begun on a badge, the requirements then in effect are to be used until completion, with the caveat that since so much time has passed the counselor may ask him to use the new requirements. It seems to me that a technology-rich badge like digital technology (of course) would be a natural for the counselor to make that ruling. I don't see it happening for cooking.

Your son should get the names of two or three counselors and when he contacts each one, he should ask if he can continue or if he must start over. Surely one of them will be fine with his partial. If none are, then get more names. This will prepare him for college, when he must find out from other students which professor to take for Organic Chemistry and which to avoid.