MeritBadge.Net

by **Swim4lyfe** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:27 pm

Fingerprinting seems way too easy to be a merit badge.

My troop sponsors a merit badge day every year where the whole troop gets together to work on merit badges. One we did was Fingerprinting. I did the entire thing in less than an hour... Another time at Scout Blast a troop had set up a booth where Scouts could earn the merit badge in no time at all.

My view on Fingerprinting is this- it's too easy. Compare it to Medicine or American Labor- two merit badges where you REALLY have to work to get them. In 2005, 41,565 Fingerprinting merit badges were earned, whereas only 576 American Labor merit badges were earned. Only 3,396 Medicine merit badges were earned.

What are your opinions on it? Is Fingerprinting too easy?

by **spl08** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:08 pm

First, I just wanta say that it's nice to see yet another scout on this forum! I'm still a scout too.

Anyway, to answer your question, I don't think fingerprinting is too easy. I most certainly agree that it's easy, but some meritbadges don't need to be especially hard. What more could be added to the meritbadge that would give a scout a better introduction to that meritbadge? Medicne and American Labor are two very complex subjects and therefore, just to get an introduction, you need to have difficult and complex requirements to get a good understanding.

On the flip side, I don't agree with the situations you mentioned which the scouts got fingerprinting. It would seem to me that fingerprinting (if done correctly) would take at least a day to complete. Click here to see the requirements

by **Swim4lyfe** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:15 pm

Lol, good to see you too

I agree that there should definitely be some easier merit badges out there, but fingerprinting is still too simple of a merit badge. Most Scouts when asked what the easiest merit badge out is will say "Fingerprinting." Fingerprinting is one of the only merit badges that is almost entirely composed of writing and where the project does not take that much work at all. A go-see requirement would be a good addition:

Requirement 6: Visit a place where fingerprinting is used. Describe your experience.

by **spl08** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:19 pm

Swim4lyfe wrote:Requirement 6: Visit a place where fingerprinting is used. Describe your experience.

I didn't know that there was a requirement 6. The link that I've got in my above post might be wrong though. I'll check.

by **Swim4lyfe** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:24 pm

spl08 wrote:
Swim4lyfe wrote:Requirement 6: Visit a place where fingerprinting is used. Describe your experience.
I didn't know that there was a requirement 6. The link that I've got in my above post might be wrong though. I'll check.

No, I meant that that is my idea for a req 6.

by **spl08** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:25 pm

Swim4lyfe wrote:No, I meant that that is my idea for a req 6.

Oh, I see. I would agree with that, only do all scouts have access to a place that uses fingerprinting (such as a police station or some other government place)?

by **Swim4lyfe** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:29 pm

Sure. I highly doubt otherwise.

by **spl08** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:41 pm

Swim4lyfe wrote:Sure. I highly doubt otherwise.

What about scouts who are in very rural areas? In many states (like SD,ND,WY,AK, etc), a lot of small towns just have a sheriff who drives through and there isn't any police station in town or possibly within 30+ miles.

by **Swim4lyfe** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:42 pm

spl08 wrote:
Swim4lyfe wrote:Sure. I highly doubt otherwise.
What about scouts who are in very rural areas? In many states (like SD,ND,WY,AK, etc), a lot of small towns just have a sheriff who drives through and there isn't any police station in town or possibly within 30+ miles.

Post office.

by **Quailman** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:51 pm

Or a bank. I don't know about all states, but I'll bet that in most, it is a requirement that every bank employee gets fingerprinted.

by **Mrw** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:05 pm

Most places that require employees to get fingerprinted will have their local law enforcement agency come by and do that or some will ask the employee to go to the local police department and have that done.

by **wagionvigil** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:17 pm

SChool Districts also are using Fingerprinting in Pa. The school district I taught in actually installed print scanners to sign in and out with.

by **Swim4lyfe** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:26 pm

wagionvigil wrote:SChool Districts also are using Fingerprinting in Pa. The school district I taught in actually installed print scanners to sign in and out with.

Serious? Wow

by **wagionvigil** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:26 pm

For Staff. Dead Serious :!:

by **Swim4lyfe** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:28 pm

wagionvigil wrote:For Staff. Dead Serious

That's a good idea. I'll have to research it some more.

(Just another thing that shows you Fingerprinting needs updating!)

by **WeeWillie** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:53 pm

Here is a Monthly Program for you that is built around visiting your Police department.

New Scout Patrol - Fingerprinting MB, Visit a Civic Leader and discuss Constitution.

Regular Patrol - Crime Prevention MB

Venture Patrol - Taffic Safety MB

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Fingerprinting- too easy?

Fingerprinting- too easy?

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