Blue Cards and Scoutmaster's Signature

[TalkwithFingers]

I did a Arrow of Light bridging ceremony last evening and was approached by a former Cub Leader that had gone to another Troop. His son told me that last summer he earned 5 merit badges and when he returned from camp, he gave his Troop Scoutmaster the completed two portions of the blue cards.
His Scoutmaster asked him a few questions about each merit badge. One was for swimming. A number of the Scouts from this Troop earned the Swimming merit badge at the same summer camp. The Scoutmaster 'was not convinced that the Scouts actually EARNED the badges and set up a visit to a swimming pool to retest them for the merit badge requirements'.
To make a long story short, this one Scout did get his Swimming merit badge blue card turned in, but FOUR OTHER MERIT BADGES HE EARNED LAST SUMMER WERE HELD BACK by the Scoutmaster because he felt the Scout had not completed all the requirements even though the Blue Cards were complete and signed by the camp merit badge councelors.
I know, I would not do this.........
Any thoughts out there .............

[Mrw]

None that are fit to post on a family board!

[WVBeaver05]

None that are fit to post on a family board!

It is with some reluctance that I agree with Mrw!

Why? Because I have seen Scouts "complete" merit badges without completing the requirements. This bothers me greatly and I wish that I could figure out a good solution. However, the only approach that we have is to follow up with the MB councelor, and if necessary the District and Council. We then need to make sure that these councilors either follow the rules ("nothing added and nothing subtracted from the written requirements") or that we not use them.

YiS

[ASM-142]

If a scout has a completed MB card then the SM can not hold back a MB. The SM should also not test the scout on the MB requirements.

[FrankJ]

Like it or not, once an approved merit badge counsilor has signed off on the merit badge, it is earned. I cannot find anything in the offical rules were it says a SM can do more than recommend a MBC. If it is there I would like to know where.

If you don't like the way the summer camp does things; don't take your troop to that summer camp. If a counsilor is not doing their job, report him to the district advancement committee.

If I was on the other side & had a SM who did this. I would take it up the line until I found someone who follows the rules. But then I like to tilt at the occasional windmill.

[wagionvigil]

There is another thread going on that adresseshis problem. MB retesting

[evmori]

Oh how wrong that is!

[scoutaholic]

If things are being done correctly, there should be no reason for the SM to question the completion of a MB.

The first signature on the blue card is that of the SM when the scout starts the MB and asks to be referred to a councelor. This is the time for the SM to make his judgements. Once he has given the boy the card and sent him to the councelor, his involvement in the approval process is done. If you don't like a councelor or don't trust that they are doing their job, don't give a boy the card for that counselor.

The MBC's job is to teach and guide the boy through the requirements, and make sure he does the requirements. The MBC cannot add or subtract from the written requirements. Once the boy has demonstrated his knowledge and ability to fulfil the requirements, the MBC signs the card and sends it back to the troop.

In an ideal world, the SM wouldn't even have to see the blue card again. It would go directly to the Committee Person in charge of Advancement. It is their job to collect the cards, fill out an advancement report, and get the badges for the next Court of Honor.

There should be no retesting. The SM can ask a few questions in the SM Conference, but not to find out if the requirements were done. The SM Conference is a time for the SM to talk with the boy about his progress, goals, opinions, etc. If the SM determines that the boy doesn't know the stuff, then he should keep that in mind and not send another boy to the same MBC. The BOR also has the right to ask questions, but again this is not a requalification. This is the time for the committee to evaluate the progress of the boy as well as how he is fitting in and working with the troop and its leadership. The committee can remove a counselor from the list if they feel it warranted, but they can't discount the work the boy has already gotten approved.

[deweylure]

The answer is the same the SM is wrong in re- testing,holding back MB advancement etc. May be he is not aware in regards to the policy on MB earning.

Bring this matter to his attention if this does not work then get
the attention of the comittee and committee chair.

From there you must see the district .

I think speaking to the SM will correct this issue.


Deweylure

[616kayak]

1) scoutmasters shouldnt retest. Its a rule follow all of them not just the ones that help you. This rule is designed to help the MBC.

2) If i were a SM i would never use this MBC again because as SPl would assign people to certain things if they had the badge cause i knew they knew it.

[evmori]

If things are being done correctly, there should be no reason for the SM to question the completion of a MB.

A SM can question whether a Scout actually learned anything but a SM doesn't have the right to hold back any completed MB regardless of how much or how little the Scout learned. This is the same as adding to the requirements and that isn't allowed. If the MB counselor is poor, report him/her to the DAC.

[wagionvigil]

Sometimes the copunselor is not really poor but the scout does not retain information. Beng in he field of education I can tell you I can give a test on Monday and a kid will do well on it same test a week later and they will do bad on it. It is the way we educate today, the students learn for the "test" not to retain. This is not the teachers/counslors fault but rather the educational system we have now. Students learn for the short term not the long haul

[616kayak]

The key is using the information in scouting activities and everday life. That will solve the problem of forgetting most of the information.

If you want the scouts to be good at orienteering do it at least twice a year and they will know it. Same for other things