public speaking

[MI6Ash]

Hey, I plan to find a counsiler for public speaking, the badge looks like fun. Does anybody here have any personal experiance with the badge? if so, what were your thoughts and ideas while earning/teaching the badge?
~Ash~

[cballman]

Having been having trouble speaking in front of people for years. I now think that this badge should be required. and also having been the MBC for the last 2 years and I only have had 1 only 1 scout take it. but it was a experiance that I wish I could have had when I was a kid a couple of years ago when I was a scout.

[MI6Ash]

haha, thanks for your comments cballman. I love public speaking, and I believe that the capability to do so should be one that an eagle should posess. But, I guess communications may cover that area.

[cballman]

it dont so I still think it is a great asset to have. I am getting better at it as the years pass by.

[Old Beaver]

Greetings all.

I plan to take a small group through this merit badge within the next few months. Any tips?

Jim
ASM
Wood Badge WE3-23-08
Pleasant Hill, CA

[AquilaNegra2]

ParliPro http://www.parlipro.org/tutorial.htm has an excellent online tutorial for teaching Parliamentary Procedure.

For the impromptu one, each of the boys wrote a topic (with a couple extra thrown in to account for the inappropriate ones!), then drew it from a hat.

They critiqued each other's speeches afterward. I think that was extremely valuable.

[Cowboy]

It is a very good MB, although I too have only seen it taken once in over 6 years. I agree that the thought (probably) is that the Communications MB does a lot of the same stuff. I think that the premise is that with all of the "public" speaking that is done for the "higher" POS the Scouts will cover everything that this MB covers so it is not a necessity. The problem is that I have known several Scouts who never hold a true leadership position, they hold the scribe or historian positions and never actually need to get in front of people for a real speech. Personally I think that no boy should be awarded Eagle without having first held a Patrol Leader position, and in smaller Troops SPL or ASPL. Just my opinion.

[ThunderingWind]

Personally I think that no boy should be awarded Eagle without having first held a Patrol Leader position, and in smaller Troops SPL or ASPL. Just my opinion.

A similar comment was made by our CC the other night about one fo the boys. The boy is Scribe but has done nothing but wear the patch. He even mentioned that his own son is getting off easy for his Eagle because of the "weakened standards" being used today.

[smtroop168]

A similar comment was made by our CC the other night about one fo the boys. The boy is Scribe but has done nothing but wear the patch. He even mentioned that his own son is getting off easy for his Eagle because of the "weakened standards" being used today.

Personally I think that no boy should be awarded Eagle without having first held a Patrol Leader position, and in smaller Troops SPL or ASPL. Just my opinion.

This is off the Public Speaking MB topic but we've been through this on the forum. It is the unit's (SPL, SM, CC) responsibility to ensure that a scout is "Actively" performing in their POR BEFORE the time requirement is completed. If they are just "wearing the patch" then take them out of the position or explain what they need to be doing. How does the PLC run without a Scribe???

[Old Beaver]

Some very good ideas on this merit badge...and a healthy debate on troop leadership positions to boot!

My cup runneth over. Thanks all, very much.

If others have suggestions for this merit badge, I'd love to hear them.

Jim
ASM
Wood Badge WE3-23-08
Pleasant Hill, CA

[owl scouter]

Jim,

I have been traveling and have not been on the link in awhile. Hope I'm not too late to add to the discussion. Like others, I have only had a couple scouts work on Public Speaking over the last 15 years of so. I'm also a member of Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is all about speaking and leadership growth for adults, you must be 18 to join, but they have youth training.
There are tons of Toastmasters Clubs all around the world. You can find them at www.Toastmasters.org, find a club or clubs near by and ask for some help. Here is the club for Pleasant Hills. There may be more in cities close by. Not sure where you are in CA.
Aegis, 1660 Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523, United States
Club Status: Open to all 925 256 1169
I'm sure you could do a great job on your own, but public speaking is what Toastmasters is all about and you will probably find people wanting to help just like Scouters. Many clubs would put on a workshop and help a group of scouts all at once if asked. It could be a real win-win.
If you need any help finding a club just leave another message and I will help how ever I can.
John
(owl scouter)

[Cowboy]

And regardless of which Merit Badge it is, remember that you have a while load of resources that you already pay through the nose for: Public School. We have found, in our Troop, that many teachers sons are in Scouts as cubs and then as Boy Scouts. For the most part they do drop from BS, but the parents (teachers) are still supportive of the program. We only have to ask them and they are more than willing to assist with anything that we need. Of course living in a rural community probably helps, but still, there are a good number of teachers who love kids and will help out just because.
As per my earlier post, I was not trying to restart the POR discussion. It is just my opinion that a POR is a position of responsibility, not leadership. Not to detract from the position, but a scribe will not learn the leadership or public speaking skills that a Patrol Leader position does. See what I was getting at, the difference between the words responsibility and leader. Both are important.