problem with MB counselor--need advice

[jhawk]

For 3 separate weekends in Jan. and Feb., my son and I attended a Radio MB class. The boys were given a notebook to complete in writing as each requirement was covered. My son completed his book before the third weekend. The two things we were told would not be done in class, a station visit and a simulated ham contact, were done outside of class. We expected my son to leave the third class with a signed blue card. However, the counselor was absent and sent a sub. We showed the sub the completed work and he and my son discussed the visit and contact info. We were given a handout by the sub saying the boys had to do 4 more things to get the badge. Two were the ones my son already did, and two were things not in the badge requirements. To keep this long post as contained as possible I'll edit a bit, but repeated emails to the counselor have him still insisting that my son must go to his house to do these things not required. I tried to gently remind him that as counselors we promise to uphold the standard and require no more or less than the badge requires, but to no avail. We are getting frustrated. I finally just asked him to send us the bluecard back, either partially signed or blank and we would present his work to a different counselor. He will not respond. I get the feeling this guy is kind of a creep. Should I press the point with the council he is in, or just forget it and let my son get a new bluecard and just start fresh? My son has done all of the requirements and more, since the counselor required the ham option but my son really wanted to do the broadcast ones. My son earned this badge and I think he deserves it without further complications. Obviously, it isn't going to happen in all probability. Any advice? These badges should spark further interest in subjects, not make them adversive.... I don't think my son should have to do even more just because this guy is hung up on showing off his equipment or he's a control freak or whatever. So what should I do next?

[Mrw]

Get a new blue card and go see another counselor. When he calls the counselor to make an appointment, have him explain that the badge was started with someone else, but the other counselor is requiring extra work in addition to the requirements and also refuses to return the partial blue card.

A reasonable counselor will accept the work already done if your son can demonstrate that he knows and understands the material.

Life is too short to waste time arguing with difficult people. Suggest this counselor not be used again by the troop.

[Chief J]

Agree, Have the SM issue a new blue card and contact a different counselor. I also think a reasonable person would understand and have no problem as long as your son can show an understanding of the work if asked.

Also agree to let the Troop know to not use the problem counselor in the future.

Chief J

[cballman]

first if this was in a class format then was it a merit badge fair or something like that? if this was put on by the council or district the I would not hesitate to go to the council with copies of emails and or letters from this person. then i would not take no for an answer on why he is still teaching this badge. I would also get a new blue card find a new MBC. I would then let your son explain the problem with the first counsler. then I would call back to the council or district and find out why there were added req. on this badge. also if he has done this to your son then how many other kids have had to do the same things.

[jhawk]

Yes, it was a merit badge day sponsored by a neighboring council. I had thought of trying to contact the scouters who set the day up and let them know what this guy is doing. I am not only angry at how he is treating my son, but I am also concerned that he is telling this group of boys that they have to come to his house and do these other requirements. I get a bad feeling from this guy demanding that the boys go to his house. I already emailed the council he is from and asked for help in resolving the issue and got no response. But the guy did finally respond to my repeated emails after I emailed the council, so maybe they nudged him. When I replied to the counselor, I cced the council. I still have heard nothing from the council, though. Who knows how often they check their mail, though.... I just have a bad feeling about this guy that goes beyond my anger at him jerking my kid around. I was the only other adult in the room of 12 boys at all 3 meetings. The other kids and counselor were all local. I don't want any scout to get yanked around on requirements, but more importantly, I certainly don't want unescorted scouts at this guy's house. I don't want to cast too many aspersions on this guy, but he first insisited that each boy visit his home individually and in his email he went out of his way to sound very accomodating and offered to visit us at our house. I don't want this creep to come to my house to make my son do extra stuff, either! I think the council and the event coordinators need to know what is going on, but I don't want to come across as a whiny paranoid parent. Even if this guy isn't up to no good, he is still adding several requirements to the badge. It has been 2 weeks since I asked him to either sign a partial or simply mail my son's bluecard back unsigned if that was his preference so we could contact another counselor but he has not sent it. Obviously, he isn't planning to send it. I guess it is time to email the council or organizers and try to enlist their help so this doesn't happen to some other scout. (I'm sure my son is not the first but I hope he is the last to go through this.)[/i]

[ASM-142]

Yes, it was a merit badge day sponsored by a neighboring council. I had thought of trying to contact the scouters who set the day up and let them know what this guy is doing. I am not only angry at how he is treating my son, but I am also concerned that he is telling this group of boys that they have to come to his house and do these other requirements. I get a bad feeling from this guy demanding that the boys go to his house. I already emailed the council he is from and asked for help in resolving the issue and got no response. But the guy did finally respond to my repeated emails after I emailed the council, so maybe they nudged him. When I replied to the counselor, I cced the council. I still have heard nothing from the council, though. Who knows how often they check their mail, though.... I just have a bad feeling about this guy that goes beyond my anger at him jerking my kid around. I was the only other adult in the room of 12 boys at all 3 meetings. The other kids and counselor were all local. I don't want any scout to get yanked around on requirements, but more importantly, I certainly don't want unescorted scouts at this guy's house. I don't want to cast too many aspersions on this guy, but he first insisited that each boy visit his home individually and in his email he went out of his way to sound very accomodating and offered to visit us at our house. I don't want this creep to come to my house to make my son do extra stuff, either! I think the council and the event coordinators need to know what is going on, but I don't want to come across as a whiny paranoid parent. Even if this guy isn't up to no good, he is still adding several requirements to the badge. It has been 2 weeks since I asked him to either sign a partial or simply mail my son's bluecard back unsigned if that was his preference so we could contact another counselor but he has not sent it. Obviously, he isn't planning to send it. I guess it is time to email the council or organizers and try to enlist their help so this doesn't happen to some other scout. (I'm sure my son is not the first but I hope he is the last to go through this.)[/i]

Have you tried to telephone council since as you indicated email is not always read?

[Lynda J]

I would also contact another counselor, but I would also contact the District Advancement Chair about the added requirements. A counselor CAN NOT add requirements.

[evmori]

Just another reason to stay clear of merit badge days or merit badge colleges or merit badge university or merit badge-o-ree's etc.

Call you Council Advancement Chair & report this guy. If for nothing else for adding to the requirements.

[jhawk]

Well, I emailed the council advancement chair and explained the whole thing to him. We'll see what happens, I guess. Actually, my son and I both really enjoy merit badge days. If he ever gets this radio badge after all this, it will be number 93. He has loved every badge he has ever done. I have only had two negative experiences with merit badges ever and both were at summer camps with young men who were really too young and inexperienced to be entrusted with a badge. One was just really boring and one was rude and quite offensive. I always come away from badges that I attend having had a lot of fun and often with new information. I guess I am used to well-run days with good counselors. I hope I get a positive response from the council and this doesn't happen to other boys. I'm glad this happened to us later in my son's scout career and not early on, or we might have thrown in the towel. My son has had such a positive experience with scouting until now. It has helped him so much. I hope this guy's council can reign him in a bit. it would be a shame if he made people leave scouting with his attitude.

[vpalango]

Just another reason to stay clear of merit badge days or merit badge colleges or merit badge university or merit badge-o-ree's etc.

Call you Council Advancement Chair & report this guy. If for nothing else for adding to the requirements.

Ed, not sure why you're down on things like merit badge university due to one bad councilor? We've had great experiences with them here, run by dedicated scouters, giving boys an opportunity to work through some MBs they might not have had the opportunity to try otherwise.

I guess it's one of those things where its all in your expereiences, but I wouldn't make the leap from a bad experience, to all of these types of forums are bad?

Just my thoughts, I just didn't understand where the negative vibe about things like MBU was comming from.

[evmori]

Vernon,
I'm not down on them because of one counselor. I'm down on them because they usually gloss over the requirements & there are too many times a Scout gets not earns a merit badge simply because he was there.

[vpalango]

Understood Ed...

I guess we've had some different experiences with the concept, as the MBU program in our district is run very well, and we've had alot of success with it here.

VLP