fast Facts on Merit Badge Counselors from the BSA web site

[wagionvigil]

Fast Facts for the Merit Badge Counselor
A merit badge counselor can counsel any Scout, including his own son—although this is discouraged in order to offer a Scout the chance to meet a diverse group of outstanding adults.
A counselor may be certified in unlimited merit badge subjects, but he or she must be approved for each one.
There is no limit on the number of merit badges that a counselor may counsel with one Scout. However, the Scout will benefit the most from working with a variety of outstanding adults.
A merit badge counselor may limit his or her services to one unit but still must be approved by the council advancement committee.
Scoutmasters and assistant Scoutmasters are not automatically approved as merit badge counselors.
Group instruction is acceptable, but each Scout must be tested and passed individually.
There is no time limit for completion of merit badges, but all work on merit badges must be completed before the Scout's 18th birthday

[lifescoutforlife]

Our council only lets us teach 7 MB's

[scubascout]

our troop encourages scouts to take the merit badge with a counselor who is not the parent UNLESS the parent is the only counselor for that merit badge in the troop or we are doing the merit badge as a group

[Quailman]

This is good info. Thanks for posting it.

At our council's MBC training class, one reason they gave for encouraging the boy to use a counselor other than his own parent was that the "No more; no less" rule often ceases to apply. The parent expects a whole lot more from their own son then they would from someone else's. They admit that there's a risk of the opposite occuring, but consider the risk minimal.

[wagionvigil]

there is a training sheet for merit badge counselors on the BSA online site. It was very long and had some links etc that are better addressed by actually going to the web site . There are test for the counselors etc.

[jr56]

When councils limit the number of merit badges that a counselor can do, isn't that in violation of national advancement policy?

[ccjj]

The council I am with limits it to 8 merit badges per counselor. They started that a couple of years ago.

ccjj

[WVBeaver05]

Our council only lets us teach 7 MB's

The council I am with limits it to 8 merit badges per counselor. They started that a couple of years ago.

When councils limit the number of merit badges that a counselor can do, isn't that in violation of national advancement policy?

To me, having read the national policy, YES, it is clearly a violation.

YiS

[AquilaNegra2]

Apparently new on the FAQs:

Question: Can merit badge counselors coach their own sons or close relatives (for instance, a nephew)?
Answer: Yes, but only if the young man is part of a group of Scouts who are all working on the same merit badge. Approved counselors may coach any Boy Scout who contacts them through the proper procedures.

On one hand, I like this change -- it means someone's grandmother can't counsel 121 badges in two years. On the other, it means that I have to talk someone ELSE into signing up for badges that our district has no counselor for.

[smtroop168]

Apparently new on the FAQs:

Question: Can merit badge counselors coach their own sons or close relatives (for instance, a nephew)?
Answer: Yes, but only if the young man is part of a group of Scouts who are all working on the same merit badge. Approved counselors may coach any Boy Scout who contacts them through the proper procedures.

On one hand, I like this change -- it means someone's grandmother can't counsel 121 badges in two years. On the other, it means that I have to talk someone ELSE into signing up for badges that our district has no counselor for.

Where did you see that? This is right off the page.

Can a merit badge counselor counsel their own son or relative?
"An approved counselor can counsel any youth member, including his or her own son, ward, or relative." - AP p. 13

[AquilaNegra2]

http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors/FAQ.aspx

Straight off the page. It must be new because I hadn't seen it before.

[smtroop168]

I thought you were referring to meritbadge.org

I have not seen this either. It's counter to the brand new Advancement Policy and Procedures book #33088 which is what this site references.

[wagionvigil]

I thought you were referring to meritbadge.org

I have not seen this either. It's counter to the brand new Advancement Policy and Procedures book #33088 which is what this site references.

33088 has presidence!

[AquilaNegra2]

*sigh* Are they contradicting themselves? Or, is it that a parent MAY counsel his own son, but ONLY in a group?

[scoutaholic]

*sigh* Are they contradicting themselves? Or, is it that a parent MAY counsel his own son, but ONLY in a group?

Question: Can merit badge counselors coach their own sons or close relatives (for instance, a nephew)?
Answer: Yes, but only if the young man is part of a group of Scouts who are all working on the same merit badge. Approved counselors may coach any Boy Scout who contacts them through the proper procedures.

It looks to me like they are not only contradicting the Advancement Guidelines, but the answer contradicts itself. They say the MBC can only counsel their relative if he is part of a group, but the next sentence says they can counsel anyone who contacts them through the proper procedures. Which is it?!?

[Quailman]

Someone in my troop came back last sumer from MB counslor training and told me about the 'only in groups' rule. I copied the MB training from another website (usscouts) which I thought they even used in the training, and underlined the part about how you may counsel your own son. I've gone to look for it just now and cannot locate it.

I noticed something else on the scouting.org page:

The merit badge counselor assesses the Scout's knowledge to ensure he has completed all the required work—no more, and no less. You may not add to, delete from, or modify the merit badge requirements in any way, although certain considerations can be made for Scouts with disabilities.

I always thought that there were no "considerations" to be made for scouts with disabilities. The only consideration my son, who has CP, has received in scouting is that he is allowed to sit on the edge of the pool and lean in at the beginning of the swim test. This is to avoid cracking his skull when trying to jump from his feet. But that's not a MB requirement.

And I couldn't find anything on what 'certain considerations' are permitted. He can't hike ten miles, but he could be pushed ten miles in a wheelchair. Could he walk one mile with a trip plan and carrying the ten essentials to earn the hiking MB? This definitely reflects a change, just like the bit about groups.

[smtroop168]

I just emailed my contacts at National to ask for clarification on both issues.

[wagionvigil]

Here we go again

[smtroop168]

I just emailed my contacts at National to ask for clarification on both issues.

Point of contact at National confirmed that the #33088 is the correct policy. I assume the web site will be corrected as soon as they can.

[milominderbinder2]

Here are the combined Boy Scout Requirements and Advancement Policies on Merit Badges:
http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Me ... e_Policies

- Craig