Composite Materials Merit Badge

[scoutmasterbob]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the BSA newest edition to the Merit badge list?

[wagionvigil]

I saw this at the NJ in 05 they were making a Surf board. I personaly see no use for it But that is just me.

[scoutaholic]

I'll have to admit, I haven't looked closely at what it involves. There may be some great things in there.

I think it probably has not been as popular as it could. Nobody seems to know what it is about. When I mention to a scout group that there is a new badge called 'Composite Materials', their response is ALWAYS, 'what's that?' Often followed by a 'sounds lame' or 'sounds boring'.

[lifescoutforlife]

Not every scout likes certain MB's that's what makes scouting great, kids will pick the badges they like to do or most interests them. My son took Space Exploration last year and now thinks he will be the next person on the moon. This merit badge is neat to me because I work with materials that do with the MB. That is why I soon teach this madge once I read the book and do all the requirements myself so I will be ready to teach it well. You never know when a scout my take a MB and say I really liked that and would like to go to college for sometime in that field.

[jr56]

Not that familiar with it, I assume there must have been sufficient interest in the subject or the merit badge would never have been developed.

[jp1116]

I took 3 boys to work on the merit badge last spring, they lucked out and the book came out a few days before they started so they had a little time to read beforehand. We had a very nice tour at a facility that produces the resins and concentrated on the laboratories used for testing and development. The counselers gave them several demostrations and the boys were able to make a small boat hull using a mold. Before working on the merit badge they didn't totally understand what a composite material was and were amazed at all the applications that are being used now and those coming in the near future.
In spite of all the time spent in the "classroom" they really enjoyed it and after telling other boys what composites were, we have several more that want to work on it when we can arrange another class.

[cballman]

well JP I think you hit the nail on the head. to have three boys that liked the merit badge that much also has to to with the instructors. like all the merit badges maybe one of those boys will be the next einstein.

[FrankJ]

It is one of those merit badge that will not appeal to every body, but it is really neat stuff. I like the idea of having merit badges covering a wide range of topics.

[Mad Dog]

My son actually wants to work on CM when the weather gets warmer. Despite the fact that it was written up in Boys Life I don't think many people are aware of it or know what it entails. Our Council does not currently have a MBC for it. I have read through the book and there are a lot of resources available online. I get the feeling, but I may be wrong, that the badge was lobbied for heavily by the CM industry. You don't have to do complicated projects. One of the ones suggested in the book is a birdhouse. I think there will be some boys who do it and enjoy it.

[FrankJ]

No Merit badge involved but, My father, son, and myself built a 12ft plywood skiff. We used fiberglass & resin to reinforce the seams. It was a great multi-generation project.

BTW wood is the original composite material.

[owl scouter]

I'm a District Chairman that has a Merit Badge Trail program for scouts to earn up to three badges in three weekends. Composite Merit Badge was introduced this year and we got a good turn out. My District includes most of Wright-Patterson AFB which has the US Air Force Research Laboratory Head Quarters and some of the labs. In this area composits are going strong so we have councilers and kids interested.
It is a coming thing so I feal it is great to give some of our young men a chance to learn about it.
In a few years most parts of aircraft will be composits and car parts are on their way too. When the scouts are my age, 55, they will think nothing of the badge. It will be part of their world.
John

[tdfoxsr736]

I think it's a good badge in the category of career planning. It most probably started due to a major contribution from some chemical manufacturer.

[Lynda J]

Thourh I think Composit Material is a great learning badge and will benifit the boys in the future I also think that National needs to look at badge subjects that boys are really in.
Paintballing will never be approved by BSA and I agree with this. But what about a Skate Boarding badge. I don't skate board but over half the boysin our troop do. I didn't realize how much skill it took until I watched some of the shows on compention.

[9009scoutmaster]

I have not really looked at the requirements for the composit merit badge, but there is probally a need for this merit badge.
As for as a skake boarding merit badge I feel that instead of a new merit badge that the skating merit badge include a section for skating boardings as it does for Ice Skating, Roller skating, or In-line Skating. Reammber In-line skates are only 20-25 years old, skateboards have been around for a very long time, I can remmber them from the early 60's. They have just come back in style in the last few years.

[Swim4lyfe]

I love it. At first I wasn't so sure, but after working on the merit badge I love it. It's fun, the projects are hard but good, and it's not very difficult. It's quite interesting as well.