National Outdoor Challenge Award

[papabear]

One of the requirements for this troop award is for the troop to earn at least one outdoor-related merit badge per Scout. The acceptable merit badges are: Backpacking, Camping, Canoeing, Cooking, Emerg Prep, Environ Science, First Aid, Fish and Wildlife, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Forestry, Hiking, Lifesaving, Orienteering, Pioneering, Rowing, Scuba, Snow Sports, Soil and Water, Swimming, Water Sports, Whitewater.

But not Kayaking, Search and Rescue, Geology, Archery, Rifle, Shotgun, Astronomy, Bird Study, Climbing, Cycling, Mammal Study, Reptiles and Amphibians, Nature, Sailing, Motor Boating, Oceanography, Skating, Weather, Wilderness Survival.

By not including these other merit badges makes it tough for the troop to earn this award.

Are the approved merit badges for this award the only merit badges that can be used when considering this award or can we include the other merit badges?

[Quailman]

It looks like the list is the list. There are 24 MBs on it. Not every member of your troop even need to earn one. The requirement states "The troop earned at least one outdoors-related* merit badge per Scout". Then it has spaces for number of Scouts and number of MBs. There are four (soon to be five) ER badges on it - Camping, Environmental Science, First Aid, and Hiking/Swimming/Cycling, plus Cooking. If three scouts were to earn three of these, it would make up for six who earned none.

If you think it makes it tough for the troop to earn the award, well, it's called the National Outdoor Challenge Award, not the National Outdoor Gimme Award.

BTW, Cycling is on the list.

[edit] Climbing is also on the list. The application on Scouting.org was updated In 2010. Kayaking and Search and Rescue are new since then. I wouldn't be surprised if they're added next time around. You listed Skating. I'm not familiar with the requirements. Is that really an outdoor MB? Most skating I've done and witnessed was indoors.

[razor_strop]

You listed Skating. I'm not familiar with the requirements. Is that really an outdoor MB? Most skating I've done and witnessed was indoors.

Spoken like a true Texan.

[Quailman]

I grew up in New Jersey and skated on ponds there. When I lived in Denver, I shuttled my nephews to indoor hockey rinks. The only skating I've done here was in roller rinks.

[jr56]

You have the choice to do skating on rollar skates, or ice skates.

[Quailman]

I looked it up and there are three options: Roller Skates are differentiated from In-line Skates, and of course, Ice Skates, but this is all off-topic.

One could certainly argue that Mammal Study, Nature and Bird Study are as outdoor-oriented as Forestry. Sailing and Wilderness Survival are even more so. Nevertheless, the list is the list.

[FrankJ]

Nevertheless, the list is the list.

And some one is checking it twice. :0

[BartHumphries]

Just a personal beef of mine regarding skating... There is a difference between inline skates and roller skates -- rather like the difference between a canoe and a kayak. Sure, they're both personal watercraft, you wear a PFD for both, you can even j-stroke paddle for each, and the open-top ocean going kayaks are really very similar in form to a canoe, but... there are differences. Roller skates are patterned after figure skates, with a toe pick. Roller blades are patterned after hockey skates, with no brake (sure, there are roller blades with a brake, but see the open-top ocean going kayaks).