Least Favorite MB

[FearLess]

Well, I just didn't like the fact that we spent 1 hr doing 10 minutes of work. I could have worked on another MB.

[Mrw]

My boys read the book and did their prints before they called the counselor. They took 10-15 minutes to explain what they had learned and were done.

[Lynda J]

Mrw. I have a problem with scout completing the work before calling the Conselor. That simply is not the way it is supposed to be done.

1) Ask SM for approved counselor for badge and get a Blue Card.
2) Contact Counselor and give counselor blue card.
3) Complete requirements, collect signed off blue card from counselor
and present to SM.

Had your boys contacted me on this badge after they had completed all the requirements, I would not have signed off on the badge.

Now do I allow work that has been done before getting blue cards from SM? Under some conditions yes.

[EagleBoy62204]

I took fingerprinting as a first year at the local police station by myself. I walked in, read the book, went over a few things, got my finger inked and then i was free to go. It took like 10 minutes.

These badges are particular ones i dont really like, they are just fillers for the scout to get eagle. Why not make each badge challenging in its own way? If you cant figure out how to make it challenging it shouldnt be offered.

[Mick Scouter]

The question is did you learn anything or could you have done fingerprinting without any instruction?

[SoopaScouta]

Cit. in the World was one of my favorite badges...

My top favorite would be Astronomy- the watching the stars for 3 hours requirement was a lot of fun. At summer camp me and 3 other boys spent a night at the top of a big hill.

My least favorite was Fingerprinting. The counselor seemed like she REALLY didn't want to be teaching it. She just had the five of us take turns reading the pamphlet outloud to eachother. After a while she left to go get something to eat from the dining hall! Then she made us do our prints and quizzed us on the fingerprint types and history and signed us off. One of the longest hours of my life. I was incredibly bored.

[cballman]

just remember that any merit badge can be boring. If we know anything about any subject the badges seem to go quickly. but if a child then learns something then I think it was worth something wether or not is was boring or least liked. we as MBC need to make them a little more interesting to help keep interest. but then on the other hand if you teach a merit badge in a classroom setting then more than likley you will have a few bored kids just sitting there.

[scoutdiver]

I am new to scouts so I only have 4 mb's. # 1 is fav

1.canoeing
2.swimming
3.envi sci +weather

I am working on first aid and personal fitness. They are both fun. I think first aid can have more physical work. I find it hard to excersice for three months straigt.

[Scholarch]

I'm a noob but also an Eagle teaching future Eagles so I'll write down a few experiences:

Environmental Science is hands-down my least-favorite. No matter how fun you try to make the planning phases of experiments and observations, the Scouts think it is simply too much like school. I remember being in their shoes a decade ago and I can sympathize. No, the merit badge book is not horrible nor are the requirements (old and updated). The only thing I absolutely hope my Scouts get out of it aside from the common sense knowledge comes from the timeline requirement where the BSA's roots and relation with early 20th century conservation is revealed to be part of something quite epic. Because of this I can understand why it is still Eagle-required, just as Bird Study was in my grampa's day.

Personal Fitness is my second least favorite as I am the "bad MBC" who ignores the sit and reach box and simply uses a level tape measure with several spotters. Just kidding, this one is actually quite fun to teach and has great results with those who work to finish the badge.

Community has actually been one of my favorites to teach because we got quite a few laughs at the local County Commissioner's Meeting.
While Community is a harder Citizenship badge, it can be quite fun if you stay organized and plan well. Maybe it's not kosher (or courteous or kind) to have a few after-the-meeting laughs at the demonstrated headaches of local government but the Scouts were really learning about the process.

Family Life is one where I fall in the middle. I did NOT like taking this one as a Scout. Looking back, the 3 months of chore records was not unbearable. Though it has this make-or-break requirement, it has a lot of other stuff to offer. Recently, they added the "what makes a good father requirement." Also, this badge may in fact be the only time other than the Eagle Board of Review and occasional Scout Spirit meetings where the core character behind a Scout is discussed. Though Scouts usually like it about as much as Env. Sci., I honestly think the method and intention of the badge is spot-on. If a Scout can't discuss matters of character and morals with his family/guardians then who can he go to?

Personal Management is one I've not taught to multiple Scouts but the guy who did recently did an excellent job. He taught it on a chart through a logical vocabulary of $-concepts that kept building and reinforcing. At first I thought he was teaching it really slow but I actually learned a thing or two in the process. Personal Management, contrary to some opinions, can be taught well but it can't be rushed either or the concepts in the merit badge book will go in one ear and out the other. (I'm in the middle on this one as well.)

End of my rambling.

[starhawk]

because it's very boring and slightly difficult. It's just usually one of those badges that is better for older scouts.

Not in my opinion! this badge is underated

I have to agree with the evil smilie! I just finished it and had a BLAST!!! All merit badges are fun, you just have to find the fun in them. But the most boring, (at least for a while), is the Family Life. I still have not finished it! AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

[JRTroop270]

Least Fav: Family Life, Fav: Oceanography (I got it and I live in AZ)

[jhawk]

Just curious, Eagleboy, but how did you ever get past Second Class and First Class ranks if you cannot swim at all? Not to mention the swimming MB, which I am assuming you earned since you didn't do cycling or hiking.... How did you make the 150 yards? A non-swimmer getting the swimming badge or even First Class....hmmmmm. Perhaps you were being facetious about not being able to swim "at all?" In our troop, you'd be out of luck and be stuck at Tenderfoot....

[aflmom]

I'm a noob but also an Eagle teaching future Eagles so I'll write down a few experiences:

Personal Management is one I've not taught to multiple Scouts but the guy who did recently did an excellent job. He taught it on a chart through a logical vocabulary of $-concepts that kept building and reinforcing. At first I thought he was teaching it really slow but I actually learned a thing or two in the process. Personal Management, contrary to some opinions, can be taught well but it can't be rushed either or the concepts in the merit badge book will go in one ear and out the other. (I'm in the middle on this one as well.)

End of my rambling.

Personally (pun intended), I think Personal Management should be divided up into two merit badges. One as personal management and the other as personal finance or investing.

[scout_momx2]

In my experience as Advancement Chair, most kids dislike Personal Management MB. We're fortunate, though, in that our MB counselor incorporates the requirements into a 9th grade personal management class that's required by the school district. If the guys do their schoolwork and get at least a C, they get credit for that requirement. Relatively painless.

[WVBeaver05]

In my experience as Advancement Chair, most kids dislike Personal Management MB. We're fortunate, though, in that our MB counselor incorporates the requirements into a 9th grade personal management class that's required by the school district. If the guys do their schoolwork and get at least a C, they get credit for that requirement. Relatively painless.

I trust that the counselor makes sure that the Scouts complete all the requirements rather than just assuming that at "C" in the class covers everything.

YiS

[616kayak]

I don’t feel a C in the class would cover the reqs. Grades are based approximately 30-40% on knowledge and the rest is how much work you do. Even in high school grades rarely reflect knowledge of the subject. Its all about turning in assignmments. Unless his class is different.

[pipestone1991]

Favorite: rifle

Least Favorite: First Aid (may soon be replaced by E. Prep.)

[616kayak]

I loved first aid. One of my favorite topics.

[pipestone1991]

I loved first aid. One of my favorite topics.

I love the subject of medicine, just first aid seems boring to me (however I do have certifications from the American Heart Association in First Aid and all forms of CPR/a Red Cross babysitter cert. also)

[FearLess]

Ok, the times have changed... So has the meritbadge's I've liked

Least Fav.: Environmental Science

Most Fav.: Rifle Shooting