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Kobalt
Star
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 98
Location: Louisville, KY
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 02:42 pm Post subject: Shortage of
Counselors
We have a problem within our troop. Not necessarily our troop,
but what the troop has to work with. In my area, we have
almost zero known counselors. My troop usually has to have
parents teach the Merit Badges. While this is okay, the
parents only know so much. Is there any way I can find
counselors in my area, and get them to come to our meetings?
Thanks for your replies.
_________________
John Baunach
Troop 42
"If it were easy, it would have been done before." -Jeana
Yeager, co-pilot of Voyager
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optimist
Advancement Chairman
Joined: 27 Jun 2004
Posts: 146
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 05:33 pm Post subject:
Is there a specific reason for this lack of merit badge
counselors? For instance, I have a friend who lives in a tiny
community in the Alaskan wilderness. Obviously they do not
have a lot of resources to draw upon.
Any adult who has good knowledge of a merit badge subject is a
potential merit badge counselor. This includes parents. In
fact, parents often make the best merit badge counselors
because they have a vested interest in the success of the
program.
So actually, there are probably quite a few merit badge
counselors in your area, they just simply haven't been asked
to help out yet
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Kobalt
Star
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 98
Location: Louisville, KY
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 06:57 pm Post subject:
Louisville's the 16th largest city in the nation, so there
shouldn't be any. No, the main problem is that we don't know
where to find them. I'm not sure the thing I should ask my
doctor after an appointment is, "Hey, by the way: would you
like to help some Boy Scouts earn the Medicine Merit Badge?"
That would be a little awkward, I think, but if it's what I
have to do, I'll do it. Would they need to sign up for
anything, or could they just show up at a meeting and start?
Our troop isn't that experienced with MB Counselors. I'm not
even sure if we should pay the ones outside of our troop...
_________________
John Baunach
Troop 42
"If it were easy, it would have been done before." -Jeana
Yeager, co-pilot of Voyager
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optimist
Advancement Chairman
Joined: 27 Jun 2004
Posts: 146
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 07:41 pm Post subject:
Yes, that's exactly what you do. For lots of helpful
information about recruiting merit badge councelors, go to the
BSA Program Info section on this web site.
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Kobalt
Star
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 98
Location: Louisville, KY
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 11:10 pm Post subject:
What would you say we pay the counselors? Is it a per-Scout
type of payment, or just a flat fee? Thanks so much for your
help.
_________________
John Baunach
Troop 42
"If it were easy, it would have been done before." -Jeana
Yeager, co-pilot of Voyager
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BM_Crawford
Life
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 131
Location: PA W/F Council
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 11:20 pm Post subject:
I feel bad for you We have tons of councilors out here.
_________________
Brian Crawford
Troop 251
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Kobalt
Star
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 98
Location: Louisville, KY
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 11:31 pm Post subject:
Heh, don't worry. There are many resources; we just haven't
scratched the surface yet.
_________________
John Baunach
Troop 42
"If it were easy, it would have been done before." -Jeana
Yeager, co-pilot of Voyager
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BM_Crawford
Life
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 131
Location: PA W/F Council
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 11:32 pm Post subject:
Thats good, and just think once you get eagle you can be come
a councilor too!
_________________
Brian Crawford
Troop 251
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Kobalt
Star
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 98
Location: Louisville, KY
Posted: 17 Jul 2004 11:38 pm Post subject:
You don't have to be an adult to be a counselor? That's good.
I'm technically going to be teaching Astronomy this coming
Tuesday, but I'm going to have to get our Assistant
Scoutmaster or a parent to sign off on the requirements.
_________________
John Baunach
Troop 42
"If it were easy, it would have been done before." -Jeana
Yeager, co-pilot of Voyager
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BM_Crawford
Life
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 131
Location: PA W/F Council
Posted: 18 Jul 2004 10:22 am Post subject:
No you do have to be an adult.
_________________
Brian Crawford
Troop 251
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ScoutmasterBob
Counselor
Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Posts: 79
Location: Woods Cross, Utah
Posted: 19 Jul 2004 02:13 pm Post subject:
Contact your local council office. Our Council maintains a
list of "registered" MB counselors in our council, maybe yours
does as well.
If they Dont, find out who the Scoutmasters are in the troops
around your city and ask them about their MBC Im sure they
would help.
While SM and ASM can sign off MBs, they are limited as to how
many they can do in a given year. Check with council for more
info.
Finding MBC should be the responsibility of the Scout
Committee. Find out who the Committee Chair is for your Troop
and have him dig into it.
_________________
Bob Torkelson
Scoutmaster Troop 538
www.wx5troop538.homestead.com
Live The Oath!
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Kobalt
Star
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 98
Location: Louisville, KY
Posted: 20 Jul 2004 11:10 am Post subject:
Okay. Thanks for all your help. I'm going to ask my
Scoutmaster tonight, and maybe we can get things straightened
out.
_________________
John Baunach
Troop 42
"If it were easy, it would have been done before." -Jeana
Yeager, co-pilot of Voyager
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wagionvigil
Counselor
Joined: 21 Jul 2004
Posts: 191
Location: PA
Posted: 22 Jul 2004 11:59 am Post subject: RE Merit Badge
Counselors
WE have a Merit Badge Chairman in each of our 4 districts,
That person is responsible for putting together a MErit Badge
Counselor book for their own district. ANyone doing Merit
BAdges MUST be registered with council as a counselor and
there is no charge for this. All they do is complete an adult
Application and a Merit BAdge Counselor Application To
Council. The list is made up from there. WE also have a MErit
Badge Camporee every two or three years at Penn State Fayette
Campus. Usually this is a winter event and SCouts can usually
take two or three merit badges over the weekend.
_________________
Action Center D Rappel Tower Director 2001 and 2005 National
Jamborees
Northeast REgion Area 4 Venturing Chairman
Wagion 6 Lodge Advisor 96-99
"If you ain't A bear you're a Meal"
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Firefish
Life
Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 145
Location: Beaver, Pa
Posted: 22 Jul 2004 03:51 pm Post subject:
wagoinvigil and BM-crawford where do you live in PA? Also you
should be able to find a list somewhere from your council see
if they have a website.
_________________
Peter Cahill
Troop 469
A Fighting Irish
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Firefish
Life
Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 145
Location: Beaver, Pa
Posted: 22 Jul 2004 03:52 pm Post subject:
sorry I posted this twice and edited it
_________________
Peter Cahill
Troop 469
A Fighting Irish
Last edited by Firefish on 22 Jul 2004 03:53 pm; edited 1 time
in total
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Okay, kinda new here, so I haven't read all responses to these posts. But, I like to jump in sometimes, even after the thread has cooled off.