Cooking MB to become Eagle-required on Jan 1, 2014

[RWSmith]

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2012/10/17/cooking-sustainability-merit-badges-to-become-eagle-required/#more-16670
About Time I had to get cooking when i was a scout
Executive Board announced today.

Sustainability, a new merit badge, will join Environmental Science as an Eagle Scout option after its debut at the 2013 jamboree.

Cooking, meanwhile, will become Eagle-required as of Jan. 1, 2014.

The total number of merit badges required for the Eagle Scout Award will remain at 21. In other words, instead of 12 Eagle-required badges and 9 elective badges, a Scout must earn 13 Eagle-required and 8 elective badges.

Why the change? The goal is to "reflect a better balance of the needs of youth and our nation today and in the future," according to the BSA's resolution. Personally, I like it. Keeping up with the ever-changing world means questioning the way things have always been done.

Sustainability becomes more important as our population increases while resources decrease. And a boy who reaches Eagle without skills in cooking and healthy eating habits hasn't become fully "Prepared. For Life." in my opinion. I think the BSA's board got it right on here.

[smtroop168]

Finally got this one through the Exec Bd after many tries.

[Chris Taylor]

I really can't imagine how a young man could sport an Eagle badge and NOT have Cooking MB. However, I read the MB pamphlet recently and recall thinking the requirements seemed rather mamby pamby... I may just be old school but I was hoping to see "Cook bacon on a stick over an open fire" and I didn't...

As for Sustainability, I could see building it into Env Science, but a WHOLE MB! BLECH!

[kwildman]

I agree with Chris about the sustainablity - This is not ERMB material and i havent even seen it. This should be part of the Environmental Science and not a replacment. I think Environmental Science is a hard merit badge but i think it is one that challenges the youth and is important. I am a bit biased since i am an environmental scientist and work in the environmental industry.

Cooking - I am good for that. so if a scout earns Cooking in 2012 and then in 2014 can he swap out the badge for one with the silver border?

[Reasonable Rascal]

VERY glad to hear that Cooking will rejoin the Eagle requirements. Presently it is not a badge that is pursued by the boys, and it needs to be for all the reasons mentioned.

RR

[FrankJ]

So we combine cooking with sustainability and learn how to cook cock roaches & other small plentiful organisms?

[PaulSWolf]

I really can't imagine how a young man could sport an Eagle badge and NOT have Cooking MB. However, I read the MB pamphlet recently and recall thinking the requirements seemed rather mamby pamby... I may just be old school but I was hoping to see "Cook bacon on a stick over an open fire" and I didn't...

As for Sustainability, I could see building it into Env Science, but a WHOLE MB! BLECH!

Keep in mind that Cooking is also undergoing a substantial revision. As Bryan put it "Details: Coming soon (Update expected after 2013 Jamboree), but I’m hearing rumors that it will better incorporate the BSA’s healthy living initiatives."

[Bill Pitcher]

You want to see a new Eagle required MB? At an Eagle BoR I hald last night, one question posed to the candidate was, "Would you change anything on the trail to Eagle or the BSA program?" And his reply was, "Wilderness Survival MB should be required!" His feeling was that it showcases Scouting's skills and isn't watered down like many of the MB's.

What do you think?

[wagionvigil]

At the 2005 NJ there were a group of scouts having petitions signed to require WS and you see where that went. They had 1000's of signatures.

[smtroop168]

More info:

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2012/1 ... more-16850