Earning Badges As A Troop

[FrankH]

We joined a very small troop at the beginning of the summer and they are of the opinion that MBs should be done as a troop and not individually. Is it necessary for all Scouts in the troop to work on the same merit badge at the same time? My son is interested in several different merit badges but says he can't work on them.

Thanks!

Frank

[wagionvigil]

Scouts are encouraged to work as individuals but they need to go in pairs to a counselor. My troop does both. We do a couple group MB's in the winter months but the boys also work on their own.

[Guneukitschik]

Our troop does a basic introduction to the merit badge and actually completes a few of the requirements during the meeting in which a counselor comes in a gives a short/quick overview....then the scouts that actually wish to complete the remaining requirements must arrange it with a counselor. usually only a few actually complete the rest of the badge. This has been working great!

[BM_Crawford]

I love that idea to show them if they are interested. We thought about doing that in our troop, the preview you were talking about, but people in our committee belly ached.

[Guneukitschik]

our Troop meetings are planned by the boys....the troop committee doesn't get concerned if they would like to plan a short instructional presentation during a meeting...especially one that would introduce the scouts to a subject that is covered by a merit badge!

You're not actually completing the merit badge during the meeting....in fact you may not even complete one requirement...but it is meant to spark the curiosity of the scouts and make them want to take the merit badge.

Perhaps your committee members were complaining because they didn't want to be asked to come to the troop meeting and give a presentation if they were also a merit badge counselor.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

To answer the original question - no way!

That's a basic part of Boy Scouts is the individual working at their own pace on their own agenda WITHIN the troop. Scouts should be working on whatever merit badge they want to. Call your local council to obtain a copy of the merit badge counselor listing if your troop adults do not have one or won't give you a copy. Have your son contact another MB counselor but he must have a buddy with him when he meets the adult. I would also do your own reading on the scout program or attend training on your own, then join the other adults and help strengthen the troop. Hang in there and be patient.

As for guest speakers at meetings, why would anyone argue that? Exposure and opportunity are some of the greatest benefits to this program. The flexibility of topics can keep more scouts interested knowing every meeting won't be the same. Also, as someone else said, the boys should be planning the meetings, not the adults.

[BM_Crawford]

Our committee likes to get into alot of things hehe

[FrankH]

Thank you very much. This will help a lot.

[Lynda J]

Our Troop does both. We are currently working on Personal Fitness as a Troop. But I am working with a group of 4 boys on Pets, and Reptiles.
Boys should work on badges with a Scout buddy. This is one of the things that they stressed when we did our last Council Advancement Training Course. I won't work with only one boy.

[Rick Tyler]

Our Troop does both. We are currently working on Personal Fitness as a Troop. But I am working with a group of 4 boys on Pets, and Reptiles.
Boys should work on badges with a Scout buddy. This is one of the things that they stressed when we did our last Council Advancement Training Course. I won't work with only one boy.

That's a youth protection issue -- not a BSA policy in and of itself. I regularly counsel single scouts, but only at troop meetings or in public places with their parent present (but out of earshot). I find counseling MBs at Starbuck's gives me the mild legal stimulant I require, and insures that I will never be alone with a scout.

[optimist]

Scout Buddy System. A Scout must have a buddy with him at each meeting with a merit badge counselor. A Scout's buddy can be another Scout, a parent or guardian, a brother or sister, or a relative or friend. From his Scoutmaster, the Scout obtains a signed merit badge application and the name of the appropriate merit badge counselor. The Scout sets up his first appointment with the counselor. The counselor should explain the requirements to the Scout. The Scout and his buddy then meet as appropriate with the counselor until the Scout completes the badge's requirements.

As the above shows, Rick is correct. There is no requirement for two Scouts to take the same merit badge at the same time. Instead, the requirement is that a Scout taking a merit badge have a buddy with him. As you can see, many different people can serve as the buddy for this purpose.

[cballman]

our troop now has about 60 boys in it so it is not an easy task to teach a merit bade to that many boys so we mostly use merit bade counsloers but we still do a large group merit badge like canoeing when we go camping near a small lake.

[Bob White]

Sorry, but meeting in a public place does not constitute having a buddy with you. The BSA is specific on this the scouit is to bring someone they know with them. it can be another scout, a friend, a sibling, an adult. But they have to bring someone. folks at Starbucks don't know what you are supposed to be meeting about, they do not know if that scout is your son or even related or not. They are not paying attention to what you say or do with the scout.

The scout is to bring their own buddy. As a counselor that is made very clear in the BSA's merit badge orientation brochure as well.

Hope this helps,
Bob White

[RWSmith]

....meeting in a public place does not constitute having a buddy .... BSA is specific on this .... to bring someone they know .... another scout, a friend, a sibling, an adult. .... that is made very clear in the BSA's merit badge orientation brochure as well.

Excellent post, Bob.

Welcome to the board.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

Hey Bobs - Rick said he likes to counsel at Starbucks with the parent present but not right at the same table, an earshot away. He was not implying he relies of the strangers at Starbucks?

[Guneukitschik]

Even though he is not relying on the strangers at Starbucks.....it surely cannot hurt to have more strangers/people present, especially if it helps the counselor or scout feel more at ease. I think a meeting place like this would be great when meeting someone for the first time!

I doubt however, if you were instructing a group you would meet at a Starbucks (or similar) ? but I guess it would depend on the merit badge?

[scoutmasterbob]

This is turning into a youth protection discussion, while this is an important subject, the original question in this topic was working on MB as a troop. Lets move in that direction.

There has been some great discussions here. Lets keep it going!

[Lynda J]

I personally don't think that Starbucks is a place to do mb counseling.
The only time I do any counseling away from our Scout Hut is if it directly relates to the badge. Like next week we are going to the Zoo to work with their staff on Reptile. They have volunteered to work with the boys. Just don't think a coffee shop is the place to meet. MHO

[teepeeayy]

If the troop is participating in a troop activity for which MB requirements can be signed off, why not? If the troop is canoeing, why not sign off the requirements that were done?

There are also MB's that should be done individually. I like the "intro's" that were suggested.

Bottom line: depends on the merit badge and the requirements therein.

I know this is stating the obvious, but the scouts themselves should demonstrate the skill to the counselor. So even if things were signed off collectively, it will be clear during the interview who learned the skill and who didn't.

[wagionvigil]

This Summer Laurel Caverns Started Public Rappelling. I told my staff that if a family comes to rappel ask any boy that is in the group if they are in scouts? If they say yes we give them a Letter stating that they did their 3 rappels. It is up to their SM and their Counselor they may have later to decide if they will count.