JANUARY 12, 2021

[ISSUE 661 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS]

Here’s a note about “badge hunting” that’s worth the time to read…and ponder…

Hi Andy,
Baden-Powell warned us to not let our Scouts get into “badge hunting.” He was—and still is—right! This sort of wrongheaded pursuit interferes with the greater experience to be had from summer camp or an enthusiastic and knowledgeable merit badge counselor.

In the years I served as Scoutmaster, we developed some ideas that worked and some ideals that we never quite reached. We learned, for instance, to brief Webelos parents on the 8 Methods of Scouting before their sons joined our troop.

We also encouraged our Scouts to keep some free time in their summer camp schedule and then just find some purely fun ways to use it. At camp, we—myself as Scoutmaster plus parents who stayed for the week—would “audit” the camp’s merit badge sessions (and quietly offer to help counselors where needed).

Back home, we encourage Scouts to plan their merit badge requirement fulfillment with their counselor and work with him or her instead of some “workbook” wherever possible.

We didn’t hold any merit badge “classes” in our troop meetings and, when it came to district/council merit badge “days,” we announced these events and left it to the Scouts to decide for themselves; we didn’t sign up by patrols or as a troop. Instead, I coached our Senior Patrol Leader and his team (the PLC) to consider “eligible” merit badge requirements that could be fulfilled while on hikes and campouts. And if any counselors came along with us (like Scout parents, which happened fairly regularly), we’d encourage them ahead of time to make things as active and hands-on as the subject allowed.

All of us—my assistants, the troop committee, and the parents—actively supported these approaches to advancement as the best way for our Scouts to get the most out of their Scouting experience. (Bill Daniel)
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Hi Andy,
I’m trying to find a video that shows the “Tale of the Unknown Scout” for use at our (virtual) Blue & Gold Pack Celebration this year. Any help you can provide would be appreciated. (Ken Ouellette, Pack Committee Chair)

Maybe something like this…?

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Hi Andy,
When Scouts have earned their Life rank and are now working toward Eagle, and the BSA adds a new merit badge that’s required for Eagle, or they add other requirements to earn Eagle, can these Life Scouts, with their now “old” requirements be “grandfathered”? No problem with any Scouts below Life rank; I’m just wondering about those who are Life rank right now. I didn’t see anything about these questions in the GUIDE TO ADVANCEMENT, but I could have missed it. The closest I saw was if the requirements of a current merit badge change. (Joe Sefcik, SM, Connecticut Rivers Council)

OFFICIAL from the BSA: The new “DEI” (“Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion”) merit badge can be earned starting right now; and then, on May 1st, it will become required for Eagle rank.
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Hi Andy,
One of our troop’s patrols has a Scout—Second Class rank—who’s having trouble advancing. She’s got everything done for First Class rank except camping nights and her swim test. But she won’t go on our Covid-safe campouts because she doesn’t want to risk catching this virus and then bringing it home, to subsequently infect her parents and her two younger sisters. There’s a local counselor for Swimming merit badge, and I’m going to pass along that contact information, so that part should be okay. But what about the camping nights? (Struggling Scoutmaster)

Of course, we’re not going to either force or “ding” any Scout for wanting to keep her family safe! And the good news for her—and all Scouts—is that, in the face of this Covid-19 environment, the BSA has already offered several ways to “cyber-camp,” so that Scouts like this young lady don’t get permanently stuck. They’ve been published in both “Bryan on Scouting” and “Scouting Wire,” and you can also get the most current information on this by writing directly to advancement.team@scouting.org!

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay positive!
Happy Scouting!
Andy
I personally answer every message I receive. There’s no “writing staff”—just me. When writing, please include your name & council. If you’d rather be anonymous—if published—just tell me and I’ll honor that. Although these columns are copyrighted, you have my okay to quote or reproduce any column or part, so long as it’s attributed: “Ask Andy” by Andy McCommish.

[No. 661 – 1/12/2021 – Copyright © 2021 Andy McCommish]