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From Basketry to Robotics, merit badges are where Scouts meet the wider world. These posts share counselor tips, workbook debates, new badge announcements and the stories behind favorite badges.
637 posts · 2007–2020
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Scouting News brought you information about the sold out Graphic Arts Merit Badge Day at the International Printing Museum last month. Check out this recap! On Saturday, May 7th the day before Mother's day, eighty-eight Boy Scouts earned their graphic arts merit badge and pulp and paper merit badge at the International Printing Museum in…
Day 75: Two crews preparing for Philmont in June had their first 10-mile hike this morning. I don't get to do Philmont this year because there's a surplus of dads wanting to go, but I get to join them on the hikes since I'm the Hiking merit badge counselor.
Insect Study Merit Badge Typical Wednesday. Plenty of Scouting to do and never enough time to get it done. One fun tidbit today: my quote was prominently displayed on the Scouting magazine blog. Also, forgot to mention yesterday that I have gotten one part of my Wood Badge ticket off and running.
When people think of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), they envision activities like camping, knot-tying, and canoeing, but soon, they'll need to add robot-building to that list. Scouts in 2011, through the introduction of the Robotics merit badge, now have the opportunity to design, build, and demonstrate a robot of their own creation.
Indian Lore Merit Badge Today is a great day. Even though it is raining, it is still a bright day--because the Robotics merit badge was launched. I'm excited that this merit badge is out--combined with the Inventing released last year, and the quietly mentioned Game Design coming out in the next 18 months, I'm not…
The Newest Merit Badge: Robotics An important part of a Boy Scout's journey, merit badges have been around for over a 100 years. The scouting handbook says "A merit badge is an invitation to explore an exciting subject. With more than a hundred to choose from, some merit badges encourage you to increase your skill…
In this Podcast: Do volunteers have a role in protecting and maintaining the quality of advancement work? This week we answer a question about merit badge applications that raise concerns over the quality of the work done to earn them. Links in this Podcast: Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Podcast Music null
The age of robots in the Boy Scouts of America has begun. No, the BSA isn't planning to replace Scoutmasters with androids. At least not that I've heard of. I'm referring to today's launch of the Robotics merit badge. It's the latest example of how Scouting embraces the interests of modern boys while preparing them…
What do the Boy Scouts of America, the graphic arts and pulp and paper have in common? Answer: A Merit Badge Day hosted at the International Printing Museum. More than 100 Boy Scouts signed up within 24 hours of an announcement that the International Printing Museum was going to host a Merit Badge Day on…
Forestry Merit Badge Up early today, and headed off to find a Scouting Heritage merit badge class being sponsored by our council. I'm excited about this merit badge--I think it is great to give Scouts the opportunity to learn about why we do what we do.
I'm sure you heard by now that the Robotics merit badge comes out this month. But, in a more subdued release, I saw that the Hunting merit badge is available TODAY at our local Scout Shop. I really like the badge design and I think the scouts that have already done Shotgun and Rifle will…
Assistant Scoutmaster Michael from Troop 2000 in Brockton Mass. asks: Can Scouts use power tools? I'm confused because I've been told they can't yet the BSA guidelines say they can. My other problem is that these guidelines are completely void of any specific information as to which tools are allowed and which ones are not.
Today is Dr. Seuss's birthday. He was born on March 2nd in 1904. It is also the National Education Association's Read Across America Day. So today I am promoting the Reading merit badge.
When I was a Boy Scout in the 1970′s there was no such thing as a home video recorder, so there was not a Cinematography Merit Badge. There was the Photography Merit Badge, however. I like taking pictures so I thought I would try earning that badge.
After working together for nearly a century to provide Scouts with the ability to learn radio communication skills, the Boy Scouts of America and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL)-the national association for amateur radio-have officially teamed up after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
In an effort to learn something new every day I have been a quest to learn more about some merit badges. I have a sash that belonged to my Father in Law. The merit badges are mostly Type D and E merit badges, so they range from 1942 to 1960.
Spring is around the corner and the seed catalogs have been arriving in the mail. So this is a good time to take a look at the plant science merit badge.
If you're keeping score at home, you'll want to know about a minor revision to the requirements for Sports merit badge , effective Jan. 1, 2011. The change affects requirement 2 and shows the BSA's continuing commitment to childhood health. The new requirement is the following: Explain the importance of the following: (a) The importance of…
Archery merit badge has set its sights on two minor revisions to its requirements, effective Jan. 1, 2011. They affect requirement 5. Change option A (recurve bow or longbow), subpoint F, sub-subpoint 2 to the following: Shooting 30 arrows in five-arrow ends at an 80-centimeter (32-inch) five-color target at 15 yards and using the 10…
Put on your hazmat suit and check out the latest requirements for Nuclear Science merit badge , updated on Jan. 1, 2011. Follow the jump for the complete requirements... Do the following: (a) Tell what radiation is. (b) Describe the hazards of radiation to humans, the environment, and wildlife.
Saddle up and get ready for the latest requirements for Horsemanship merit badge , updated on Jan. 1, 2011. Follow the jump for the complete requirements... Do the following: (a) Describe the safety precautions you should take when handling and caring for a horse.
Any great organization constantly tweaks and adapts its requirements to better reach its members, and the Boy Scouts of America is no exception. To that end, the BSA announced this week which requirements will change in 2011. One big item is actually more of a clarification than a complete change.
Have you ever purchased spoof merit badges ? I've looked at them and laughed at them online but was concerned the quality would be poor and they'd just be a waste of money. But, this past month the Boy Scout Store provided me with a selection of patches and they are great.
So 2010 is gone! It didn't turn out quite like I had expected for Scouting News. Personal commitments including returing from Iraq, working at a new Boy Scout Camp, moving two hours away from my "home base", and starting a "real job" kept me pretty distracted this past year.
This neon fleur-de-lis is on display in the dining hall at Camp Alpine in New Jersey. As we get closer to the drop of the ball in times square many people are taking some time to look back and take stock of 2010.
One of the new merit badges announced this year is Geocaching. Geocaching is an outdoor activity that pairs GPS and other navigational techniques to find a cache – anything from an amazing view to a hidden container of treasures. Often described as a ‘high-tech game of hide and seek' there are over 1.2 geocaches in more…
I t looks like Boy Scouts with iPhones and iPod Touch's will soon be able to keep track of their merit badges on their devices. According to scoutingnews.org: Beginning in early 2011, Boy Scouts will be able to manage their merit badges with an interactive application for the Apple iPhone.
Beginning in early 2011, Boy Scouts will be able to manage their merit badges with an interactive application for the Apple iPhone. The application which will be available for $1.99 through the iTunes Store , will let Scouts review merit badge requirements, keep track of their progress by requirement, and even share their success on Facebook.
Here's an excerpt from Ask Andy's December 10th column . Hi Andy: My question has to do with BSA national policies and why so many troops seem to stray... For example, my son recently "failed" his Scoutmaster conference for First Class...
Without getting to wrapped up in politics, flag waving, and humming the Battle Hymn of the Republic while draped in a flag, I want to talk a bit about citizenship in Scouting. Today, I sat in the back of our meeting place while 8 of our Scouts took advantage of a merit badge counselor's day…
Part of the requirements for this badge include doing some fitness tests periodically and recording a fitness plan over a period of 12 weeks. There are some worksheets available for this on the web, but the ones we looked at didn't really fit in with the fitness plan which LC and his merit badge counselor…
With all of the holiday concerts this time of year, some of your Scouts might want to work on the Music merit badge.
The majority of the over 125 active merit badges introduce scouts to skills, careers, and hobbies which have little to do with Scouting. The goal of the merit badge program is to broaden a scout's experience, not just to improve his scouting skills, and that's why we have Coin Collecting, Dentistry, and Truck Transportation merit…
You've got the requirements . Now, check out the design of the Geocaching merit badge pamphlet and circular badge, released today by the Boy Scouts of America. For Boy Scouts who are geocaching enthusiasts, a merit badge that rewards their passion is icing on the cake.
Tonight, our Troop Committee Chair presented a talk to the scout leaders who attended the Boy Scout Round Table on Genealogy. Unfortunately I missed it but I am eager to get the details from him. From what I hear, he presented several websites, aside from the normal ones that come to mind, so as soon…
The Buzz is on location at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree to talk about one of the newest merit badges: Robotics! Featuring: Marianne Elden from Internal Communications and Brad Lauer with VEX Robotics.
On June 2nd we announced that Bugling Merit Badge would be discontinued next January. I'm happy to announce that, on Augst 4th, BSA posted a note on their blog stating that that decision has been reversed, Here's their announcement: Bugling reinstated as separate merit badge Have your guys start practicing "Taps," because Bugling is here…
Shine up your bugle and get ready for some reveille, because today it was announced that the bugling merit badge has been reinstated. Scouting magazine originally reported back in June that BSA was planning to combine the bugling merit badge with the music merit badge, which it already shares the book with.
Have your guys start practicing "Taps," because Bugling is here to stay. In early June, we reported that the Bugling merit badge was to be discontinued and its requirements merged into Music merit badge. That's no longer the case. Responding to concerns from hundreds of Scouters, the BSA's Youth Development team has decided to reinstate…
Scouts at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree are getting a hands-on sneak peek at an exciting upcoming merit badge by visiting the Robotics tent inside Merit Badge Midway. The badge won't be available to earn until April, but that didn't stop a steady stream of Scouts from dropping by to get some one-on-one time with…
Soldiers out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., with the Joint Task Force-National Scout Jamboree man the pioneering merit badge booth and assist boy scouts with the tasks necessary to earn the badge at the Boy Scouts of America 2010 National Boy Scout Jamboree held at Fort A.P.
A scanner will be used in place of blue cards on the Merit Badge Midway to record merit badges that are earned or partially completed during the jamboree. "Scouts just show up at the merit badges they want to take with their name badges and IDs, and we scan them into our system," said Carol…
This weeks merit badge corner is a merit badge I earned last week at Summer Camp and is also one of the historic merit badges . It's the pathfinding merit badge! The pathfinding merit badge is very interesting and easy merit badge to earn and really only takes at most an hour to complete.
With memorial day having just passed a couple of weeks ago and this being one of the badges I am working on I thought that this would be a good badge for this week's corner. The citizenship in the nation merit badge is required to earn the eagle scout rank and gives scouts a chance…
Boy Scouts and Lemelson-MIT Program introduce Inventing merit badge The inventive spirit of young people burst onto the scene today in Cambridge, Mass., as hundreds gathered to see the first awarding of the Boy Scouts of America's new Inventing merit badge to 50 Scouts from the Boston area.
I'll be taking two crews into the Cloud Peak wilderness of Wyoming this summer to experience some changes in attitude brought on by changes in altitude. To prepare, the scouts have made a schedule of practice hikes and the two crew leaders have agreed on a minimum participation expected of each scout.
The inventive spirit of young people bursted onto the scene today in Cambridge, Mass., as hundreds gathered to see the first awarding of the Boy Scouts of America's new Inventing merit badge. The ceremony was a part of EurekaFest, the Lemelson-MIT Program's annual event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
D uring the last seven months we have seen three new merit badges introduced to the Boy Scout merit badge program (Scuba Diving, Geocaching, and Scouting Heritage). We have also seen the return of four merit badges for this year only (Signaling, Tracking, Pathfinding, and Carpentry).
The preliminary requirements for Inventing Merit Badge are starting to float around to various Councils. The Inventing Merit Badge is set to debut sometime in 2010. These requirements should not be used to start the Inventing Merit Badge but rather to provide an idea of what the merit badge will entail, prior to its release…
4 Vote On Idea With the recent requirement that all registered leaders have Youth Protection Training, it's become even more critical for youth, parents and adult leaders to be able to confirm that a Merit Badge Counselor is currently registered.
