Boy Scout MB Counselor Etiquette

[felicity]

My Boy Scout wants to start earning a couple of merit badges (don't ask why he's just starting) so I'm going to email the counselors that cover them.

 

Is there anything I should know? That I should or shouldn't do? I feel kind of ridiculous asking this, but I just don't know.

 

Thanks.

Felicity

[QueenCat]

Your son, not you, needs to email the merit badge counselor. If the counselor is not in his troop, and meeting with him at troop meetings, he has to have a second scout go with him to meet with the counselor (I'm assuming that hasn't changed).

[felicity]

It's okay if he emails using my email though, right? They aren't in the same troop, so they would have to meet at some point. I'd have to grab another random Scout and drive them both over?

 

I sound, and am, so clueless.

[AK_Mom4]

Yes... have your son do the emailing. As a scoutmaster, DH likes to be cc'd on the emails that the boys send to the counselors just to stay in the loop, but it's not mandatory.

[QueenCat]

It's okay if he emails using my email though, right? They aren't in the same troop, so they would have to meet at some point. I'd have to grab another random Scout and drive them both over?

 

I sound, and am, so clueless.

 

 

The other Scout would also work on the merit badge. Your son needs to talk to the boys in his troop, and find someone interested. Our troop rarely used outside merit badge counselors, instead, training our own parents. Sometimes, for something super specialized, the Scoutmaster arranged for someone to come to the troop meetings. But if your troop doesn't do this, your son needs to go with a partner.

[brownie]

Once they get approval from someone willing to be their counselor, they need to get a blue card from their troop leader in order to begin. Then they should print out the workbook pages online, get the merit badge book, and start filling out the workbook pages and fulfilling any requirements they need to do on their own.

[felicity]

We have the books and the workbook pages. So I'll have him send the emails tonight and then start working on it. He would be working mainly on his own--the plan is that he does the science MBs for his hs science.

 

Thank you for the advice and help. I really appreciate it.

[Laura in STL]

You don't have to have more than one scout to meet with the MB counselor, but when they meet a parent should stay in the room. The scout is the one who should interact with the counselor. The parent should sit at a nearby table or at the other end of the table and just observe. This is the recommendation in our area, anyway.

[felicity]

Thanks everyone. We haven't started anything yet, just wanted to get our ducks in a row. We just noticed that our pack doesn't seem to do a lot of merit badges and thought we'd start. I'll talk to his Scoutmaster about the blue card we need. Harry's in 6th grade now, so it's our last year or two of interest-led science. Otherwise I wouldn't consider it for his science schoolwork.

[felicity]

Sorry, troop, not pack. I was in Cub Scouts for too many years. He's still a Tenderfoot, waiting for a Board of Review for 2nd Class. They may do more than I've seen, but we figured it would be fun and interesting so why not.

[felicity]

Thst's great! They are cool. Harry's proudest moment so far is hiking Mt. Whitney and usung that toward the hiking mb. I like that they encourage the boys to try so many new things. My younger son has about 3/4 of the Cub Scout belt loops so he will probably have them all before long. He's a Webelo.

[QueenCat]

You don't have to have more than one scout to meet with the MB counselor, but when they meet a parent should stay in the room. The scout is the one who should interact with the counselor. The parent should sit at a nearby table or at the other end of the table and just observe. This is the recommendation in our area, anyway.

 

That has changed then. I remember being taught that when I attend MB counselor training about ten years ago. We were told "two scouts" minimum to work on a merit badge, and that we were to meet with them together. This was a council wide training, not an individual unit training.

[Mom0012]

Your son, not you, needs to email the merit badge counselor. If the counselor is not in his troop, and meeting with him at troop meetings, he has to have a second scout go with him to meet with the counselor (I'm assuming that hasn't changed).

 

My son worked with a merit badge counselor outside of our troop and my husband went with him, not another scout. Not sure if that was against the rules, but if it was, we didn't know it and neither did the merit badge counselor.

[Mom0012]

 

That has changed then. I remember being taught that when I attend MB counselor training about ten years ago. We were told "two scouts" minimum to work on a merit badge, and that we were to meet with them together. This was a council wide training, not an individual unit training.

 

Oh, I see this was already addressed. I am glad if they changed the rules, though. It is hard enough to meet the requirements and get the merit badge counselor to meet your kid, let alone have to arrange for another child to be there as well.

 

I would also say stick with merit badges that your troop has counselors for whenever possible. When we used one outside of the troop, we arranged to meet with the guy 3 times before he finally followed through on meeting with my son. It's just much more convenient to do it within the troop, though I know that can't always be done.

[DawnM]

Does your boy go to summer camp with BS? Ours do and get between 4-5 merit badges completed there each summer. We also do badges during the year, but this is a great way for our boys to get MBs, in a class type setting.

 

Just this year, 4 of us moms have started a class type MB session grouping with our kids. It is great as the boys interact with other boys AND get their MBs completed. We strongly encourage all parents to sign up for the merit badges they feel comfortable counseling.

 

If you are new to Merit Badges, just know that you need 12 EAGLE required and 9 additional under current standards to get Eagle. However, in January of 2014, it will be 14 EAGLE required and 8 additional in order to get Eagle.

 

We are focusing on Eagles right now and getting them DONE so that we don't have to stress about that when they get closer to Eagle age.

[starwarsmomma]

Ideally, the boys are doing the contacting, etc. Yes, they'll lose out on some of the Methods of Scouting if mom is setting up everything. However, if a group of boys decide they want to do a badge together, that's different. Ideally, if the mb is done in a group, one boy should announce at circle that hey, a bunch of us want to do Animal Science and Mr. So and So is meeting with us on Friday. Anyone want to come? Make sure you've read the book and be prepared with your signed blue card and a diagram of a confinement feed lot. If the moms are doing all the set up and arranging, the boys are missing out. One of the methods of Scouting is association with adults--that's short-circuited if everything is handed to the boy on a silver platter.

 

 

I get your point, to a degree.

 

Our troop does have merit badges offered occasionally.

 

While Boy scouts is supposed to be BOY LED, that is only to a degree. Boys do not lead the merit badges. The adult MB counselor does. The counselor will explain the requirements, tell the boys what they need to do to be prepared, and leave the "homework" up to the boys to complete and expect them to come back and get requirements signed off.

 

there's no silver platter there. the boy is doing the work, not the adult.

 

The boy is definately learning to communicate and deal with teh adults.

 

 

If you were to leave it up to a boy to:

1 find a mb he's interestd in taking,

2 finding an adult WILLING to teach it to a group of boys (many are willing to sign off one or two requirements, getting them to TEACH a group most do NOT want to do!),

3 getting the SM approval to make an announcement about the MB and have the ASM teach the mb class (some troops are HARD to get that with-- ask me how I know! LOL),

4 then the boy willing to make the announcement (young one's are so shy) and get the kids excited and willing to join?

 

Nope. Sorry, none of the scouts at my 100+ boy troop would go through all that. They will wait for summer camp, or find a MB University and take it there..

 

 

Sorry for the typos, typing with an intense migraine. no desire for spell check, lol

[Anne in CA]

Since you are talking about science merit badges I will point out the Environmental Science is best finished at camp where the boys can easily build a habitat. But have the scout do all that he can at home and bring the worksheets with him to camp.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Merit badges should be boy led, from beginning to end. This means allowing the scout to choose which merit badges he wants to complete and when. If he doesn't want to work on Eagle required MB's until he has been in scouts a while then he doesn't work on those. If he wants to earn Fishing, Stamp Collecting and Dog Care as his first three merit badges than those are what he works on. There is a reason there are no merit badge requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class. It's so the boy can learn about scouting and determine what his interests are before hitting the merit badges hard and heavy. The BSA acknowledges that the younger boys (10-12) might have difficulty contacting the MBCs and taking the lead on his progression through ranks.

 

Without disrespecting the previous poster - the term 'we' should be used sparingly when it comes to Boy Scouts. Yes, it takes the support and encouragement of the entire family to get a boy to Eagle - believe me, I know. But 'we' should not be stressing about the merit badges or when the boy works on them; HE should. It's his journey.

 

Nothing is more sad to me than when a scout comes in for a BOR and he cannot discuss anything about his journey through that rank because his parent (or some other adult) made all of the choices and decisions for him.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

This is from the BSA website:http://www.scouting.org/meritbadges.aspx

 

You can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers as you earn merit badges. There are more than 130 merit badges. Any Boy Scout may earn a merit badge at any time. You don't need to have had rank advancement to be eligible.

 

Pick a Subject. Talk to your unit leader (Scoutmaster) about your interest in earning a merit badge. Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you. Choose one to earn. Your unit leader will give you a signed merit badge application (the "blue card") and the name and contact information of a merit badge counselor. These individuals have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.

 

Use the Scout Buddy System. You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister or other relative, or a friend.

 

Call the Merit Badge Counselor. Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and tell them that you want to earn the merit badge. The counselor may ask to meet you to explain what is expected and to start helping you complete the requirements. You should also discuss work that you have already started or possibly completed.

 

Unless otherwise specified, work for a requirement can be started at any time. Ask your counselor to help you learn the things you need to know or do. You should obtain and read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject.

 

Show Your Stuff. When you are ready, call the counselor again to make an appointment. When you go take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures or have an adult tell in writing what you have done. The counselor will test you on each requirement to make sure you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required.

 

Get the Badge. When the counselor is satisfied that you have met each requirement, they will sign your application (the "blue card"). Give the signed application to your unit leader so that your merit badge emblem can be secured for you.

 

 

The current Boy Scout Requirements book is available from your local Scouting merchandise distributor. It may also be ordered online at www.scoutstuff.org. Merit badge requirements are revised as needed to reflect updated information and technology. Click here to view new and recently revised merit badges.

 

Requirements. You are expected to meet the requirements as they are stated—no more and no less. You must do exactly what is stated in the requirements. If it says "show or demonstrate," that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn't enough. The same thing holds true for such words as "make," "list," "in the field," and "collect," "identify," and "label."

The requirements listed here are the official requirements of the Boy Scouts of America. However, the requirements presented here might not match those in the Boy Scout Handbook and the merit badge pamphlets, because these publications are updated only when the Boy Scout Requirements book is updated.

If you have already started working on a merit badge when a new edition of the pamphlet is introduced, you may continue to use the same merit badge pamphlet and fulfill the requirements therein to earn the badge. You do not need to start all over again with the new pamphlet and revised requirements.

 

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Here is the link to the 'job description' for Merit Badge Counselors: http://www.scouting.org/Training/Adult/Supplemental/MeritBadgeCounselorInstructorsGuide.aspx