Rethinking Summer Camp Merit Badges

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What are your expectations for summer camp merit badges? To most of us and to nearly all of our Scouts the central feature of the week at camp is earning merit badges. But what if it wasn’t? What if Scouts exchanged earning summer camp merit badges for learning and doing the things that actually interest them, the kind…continue reading

Court of Honor Questions

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David from Hawaii writes: I am a fairly new Scoutmaster and I asked the committee  to present merit badges and rank patches in troop meetings and present  the certificates for those badges at the court of honor. They declined out of fear that no one would attend the court of honor. Next thing you know…continue reading

Scouting Advancement Educational Presentations

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How effectively you apply the  Scouting advancement method hinges on how well you understand the subject.  The National Advancement Team has released a bunch of new educational resources that you ought to check out. While Scouting advancement is at least some part of  leadership training I think we owe it to our Scouts to take a couple…continue reading

Boy Scout Requirement Changes for 2013

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A new edition of Boy Scout Requirements was released in mid January, 2013. Paul Wolf at the US Scouting Service Project Inc. has published his annual review of Boy Scout requirement changes, a tremendous resource and a great service to us all, thank you Paul! The online version of the report is here and a PDF version is available here Here’s some…continue reading

Merit Badge Blue Card Infographic

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The merit badge blue card serves many purposes: Certifying the unit leader has helped the Scout locate an approved counselor. Tracking requirements completed Checking that the badge was recorded and presented Serving as a record for the Scout, counselor and unit that the badge has been earned Here’s a basic look at the process of earning a…continue reading

Merit Badge Blue Card Change

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The old merit badge blue card; The new merit badge blue card; This announcement from the latest Advancement News is self explanatory: Merit Badge Blue Card Revised A new version of the “Application for Merit Badge,” No. 34124, commonly referred to as the “blue card,” is being released later in January 2013. The availability of the new…continue reading

Reading Scout Requirements

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There are times that what I assume or the way I feel Scout requirements are fulfilled  does not jibe with the actual wording of the requirement. I don’t sign off many requirements. Requirements for ranks up to First Class are almost exclusively signed off by our older Scouts. I do sign off requirements in the if I am…continue reading

Court of Honor Ideas

Here’s some court of honor ideas we use that you may find helpful: Some court of honor ideas can enhance the central theme (recognizing Scout advancement) and some detract from it; Ideas that Enhance: 1.  Recognition of Scout achievement in Scouting and outside of Scouting  (If we know about a special accomplishment or award a Scout has…continue reading

Four Steps to Scout Advancement – A Scout is Recognized

Fifth in a series of articles about the four steps to Scout Advancement. Articles will be published each Tuesday beginning November 20, 2012  Immediate recognition is a powerful incentive of the BSA’s advancement program. A Scout should receive his new badge as soon as possible after his achievement has been certified by a board of review. A…continue reading

Four Steps to Scout Advancement – A Scout is Reveiwed

Fourth in a series of articles about the four steps to Scout Advancement. Articles will be published each Tuesday beginning November 20, 2012  After a Scout has completed all of the requirements for any rank he is reviewed twice; once in a Scoutmaster conference and once at a Board of review. The Scoutmaster Conference Note that a Scout must participate or…continue reading

Four Steps to Scout Advancement – A Scout is Tested

Third in a series of articles about the four steps to Scout Advancement. (Click on the titles above to read the articles)  … the standard of proficiency is purposely left undefined. Our standard for Badge earning is not the attainment of a certain level of quality of knowledge or skill, but the AMOUNT OF EFFORT THE BOY HAS…continue reading

Four Steps to Scout Advancement – A Scout Learns

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Second in a series of articles about the four steps to Scout Advancement. Articles will be published each Tuesday beginning November 20, 2012  “… It is in fact nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not entirely strangled the holy spirit of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands…continue reading

Four Steps to Scout Advancement – Introduction

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First in a series of articles about the four steps to Scout Advancement. Articles will be published each Tuesday beginning November 20, 2012  There are four steps to Scout advancement described in the Scoutmaster’s Handbook PP. 124-127 Before we look at these steps let’s contextualize advancement within all the aims and methods of Scouting; Advancement is simply a means to…continue reading

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