Merit Badge Training
Rainbow Council held a special training course for Boy Scout Merit Badges here in Joliet. I have been a counselor for several years, but never had any formal training on how to manage the Blue Cards. The class taught me some things that I didn’t know.
The key rule about Merit Badges is that any Boy Scout may earn any merit badge at any time. Scouts must meet the requirements of the badge as stated, no more and no less. Half of all merit badges, however, need prior approval before starting.
Merit Badge Let Boys Explore New Interests
Scouters know that merit badges provide boys many opportunities to explore new interests. The 1965 paper, Schools for Middle School Years, saw exploration as a way to educate well-rounded children.
“Boy Scout merit badges and Girl Scout proficiency badge work, and other youth programs, could be incorporated into the school program under the coordination of the teacher-counselor. A portion of every pupil’s schedule would include exploratory experiences.”
The Scout and His Nuclear Reactor
Alexander and Willams didn’t have David Hahn in mind when they wrote their paper. Hahn built a model nuclear reactor in his quest to win an atomic-energy merit badge. You can read the entire story in The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein.
6 Merit Badges That I Counsel
- Backpacking
- Electricity
- Electronics
- Hiking (Eagle Required)
- Radio
- Signs, Signals and Codes
If you are a Boy Scout and need a counselor for these merit badges, let me know. I am registered in Rainbow Council and Three Fires Counsel.
