Merit Badge Camp info

Merit Badge Camp is coming up this weekend (November 8-10) at Kiwanis Scout Camp.

• Register here | See who else is attending

To get the most out of it scouts are encouraged to start early.

The merit badges that will be offered are Citizenship in Society (required for Eagle), Public Speaking, Pioneering, and if there is time and interest Communications (required for Eagle). 

Scouts who have started any of these should bring their blue cards. Scouts who need a blue card can get one from Dr. Nixon tonight or at camp.

Citizenship in Society

This eagle-required badge involves safe, open discussions of the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how these relate to scouting and to ethical leadership.  Scouts will learn about different identities and perspectives, respecting others’ beliefs, and creating an inclusive, welcoming culture both inside and outside of scouting.

For more information on this badge, see here.

If you are planning on taking this badge, there are a few things you can prepare ahead of time in order to complete the badge this weekend.  If you decide to take the badge when we get to camp, or don’t have time to spend on it this week, that’s fine.  These research tasks can be done after camp instead, and we can discuss them together and complete the badge requirements when you’re ready.

Have an understanding of these terms

• Identities

• Diversity

• Equality

• Equity

• Discrimination

• Inclusion

• Ethical Leadership

• Upstander

Ethical leadership: Choose an individual you feel has demonstrated positive leadership while having to make an ethical decision. (It could be someone in history, a family member, a teacher, a coach, a counselor, a clergy member, a Scoutmaster, etc.).  Be ready to explain what decision and/or options that leader had, why you believe they chose their final course of action, and the outcome of that action.

DEI champion: Identify and interview an individual in your community, school, and/or Scouting who has had a significant positive impact in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you feel your community, school, or local Scouting group does not have such an individual, then research a historical figure who meets these criteria.  Discover what inspired the individual, learn about the challenges they faced, and share what you feel attributed to their success.

Inclusive event: With the help of your parent or guardian, study an event that had a positive outcome on how society viewed a group of people and made them feel more welcome. Be ready to describe the event and what you learned.

Public Speaking

• For Public Speaking, Scouts should review the requirements in the workbook (http://usscouts.org/mb/worksheets/Public-Speaking.pdf)
• Homework: Before camp, prepare talk and visual aids for Requirement 2. Use the worksheet or another document to pick a topic, prepare an outline, and practice an 8-10 minute speech for Requirement 4.
• We'll do Requirements 1, 3, and 5 at camp. Scouts who prepare requirements 1 and 4 before camp can complete the badge provided they deliver both talks while at camp.

Pioneering

• There is no homework as this is a hands-on badge.

Communications

• Review the requirements in the workbook (http://usscouts.org/mb/worksheets/Communication.pdf)
• We can do Requirements 1c, 3, and possibly 4 at camp. I recommend that Scouts bring a printed copy of the workbook to track their work.

Campout planning tonight | PLC next Monday

Hello Troop 1!

Merit Badge camp is this coming weekend. Tonight's meeting will focus on camp prep - menus, checking patrol boxes, and assigning responsibility for Grubmasters for our patrols. We currently have 5 adults and 8 scouts registered.

Merit badges offered include: Citizenship in Society, Public Speaking, and Pioneering. We'll send a separate email to all with information on the badges and requirements that will need to be done ahead of time or after camp.

There's still time to register for camp if you want to attend but have not yet signed up. Camp cost is $25.

• Register here | See who else is going

As a reminder, the first meeting after a Troop camp is Patrol Leader's Council. The PLC will plan the next month of activities for the Troop. All scouts are welcome to attend the PLC on Monday November 11, but Patrol Leaders / Assistant Patrol Leader / Senior and Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders / Scribe are required to attend. If you hold one of these positions and cannot make the meeting, please make sure you have someone else stand in for you.

A side note: We do not yet officially have a Scribe. If no one steps up to take this role, the ASPLs will be required to fill Scribe role for the meeting. Please consider becoming Troop Scribe. Your responsibility is to take notes during the PLC and communicate these notes back to the Scoutmaster for distribution to the Troop.

See you tonight!