Merit Badge Counselor Information

The following is extracted from the Merit Badge Counselor Training program.  Full training info available at:  http://www.macscouter.com/Scoutmaster/MBC_TRN.html

Click Here to Download the Merit Badge Counselor Registration Form (Adobe PDF)

Mail your completed Registration form to:
Palmetto Council BSA,
P.O. Box 6249, 420 South Church Street,
Spartanburg, S.C. 29304

a. His preparedness.
b. The amount of knowledge he already has in the subject.
c. His interest in the subject.

2. Short-term and long-term goals are set by the Scout with encouragement from the counselor.
3. Counselor follows up with the Scout on his goals-projects, collections, written work.
4. Counselor helps the Scout evaluate his progress.
5. Counselor encourages the Scout to ask for any help he needs to gain more knowledge or skill in the subject.

B. Duties as a Coach

1. Teaches the Scout the skills required.
2. Gives the Scout an opportunity to practice the skills under his or her guidance.
3. Takes a genuine interest in the projects and encourages completion.
4. Always remember that your enthusiasm and interest not only make the merit badge experience more rewarding for the Scout, but may induce him to pursue the topic on his own in the future.

C. Duties as an Examiner

1. Make sure you have the most current requirements for the merit badge and that you follow these requirements in a FAIR and UNIFORM manner.  The current Boy Scout Requirements lists all of the merit badges in the back and it shows the dates when the merit badge requirements were last updated. About 15-20 merit badges are updated each year.

2. Before you sign the Scout's Application for a Merit Badge, you must insist that the Scout do exactly what the requirements call for. If it says, "show or demonstrate," that is what he must do. Just telling is not enough. The same holds true for words such as "make," "list," "in the field", and "collect, identify, and label."

Disabled Scouts must also complete all the requirements as stated, within the bounds of common sense. A disabled youth who could not write, may use a voice recognition computer to dictate and send an E-mail letter to his congressman for Citizenship in the Nation. But he still has to fulfill the requirement in order to receive the merit badge.

3. On the other hand you may not require more of a Scout than stated. You must not, for example, say, "I want to be sure you really know this material, so instead of the 20 items in your collection, you must have 30 before I will sign your card."

No more, no less insures that every Scout plays on a "level field." No one is asked to do more; no one is allowed to do less.

D. Duties to the District/Council

1. Renew your registration annually if you plan to continue as a MBC. Notify the district if you no longer want to be a MBC.
2. Get YPP training and follow YPP guidelines.
3. Follow BSA policies.

COUNSELING TECHNIQUES

A. Put the Scout at ease

1. For the Scout to get the most benefit from counseling sessions, he must feel welcome and relaxed. One way for the counselor to put a boy at ease is to ask a simple question such as "How long have you been in Scouting?" or "How did you get interested in this merit badge?"

2. Another way is to show him something related to the subject. A Coin Collecting MBC might show the Scout his own collection. But be careful not to overwhelm the Scout; remember he is only a beginner.

3. A third way is to ask the Scout to do a simple skill. For instance, a Woodwork MBC might say, "Would you sand this piece of wood while I get some tools ready?"

B. At the first meeting you should review each requirement to make sure that there is no confusion over what the Scout must do. This will avoid later misunderstandings and frustrations on both sides. Make sure you ask the boy if he has any questions and encourage him to contact you if he has future questions.

C. When reviewing completed requirements, you may find the boy needs help. You may give such aid provided that the boy himself ultimately does the work.
D. While you may test for neither more or less than the requirements, you may teach more than is required as a method of encouraging a Scout's further interest in the subject.

E. It is, of course, acceptable for a Scout on his own initiative to do more than the requirement calls for.

F. Remember that the most effective way of teaching these skills is to get the student to practice while learning.

G. KISMIF. Keep it simple Make it fun.
 

Boy Scout Troop 333, River Hills Community Church, 104 Hamilton's Ferry Road
Lake Wylie, SC 29710