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District Merit Badge MidwaysWhat is a Merit Badge Midway?A Merit Badge Midway is an opportunity for Scouts to participate in organized workshops with Merit Badge Counselors to pursue certain merit badges. There are often Merit Badge Midways at Jamborees, Camporees and other large Scout events. Some Boy Scout Districts run stand alone Merit Badge Midway events during the year, usually all day long on a Saturday. At a typical Merit Badge Midway there are several sessions during the morning and afternoon and various Merit Badge workshops offered during these sessions. Scouts bring blue cards signed by their Scoutmaster for the Merit Badges that they would like to work on and then they sign up for 1 or more sessions at the Midway. The Ideal Merit Badge MidwayThe ideal purpose of a Merit Badge Midway is to provide Merit Badge workshops for Scouts to pursue completion of Merit Badges that they are interested in. Ideally Scouts are required to bring in completed prerequisites or leave the event with a partially completed Merit Badge which they can follow up with the Counselor. Ideally the Merit Badge Counselors at the event have been through Merit Badge Counselor Orientation training and are aware that they do not have the authority to change, swap, minimize, forgive or adjust any merit badge requirements. Ideally the Merit Badge midway provides access to unusual Merit Badges that Scouts wouldn't normally seek out on their own but that could spark an interest. Problems with and Cautions about Merit Badge MidwaysTakes Initiative & Responsibility Away from ScoutsEven under ideal conditions, there are problems with Merit Badge Midways. One of the learning opportunities our Scouts have in the Boy Scout program is Adult Association and the experience of taking the initiative to look up, contact and work with a Merit Badge Counselor helps our young men grow and mature. If they get all or most of their Merit Badges at Summer Camp and Merit Badge Midways then they never experience that growth. The Boy Scout program is one that should build independence, responsibility and initiative in our young men and we take that opportunity away when we hand them the entire merit badge sequence through adult organized and run programs such as Merit Badge Midways. Watch for Merit Badge Give-awaysIn general Scout leaders work very hard and are very enthusiastic about the Boy Scout program, however there is always the temptation to "improve" the BSA program by "fixing" the Merit Badge requirements. It is especially tempting when a leader thinks that they can get a whole bunch of Scouts through their merit badge at a midway by just "adjusting" a few things. Merit Badge Counselors do not have this authority. They must only sign off requirements as they are written in the booklet. It has happened at Merit Badge Midways that counselors have signed off blue cards when less than the full set of requirements as written were completed. This is a slippery slope and this type of Merit Badge midway can degenerate into a Merit Badge give-away where the Scouts are really not earning the Merit Badges. So what?! A Scout is Trustworthy and Obedient. There is no room for cheating either on the Scout part or worse on the Merit Badge Counselor part. The merit badge requirements are clearly defined. You can pick up a booklet from the Scout shop, from our troop's library or you can look up the requirements on www.meritbadge.com to check the requirements yourself. If it looks like it would be impossible to complete the requirements in the session time given for the merit badge and there were no prerequisites listed, don't go to that session or that merit badge midway. Find an event that is in line with BSA guidelines. Be especially sensitive to requirements which say "tell your counselor about ..." this is not the same as the counselor telling YOU about ... The BSA guidelines encourage Merit Badge Counselors to teach in groups but to sign off requirements in individual meetings. This is possible but difficult to do in the Merit Badge Midway situation. If you want your Scout to really earn a particular Merit Badge have him read the booklet before the midway and then complete in writing as many requirements as possible. Then go to the midway to fill in the rest and get the blue card signed off. Local Merit Badge Midways Offered
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