[Ansteorra] Cookies and merit badges

[Jean Paul de Sens]

On 5/22/06, L T <ldeerslayer at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> JP and Gilyan...I love you guys...
>
> I'm with Tivar.
>
> If you have a "merit badge system" you end up having people focused on
> short term gratification and promote competition to see who can collect the
> most the fastest...
>
> In almost every youth group that has merit badge systems...there is a
> tendancy to just learn enough for the badge...not learn it well, not
> necessarily enjoy it...
> but it's a short term well defined path to introduce as many concepts and
> variety of skills...as a base of knowledge for that child to build off
> of...it's a tool geared for the age group.
>
> If you've ever been in a youth group with merit badges...unless the
> leaders are extra-ordinary...the entire process ends up being a competition
> of one-ups-man-ship. It can get ugly...really quick. It concentrates on the
> individual and does not contribute to the continuance of a community...
>
> It also is very labor intensive...in even a small town...there are usually
> several Boy Scout and Girl Scout and Camp Fire...etc troups...each run by
> adults who sacrifice alot of time and energy to do them and concentrate on a
> small groups of kids......with very little reward...they are the ones to
> make sure everyone gets their rewards...and...talk about subjectivity...in
> effect each group leader is it's own Crown...and the smaller/closer the
> group the more subjective...or the easier to be bullied...
>
> I think the merit badge idea is good for the children's ministry...to get
> our youth base knowledge of many things...
>
> But with adults with differing personalities...etc...if you think the
> system is bad now...and people are self serving ... making things easier
> will only add to the problem....
>
> And the Crown would not be able to do the paperwork...there would be
> another level of bueracracy...tons more paperwork...
>
> And the whole..."medieval idea"  would fade because the power would not
> reside in the Crown...it would reside in the administration
>
> L DeerSlayer
>

I really appreciate all the response from everyone.  I do want to clarify
that our question was an academic one i.e. "what are the fundamental flaws
and benefits of a merit badge system" as opposed to "why don't we switch the
SCA over to a merit badge system?"  My apologies for not making that clear
enough.

Neither Gilyan nor I were in scouts for any substantial period of time
(which seems to be the largest venue of experience based upon the previous
posts) so we've never acquired a any feel for drawbacks to the system.

JP
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