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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Having been a Boy Scout and then an adult leader for 17
years, I have some insight into the Merit Badge. It is designed as a more or
less objective measure of basic achievement. The merit badges requirements
themselves are not made to measure expertise. In some cases, like the First
Aid or Swimming or Hiking merit badge, they should basic competence. But
for most of them, they show you have become familiar with the areas covered in a
specific merit badge. The computer merit badge introduces you to the concepts,
for instance. Many of these are to show you areas where you might choose a
career. Others are to help make a Scout more well rounded. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Moving along the Merit Badge trail gives them a concrete
and visible way to measure their progress. But along the way, they learn to be
punctual when meeting with the MB councilor. They learn to keep at it until they
succeed. They learn they are responsible for their results, not their parents,
not their Scoutmaster, and not the MB councilor. Other aspects of Scouting teach
leadership. They must take offices to advance. They must plan the activities for
the Troop at periodic leadership meetings. The adults attend to make sure they
don't get out of hand, but they allow the boys to plan what they will within
that constraint. And they learn to live with the consequences of their planning.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Eagle candidates must do a major project. In the end, the
project itself is just a vehicle for demonstrating planning, leadership, and
maturity. For instance, a boy decided to paint an elderly couple's home that
needed painting. He had to recruit other boys to do the work. He had to find
funding/donations for the paint and supplies (and not from his parents). He had
to recruit one or more professional painters to train the boys and make sure a
good job was done. He needed to think about things like: where are the workers
going to find restrooms (the elderly couple might not want 30 boys using
theirs)? How are the boys to get to the site? If it rains, how are the boys
getting back home early? If it starts to rain, how do you protect the home? Do
you have an alternate date to finish the work if it takes longer than expected
or rains? What is plan B, C, and D?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>They start working on rank and merit badges to show their
accomplishments and along the way they become a better and more capable person,
often without realizing it.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Ansteorra has the Thistles which show a basic competence in
an area - an SCA merit badge. Most other awards are more subjective. An AoA is
for some body of service that gets noticed. How much service? Whatever it takes
to get people asking nobles to give it to you. A Crane is for more service and
usually for a higher level of service than an AoA. A Star of Merit adds in the
(at least in my opinion) the need for leadership in service. And a peerage is
like the Eagle Scout. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>We expect much more work than the Scouts do, but we
are capable adults and have more time to accomplish our goals. Just like the
Scout, we learn to *become* a better, more capable person as we move along this
path. The path is not goal, it is the pat on the head that tells us we are
developing in the right direction. An Eagle Scout often moves on to other
things, because he has accomplished the top goal in Scouting (BSA has been
working on that for some time with additional awards, high adventure programs,
and other incentives to keep Eagles). Hopefully, our peers see the achievement
of that milestone as a marker on their continuing path with more leadership and
continuing development.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>In service,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=413554803-22052006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Caelin on Andrede</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> ansteorra-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:ansteorra-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Jean Paul de
Sens<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, May 21, 2006 22:22 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Ansteorra
List<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Ansteorra] Cookies and merit
badges<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Due to the long drive home this afternoon, Gilyan and I landed upon
the subject of "cookies and merit badges" and wondered at the negative
connotation associated with such things. So we're wondering:<BR><BR>What's
wrong with merit badges? What about the system is offensive and/or
wrong? <BR><BR>Jean Paul<BR><BR>P.S., please try to keep the "I like
chocolate chip" responses to a minimum as I'm genuinely curious about this
question.<BR><BR></BODY></HTML>