Aug. 15, 2008 - Stacking Badges
The troop's Court of Honor is tomorrow. S & S will be awarded about a dozen badges each. They have earned them all. One way they have been able to earn so many is by stacking badges.
AKA, derisively, as "Double-dipping."
Every MBC differs on their view of stacking badges. Most are pretty clear that the exact requirement must be fulfilled, and that "close enough" isn't. But just how many times does Senji need to take CPR?
The boys have gone to stacking. Different badges, but requirements that can be done at the same time.
Stacking (or integrating) badges is simply working on those that share requirements at the same time. I prefer to think of it as working on different parts of a tapestry. They're all woven together. Here are some of those Seijitsu and Soumei plan to or have stacked.
They recently worked on Archaeology. It stacks nicely with Indian Lore. Many of the requirements are very similar, especially if the dig they're working on is an Indian one. Choose American Indians as one of your three cultures for American Cultures, and have a head start on that badge.
Citizenship in the Community and American Labor both have a photo essay as an option. Photography fits well. Mail one of those photos to a friend and complete a Computers requirement.
Nature is one that can be stacked several ways. Think of Nature as the house, and these badges as rooms in the house: Bird Study, Mammal Study, Insect Study, Geology, Forestry. I'm not suggesting doing all of them at the same time; just opening the blue cards and documenting the work so that when your Scout IS working on Forestry, he can look back and see that he fulfilled requirement 1 with Nature requirement 4g.
American Labor is almost a sub-badge of American Business. While you're at it, plan out your business according to the Entrepreneurship guidelines.
Public Speaking requires several speeches. Make the best use of your time, and keep it interesting by fulfilling the speech requirements from the following badges: Citizenship in the Community (optional), Communications, or Oceanography (optional) .
Animal Science - Choose the Horse Option, and do the Horsemanship badge at the same time.
Crime Prevention - If you choose option 7c, visiting a detention facility, you should be able to easily arrange a long enough session to earn your Fingerprinting badge at the same time.
First Aid - Get this badge as soon as you can. Many counselors will simply accept that you've done the requirements for other badges because you've satisfied the First Aid requirements. Otherwise, you'll get to demonstrate over and over again (which may not be a bad thing, after all). Badges that require First Aid components include: Athletics, Camping, Canoeing, Climbing, Cycling, Emergency Preparedness, Hiking, Orienteering, Pioneering, Skating, Small-Boat Sailing, Snow Sports, Sports, Swimming, Waterskiing, Water Sports, and Wilderness Surivival.
Soil and Water Conservation - Req 4 (watershed) is closely related to Environmental Science req 2, and to Forestry req 3b. Req 7a6 is the same as Public Health req 5a, a visit to a wastewater treatment plant. Req 7a2 is the same as Forestry req 5a, a trip to a managed forest.
Home Repairs - This is a great one to do at the same time as Family Life Req 4, a project around the house that benefits your family. Req 5 is all about Plumbing, so do that badge at the same time.
What badges has your Scout stacked? |
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Jun. 22, 2008 - Indian Lore: the MB Book and the Plan
 Kudos to the BSA for not succumbing to political correctness in the Indian Lore requirements. The requirements show a respect for American Indians, their way of life, and their contribution to our nation. Without the rhetoric.
Seijitsu and Soumie have been working on this, in conjunction with their Archaeology badges. Yes, in conjunction. It's a stacked pair.
Archaeology requirement
10. Do ONE of the following:
- Research American Indians who live or once lived in your area. Find out about traditional lifeways, dwellings, clothing styles, arts and crafts, and methods of food gathering, preparation, and storage. Describe what you would expect to find at an archaeological site for these people.
fits in nicely with Indian Lore
2. Give the history of one American Indian tribe, group, or nation that lives or has lived near you. Visit it, if possible. Tell about traditional dwellings, way of life, tribal government, religious beliefs, family and clan relationships, language, clothing styles, arts and crafts, food preparation, means of getting around, games, customs in warfare, where members of the group now live, and how they live.
Bonus: The dig they're doing is uncovering artifacts from the Indian tribe they're studying.
Double Bonus: Our state history requirement is substantially satisfied by what they're learning about the area tribes.
Archaeology requirement
9. Under the supervision of a qualified archaeologist or instructor, do ONE of the following:
Use the methods of experimental archaeology to re-create an item or to practice skills from the past. Write a brief report explaining the experiment and its results.
fits nicely with
Indian Lore requirement
- Do TWO of the following. Focus on a specific group or tribe.
- Make an item of clothing worn by members of the tribe.
- Make and decorate three items approved by your counselor used by the tribe.
- Make an authentic model of a dwelling used by any Indian tribe, group, or nation.
- Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Discuss them with your counselor. Identify at least ten artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use.
Each of the requirements is satisfied on its own merits, but they can both be done at the same time. I think I prefer the term 'integrating' rather than stacking or double-dipping. It better captures the spirit of their work.
Seijitsu is planning to make a model of a teepee while Soumei hasn't yet made up his mind. For the place names (another requirement), I'm having them actually label a state map rather than simply list them. "No more" may apply to their SCOUT requirements, but that doesn't mean it applies to their SCHOOL requirements  |
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