Scouts aren’t exactly stumbling over themselves to take Personal Management, Emergency Preparedness, or Citizenship in the Community/Nation/World.
But with a little advance planning and creativity, you can bring seemingly dull merit badges to life.
Start by studying every requirement for ways to turn lectures or pen-and-paper exercises into something hands-on.
Then consider these tips from our friends on Facebook and Twitter:
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I have fun when I do merit badges as a veteran of nearly 1000, I watch the eyes of the. Boys and change it up when I see fatigue set in. Get them on their feet, and be excited about what you share, not teach but share your passion. I have had groups as large as 70 and team teach, get them working with each other. Of course it helps to have the local air museum available with a lot of excited volunteers. Cooking is another, when we are done the boys are very capable their reward is great food after all they deserve it! -
Well, for starters, YOU have to be excited about the subject and by that I mean a little over the top excited. We shouldn’t be a merit badge counselor unless we’re truly interested in the subject, but sometimes (due to poor presentation or communication skills), we don’t show our enthusiasm well. Let yourself go, put yourself out there and and get downright giddy about your topic and that energy will infect the boys. -
@Mat: I teach Personal Management at summer camp, and I find that relating it to something the kids are interested in is a fantastic way of getting them interested and engaged in discussion. However, you have to be careful to keep the conversation tightly reigned, otherwise it’s very easy for them to get off-topic, and once they’ve started to wander, it’s easier to herd cats than to get them back on track. -
Personal Management was a lot more fun with 2-liter rockets. Planning, budgeting, and project development all led to a zone-wide rocket launching competition. I was amazed (and entertained) at the creativity. For the record: balloons didn’t work, but using soda instead of water created more pressure.
What do you think?
What are your tried-and-true tips for making any merit badge more fun? Share your comments below.
Photo from Flickr. Some rights reserved by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious
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