No matter what your background is, you probably have an area of expertise that aligns with one or more of the 130 merit badges or various Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) badges Scouting has to offer. Merit Badge classes on Monday nights are a mainstay of our program, and we need adults to help teach those classes. If you’re willing to help with that, here’s how:
- Register as an adult: You can register as a Merit Badge Counselor or also as a Committee Member. Either way you’ll need to take a couple of simple on-line training courses.
- You do not need to register just to help teach a course on Monday nights.
- Familiarize yourself with our merit badge process
- Select a badge to teach:
- There are more than 130 to choose from; our merit badge coordinator can help
- It must be something you’re familiar with
- It must be something that can be taught in 30 minute segments on Monday nights
- It needs to have enough content to consume 8 to 10 thirty minute sessions
- Tag team with another adult and/or have an older scout assist teaching (we can help with this)
- Create a Plan:
- Check our schedule: Know how many sessions you’ll have
- Review your resources: There are Merit Badge Pamphlets published for each badge, and the requirements and worksheets are available on-line
- Work out a plan: Lay out what will be covered each week. Share the plan with your teaching partner, our leaders, and the boys in the class.
- Line up a counselor: An approved counselor will need to review and pass the boys when you’re done. The Scoutmaster can help you find one
- Conduct the Class
- Set expectations: It’s not expected that the boys will DO all the requirements in the class, but they should learn HOW TO DO them, and expectations on WHEN TO DO them should be clear
- Teach the classes: Keep it exciting and when possible, hands on. If you can’t be there, line up a backup to teach
- Take Care of the Room: Reset the room you use each week
- Help arrange for the boys to meet with the counselor: You should expect the boys to have all their work completed before the first board night of the quarter, and arrange for the counselor to review and pass them that night. That way, if any of the boys need the badge for a rank advancement, we can hold their board of review on the second board night
- Remind the boys to turn in their blue cards: Boys won’t receive the badge unless a blue card, signed by the counselor is turned in to the Scribe by the last board night of the quarter
For information, please feel free to review the “Essentials of Merit Badge Counseling” PowerPoint presentation 