Need help on Scout merit badge.

[JohnnyReb]

Son is working on his "Scholarship" merit badge. Last requirement he needs to do to finish is as follows.

5.Write an essay of 400 words on "How school training will be of value to me in the future."

Like he said, "I can answer that in one sentence. 400 words would just be pure bull." We're both stumped. How does one take such a simple question and BS his way through 400 words....and no, he's is not in training to be a democrat politician. I guess we just don't understand the "nuances" of such a question.

[Eupher]

Son is working on his "Scholarship" merit badge. Last requirement he needs to do to finish is as follows.

5.Write an essay of 400 words on "How school training will be of value to me in the future."

Like he said, "I can answer that in one sentence. 400 words would just be pure bull." We're both stumped. How does one take such a simple question and BS his way through 400 words....and no, he's is not in training to be a democrat politician. I guess we just don't understand the "nuances" of such a question.

You've got the answer right there.

Have the essay take the theme of how his school training will be of value to him in the future, because he recognizes how nuanced it is, how biased, and how in reviewing the material - whatever it is - he'll have to research to ensure that that viewpoint isn't biased or inaccurate.

The entire school curriculum is an exercise for him in determining just how poor the material is. His research will bear that out and he'll not only be better informed about many topics, he'll know just how biased the curriculum is in the process.

The value is not in the material that's presented, it's in the material that he'll have to research that refutes the presented material.

Without going through that process, he wouldn't have that opportunity.

[IassaFTots]

Wow, you are right.  That is a challenge.  I would hate to be the person that had to read all of the essays. 

[BlueStateSaint]

School teaches a whole lot of things, not all of them what the local teachers' unions want taught.  Some of those things are:  Positively interacting with people who may not agree with you.  Yeah, there's a whole bunch of things that are illegal and/or immoral, but one learns some good stuff.  Maybe something as insignificant-sounding as allowing those who don't come forward and interact much, to do so. 

One thing I have noticed--the "cool kids," the "popular crowd," they tend to have their zenith in high school, and spend the rest of their lives trying to get back to that point.  I realize that I went off the rails here with this last part, but I learned it, and I figured that I had to share it.  (No, I was never one of those "cool kids."  I was a geek, who went in the Army.)

[blitzkrieg_17]

School teaches a whole lot of things, not all of them what the local teachers' unions want taught.  Some of those things are:  Positively interacting with people who may not agree with you.  Yeah, there's a whole bunch of things that are illegal and/or immoral, but one learns some good stuff.  Maybe something as insignificant-sounding as allowing those who don't come forward and interact much, to do so. 

One thing I have noticed--the "cool kids," the "popular crowd," they tend to have their zenith in high school, and spend the rest of their lives trying to get back to that point.  I realize that I went off the rails here with this last part, but I learned it, and I figured that I had to share it.  (No, I was never one of those "cool kids."  I was a geek, who went in the Army.)

Exactly Saint. They never matured past high school. Today we call them, as Johnny said, democrat politicians.

[rustybayonet]

I'm on BSA District Staff..... Here's the #5 Requirement for that merit badge....as you can see he has two choices, either/or, and both are less than 400 words.  Let me know what Council and district you are in and the merit badge counselor, and I'll check and see how exacting the counselor is about numbers.  They may just want clarity and thoughtfulness, in description.


5.Do ONE of the following:
a.Write a report of 250 to 300 words about how the education you receive in school will be of value to you in the future and how you will continue to educate yourself in the future.
b.Write a report of 250 to 300 words about two careers that interest you and how specific classes and good scholarship in general will help you achieve your career goals.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BSA Advancement ID#: 100

[BlueStateSaint]

Exactly Saint. They never matured past high school. Today we call them, as Johnny said, democrat politicians.

While we, all our lives, continue to grow . . .

[vesta111]

Careful here, much depends on the location and politics of the area.

Unfortunately some going for Eagle Scout in some areas came up against some hard headed thugs that put their own interestes ahead of the Scouts.

There was an incident where a Scout was going for Eagle badge that spent 100 hours cleaning up a city park then was told to stop as that was the job of the city Union of park keepers.  Politics came in here.

Sad lession for kids, make the thesis generic, take the powers in fact and only mention teachers that subscribe to the politics of the day.

Make sure the teacher that influenced you the most is a person held in high esteem in the comunity.

Depends on where you are in the country, We see little Scouting in the ghettos----and that is what Scouting is all about, to train kids to move out and survive away from the city's.

 Read up on Scouting from the conception and the very reason for it.

[Eupher]

Careful here, much depends on the location and politics of the area.

Unfortunately some going for Eagle Scout in some areas came up against some hard headed thugs that put their own interestes ahead of the Scouts.

There was an incident where a Scout was going for Eagle badge that spent 100 hours cleaning up a city park then was told to stop as that was the job of the city Union of park keepers.  Politics came in here.

Sad lession for kids, make the thesis generic, take the powers in fact and only mention teachers that subscribe to the politics of the day.

Make sure the teacher that influenced you the most is a person held in high esteem in the comunity.

Depends on where you are in the country, We see little Scouting in the ghettos----and that is what Scouting is all about, to train kids to move out and survive away from the city's.

 Read up on Scouting from the conception and the very reason for it.

Vesta, WTF do you personally know of Boy Scouting? Not what you read or heard, but personally know?

There was an incident where a Scout was going for Eagle badge that spent 100 hours cleaning up a city park then was told to stop as that was the job of the city Union of park keepers.  Politics came in here.

This particular item looks to me not like politics, but a failure to lead. You see, vesta, the Scout's Eagle Project needs to demonstrate an element of leadership. Based on what you've written, this type of work isn't Eagle worthy because of a noticeable lack of leadership.

Why don't YOU read up on Scouting and the very reason for it? You might then actually have a clue what you're talking about.
  Bitchslapped for cluelessness. Again.

Oh, and before you ask, I made Eagle Scout in 1970 at the tender age of 13, and I was an assistant scoutmaster for some years. I can speak to this from personal experience because my first Eagle project was also not worthy enough. I had to go back and do a second project demonstrating leadership.

Sorry for the temp de-rail, but vesta's bullshit posts are starting to wear on me....

[T-Monay820]

Son is working on his "Scholarship" merit badge. Last requirement he needs to do to finish is as follows.

5.Write an essay of 400 words on "How school training will be of value to me in the future."

Like he said, "I can answer that in one sentence. 400 words would just be pure bull." We're both stumped. How does one take such a simple question and BS his way through 400 words....and no, he's is not in training to be a democrat politician. I guess we just don't understand the "nuances" of such a question.

Reminds me of this scene:
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_KzCSlxMDU[/youtube]

[T-Monay820]

Bitchslapped for cluelessness. Again.

  This seems to be a common trend.

[BlueStateSaint]

This seems to be a common trend.

You are learning, young Skywalker . . . 

[JohnnyReb]

5.Do ONE of the following:
a.Write a report of 250 to 300 words about how the education you receive in school will be of value to you in the future and how you will continue to educate yourself in the future.
b.Write a report of 250 to 300 words about two careers that interest you and how specific classes and good scholarship in general will help you achieve your career goals.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BSA Advancement ID#: 100

#5 in his book is as stated earlier. Different printing date I guess.

 His Scout master insists that they complete the requirements as stated in a single book....can't be jumping around in the books looking for easier or different requirements.

[JohnnyReb]

#5 in his book is as stated earlier. Different printing date I guess.

 His Scout master insists that they complete the requirements as stated in a single book....can't be jumping around in the books looking for easier or different requirements.

Hey rustybayonet....I usually buy the son a brand new handbook for his merit badges and then donate them to his troops library when he finishes the merit badge. This time I told him to just get one from the troop library. It was brand new, never used,.... and it was a 1998 reprint of the 1988 requirements. So, you're probably right on the "current" requirements.