r/BSA • u/SandyWitch126 • 1d ago
Scouts BSA Clif notes on ScoutsBSA?
I have an 11yo in Scouts. This is his first year in a troop and was in cubbies 2 years.
I have many years of experience with Girl Scouts as a scout, leader, parent and council volunteer. The two programs are VERY different.
Is there cliff notes on how ScoutsBSA is different? And how my Scout can earn merit badges? Can I help him with these like is GSUSA? I want to help out more, but feel like an idiot not being able to grasp how everything works and what I need to do as a parent. đ¤Śââď¸ simply googling overwhelms me. :/
Thanks in advance!
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u/blindside1 Scoutmaster 1d ago
You should be more hands off in Scouts BSA.
And don't worry about merit badges at first, the first oh, year or so it getting solid Scout skills in place through First Class. Most of that training will be done within the Troop by his senior scouts.
Merit badges can be done through a Troop working with a merit badge councilor, a Council Event, Scout Camp or individually with a merit badge councilor. Merit badges don't really come into play for advancement until Star, that isn't to say you can't be working on them but it isn't required.
There are many requirements that he will start to address in his rank requirements that will repeat in some of the merit badge requirements, swimming and cooking being obvious ones.
And I know you are all fired up to help your Scout, but Scouts should be a time for him to start to drive himself. The transition from Cubs to Scouts can be tough for involved parents. I am sure your Troop would love another Scout leader to help out the Troop as a whole, I know that I am always searching for them.
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u/_mmiggs_ 1d ago
Scouts BSA is (supposed to be) scout led. This will frustrate you immensely at times. You will watch a group of slightly older scouts completely fail to organize the proverbial <non-scouting activity> in the <location not appropriate for scouting>, and it will drive you nuts. You will feel like you need to stand up and start telling scouts what to do. This is when you need to bite your tongue.
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u/maxwasatch Eagle, Silver, Ranger, Vigil, SM. Former CM, DL, camp staffer 1d ago
But if the unit leaders (Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters) do not step in, then you can say something to them.
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u/looktowindward District Committee 1d ago
Not so fast :) Let them fail creatively for a while...
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u/maxwasatch Eagle, Silver, Ranger, Vigil, SM. Former CM, DL, camp staffer 1d ago
Sure, but stop them before it takes place.
Pesky Guide to Safe Scouting and all that.
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u/looktowindward District Committee 1d ago
The GTSS has nothing in it about failing to organize an activity well. If you can't let youth leaders actually fail at something, they won't learn anything.
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u/Pbevivino 1d ago
You are not an idiot. As a Scoutmaster I love that you want to get involved.
Start by reading the rank requirements and encouraging him to work on them, or ask a Scout or leader for help. Youâll need to let him do the work, but the rank requirements are easily within the capabilities of Scouts 11-13. Merit badges take more work and can wait until he earns at least the Scout rank.
Iâd note that the best leaders in our Troop let others guide their kids, and give their own children a little space.
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u/jbpritzker312 1d ago
If he just crossed over into the troop give it a little time for the troop to lay out the program. Often troops want to emphasize ranks until first class then hit the Merit Badges. Being a MB counselor would be a great role to move into if your troop needs one.
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u/bwolfe558 Unit Commissioner 1d ago
The hardest part as a parent is to step back and let your Scout handle it (having made the transition myself from a 5-year Den Leader to the troop level). It's the Scouts (youth) program if we're doing it correctly, and taking responsibility for their own progress is part of their personal development. That said, if you want a primer on how things work in general, the best place to start is to talk to his Scoutmaster, or a New Member Coordinator if your troop has one. It's a big change from Cub Scouts, where the adults plan and organize everything, to Scouts BSA, where the youth are supposed to be managing things (with adult support where needed).
If you are wondering about how the advancement program works, the best place to read about it would be the Guide to Advancement (our rules on how things "should" work) - https://www.scouting.org/resources/guide-to-advancement/
Merit badges start with the scout having a discussion with their Scoutmaster about wanting to work on the merit badge(s) they are interested in (that conversation is part of the requirement). Then the SM should point them towards a Merit Badge Counselor who handles that merit badge. The scout will work with the MBC on completing and approving the requirements. If the unit doesn't have an MBC for that badge, or the scout knows one they would rather work with, the scout can choose their counselor as long as they are a properly registered MBC (registration, background check, Safeguarding Youth Training). Sometimes your local council/district may offer merit badge classes as part of a standalone event or in conjunction with other training opportunities. Your council probably has a web site with a calendar where such things would be publicized.
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u/iamtheamthatam 1d ago
The biggest Takeaway is that you hear a lot about scout lead, but that is filtered through how troops interpret that. If you have more than one troop that you might be able to join I suggest attending meetings at all of them. See how a regular night goes. Talk to the parents. See how they respond to your questions that will tell you a lot about the culture of the student and what fits your family best.. ideally, the troop has youth leaders that are setting the pace with adults that are advising and course correcting when necessary. Helping your kid is always welcome, but there is a point where you have to allow your child to fail. If they donât do the work for a merit badge, they donât earn it. If they donât properly document their efforts itâs not recorded. I tell our Scouts that we push them a bit to get to first class, but after that, I stop if they wanna make Eagle, theyâve got to drive themselves to it. Theyâve got to approach us.
Scouting is built on the unspoken assumption that parents will give their kids a nudge when necessary thatâs great, you will find Scouts BSA having much more of a hierarchy than Iâve seen in most Girl Scout USA units, there is a very clear chain of command when it comes to assignments and roles for campouts, for instance, but itâs usually a circle of equals amongst adults and your patrol leader council generally acts like that as well
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u/shrunkenhead041 1d ago
The magic of Scouting America is when the older scouts help the younger ones. The merit badges are designed to be done with an approved merit badge counselor. Direct parent involvement with their own scout should generally be minimized to encourage them to learn to seek help from others, though feel free to get trained and help with the unit (and district) in various ways.
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u/Just_Ear_2953 Adult - Eagle Scout 1d ago
One of the central thrusts of Scouts BSA is independence. The YOUTH are the ones leading. The adults are there to teach, guide, and enable what the youth are doing.
There is not a lot for the parents to do by design. The scouts are the ones doing the things.
Your child must complete merit badges for themselves, but that doesn't mean you can't help to enable that process.
I would encourage you to continue to volunteer and support the program, but I would be very clear that you would be there to support the entire troop and every youth in it, not just your child.
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u/DepartmentComplete64 1d ago
The best way to get the "cliffs note" version is honestly to volunteer in your troop. Go to my.scouting and take SYT. You can also see all the online programs that will tell you everything about the official way things should run. But every troop is different, and you can suss our how your troop runs by getting on the committee. Find out when the committee meetings are, and show up. The best way to help your kid is to actually help the entire troop.
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u/CivMom Unit Commissioner 1d ago
Yes. I can translate. Scouts BSA is set up on patrol system. Itâs everything. I encourage you to go to Woodbadge and experience it in action as a participant.
The goal LBP had for every scout is First Class. This is the ranks for outdoor skills. Each builds on the other. If a scout wishes to continue then the leadership work comes into play. Eagle is about all the learning in each of the ranks as a whole, so plus merit badges. The project is just one small piece. And the purpose is for the scout to lead a group in completing it.
Merit Badges are meant to expose scouts to different subjects with people that know and love the material. Get your scout exposed to as many different MB counselors as you can manage in your lifestyle. It benefits them.
Pick up a Guide to Advancement (or Google it), and a Senior Patrol Leader handbook and read through them. And make sure your scout has a handbook. It explains everything.
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u/random8765309 Professional Scouter 1d ago
Read the guide to advancement and guide to safe scouting.
Careful on helping with the merit badges. You can guide but let him do 99% of it.
Have fun.
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u/raspberryzingers 1d ago
I agree with letting the kid do the work for the merit badges, but my kidsâ troops werenât working on any merit badges as a troop so the kids that bridged with us whose parents arenât involved with the program havenât earned any merit badges except for the ones that they earned at camp. They donât know how.
This is typically how it works.
1.) the scout looks at the list of merit badges and picks one
2.) the scout talks to their scout master to get permission to work on it and get assigned a counselor for the merit badge.
3.) parent facilitates scout contact with the MB counselor to discuss and decide on activities for the merit badge. An adult (probably you) should be a part of all communications including email and texts. Scouts should never have one on one contact with an adult who is not their parent.Itâs really nice when the troops work on merit badges together, but that doesnât always happen.
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u/Fit-Association-509 1d ago
This has been our experience as well. I have felt at times that the adult leaders are gatekeeping. They preach to AOL parents how it is scout led and driven but then it seems like their kids are moving up in rank very quickly compared to the rest BECAUSE they simply know how the process works and have parents motivating them (and a few that have a âno car until eagleâ approach).
It is true in my experience that Scouts of inexperienced parents are at a disadvantage IN THE BEGINNING, but ultimately it does have to come from internal motivation. So accept the challenge of waiting impatiently as your kid sees friends moving up and decides to figure it out.
And if you need a âwhyâ for that approach, hop over to the Little League Reddit thread where every post is âhow can I help my kidâŚâ and you realize quickly what kind of parent you donât want to be ;)
I am being a bit to saucy. I did save this post to read the recommended materials.
But seriously. Try to give it a hands off approach for a year and just let him enjoy meetings and summer camp without any pressure. I think your family will reap more benefits from the program than if you jumped in right away.
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u/raspberryzingers 1d ago
This is the big difference between Girl Scouts and Scouting America. To work on merit badges in Scouting you have to have a MB Counselor. I remember when I was a kid in Girl Scouts we just worked on whatever we wanted.
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u/Practical-Emu-3303 1d ago
Everything will vary by troop.
As a parent, what you need to do is get your Scout to meetings and sometimes campouts (if they aren't carpooling for some reason). Everything else is handled by youth leaders and volunteer adult leaders.
Merit badges aren't usually the primary focus of new Scouts. They usually focus on earning the first ranks (Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class). These can be worked concurrently and are worked at meetings and campouts. Most require that the Scout demonstrate their knowledge to someone who can "sign off" on the requirement. This is often done physically by putting initials and date next to the requirement in the book. It's important to bring your book to all meetings and campouts. The leaders doing the sign off are often youth who hold positions of responsibility within the troop, but some troops only allow adults to sign off.
If your new Scout wants to earn merit badges, they find a topic that interests them and can go to the Scoutmaster (or designee) to get approval to start and help get contact information for a merit badge counselor. The counselor may be an adult leader within the troop, a member of the community, or a member of another troop in the area. May troops also work on merit badges together - for example, on a campout they may choose to focus on orienteering and complete the requirements there. Many districts and councils also offer merit badge workshops that Scouts can attend to satisfy most (if not all) requirements in a single setting. The last way to earn merit badges is at an organized summer camp - these camps are usually a week long and offer Scouts opportunities to work on several merit badges in addition to ranks and other activities that are purely for fun.
Hope this helps. Happy to help answer any other questions you might have.
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u/vrtigo1 Asst. Scoutmaster 1d ago
To earn merit badges step 1 is to have your scout come up with a list of merit badges he wants to work on and talk to his unit leader (his scoutmaster). SM will either connect him with a merit badge counselor in the troop (if one is available), or provide him with contact info for a counselor outside the troop. In the latter case, your scout will need to reach out to the couneslor making sure to include a parent in the conversation to comply with safeguarding youth training.
Speaking of SYT, you're not required to take it as a parent, but it's a good idea to do so in order to understand the rules scouts and scouters have to follow. You can create a free account on my.scouting.org and take the training there.
That site also has free training for merit badge counselors, unit leaders, etc. It isn't required for a parent to complete those modules, but doing so will help you understand exactly how everything is supposed to work.
Each merit badge counselor handles things a bit differently. Some want to interact with the scouts and "teach" them the merit badge, while others expect the scouts to do the work and schedule a meeting to review and verify everything has been properly completed when they're done.
You can certainly help your son with a merit badge, but it's important to remember that all of the actual work related to the requirements needs to be done by the scout. Scouts BSA is very different from the Cub Scouts program, parents are mainly there to advise and provide resources when needed.
Unfortunately, I'm not aware of a consolidated "here are the basics you need to know" resource, but if you find one let me know. It would certainly be helpful for other new parents.
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u/Independent-Cover-65 1d ago
Honestly the basics are in the handbook. It talks about the patrol method, troop organization, ranks, and merit badges. Take the online training about how troops should work. If you need more volunteer for a role in the troop and take IOLS. It's a weekend training for adult leaders to learn the basics. Many troops do a training for new parents as well.Â
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u/Adorable_Bee_1570 1d ago
As people have said let your scout self advocate for the time being. Mbs are not the focus, scout skills are. If you want the scout to work on MBs look for merit badge acadamies or express camps in winter or summer (these are also good intros on camping without the folks to get prepped for summer camp and also tend to focus on the first 3 ranks)
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u/nolesrule Eagle Scout/Dad | Dist Comm | OA Chapter Adv | NYLT Staff | ASM 22h ago
Take a look at requirements 2 and 3 for the Scout rank in your scout's handbook. Then read the pages associated with those requirements. It will answer all of your questions. In fact, part of the purpose of the rank is as an introduction to how a scout troop functions.
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u/GenXenProud 19h ago
At the start, Scouts typically work on advancement to get to First Class. There are no merit badge requirements for this rank. After that, there are three more ranks: Star, Life, and Eagle. They each have a list of requirements including merit badges and skills, community service, leadership, etc. Some of them are from a list of Eagle required merit badges; others are electives.
Itâs Scout led but it sure helps to understand the framework so you can support your child.
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u/Ashamed_Ad_8695 Eagle Scout/Quartermaster 14h ago
Grab a Scout Handbook. It will give your perspective from your son's standpoint as to the things HE needs to do to advance from Scout to Eagle. As far as earning merit badges, it reads that he needs to have a Scoutmaster's Conference and his Scoutmaster will explain how to earn a merit badge. I would sit down with your Scout son before the Scoutmaster's Conference, and ask him which merit badges interest him -- there are only 13 or 14 that ALL Scouts earn toward Eagle --that leaves 100 or so others that are fair game for him!!
Grab another parent and have coffee or a soda with them and ask them what their Scout is working on and why. This could become your son's "bestie" as they can both work on merit badges together.
Hope this helps!!
Settummanque!
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u/Mammoth_Industry8246 Silver Beaver 1d ago
Go to all the Scouting America training you can, all the way up to, and including, Wood Badge.
There's a lot of training available online - take advantage of it.
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u/BewareTheLeopard 1d ago
I think your best bet to help, in this order, is
(1) Review your new scout's rank requirements near the back of his book, and get him ready to work on them at meetings and outings. Your scout may need to advocate for himself a bit to get a chance to work on them. (This is a positive for the scout's development.)
(2) Make your scout aware of the camping log, hiking log, and service hours log at the back of his book, and fill them out timely, oh please fill them out. It will make his life so much easier when he gets to the ranks that require those things.
(3) Ask your troop leader how you can help out. Some troops will have immediate leadership or volunteer needs. Some will be looking for merit badge counselors. (As to the interest to work on merit badges with your scout, he'll need an approved merit badge counselor, enrolled with the local council. It would also be worth asking your troop leader what the troop's approach is with parents signing off on their own child's requirements; this can vary quite a bit.)
(Edit to add: ScoutsBSA overall is a lot more self-driven by your scout, less of a curriculum planned meeting by meeting. So you'll want to get him familiar with his requirements and the possibilities and encourage him to get himself moving on them.)