- Bsa Counselor Guide For Cooking Merit Badges
- Bsa Cooking Merit Badge Workbook
- Bsa Cooking Merit Badge Booklet
MERIT BADGE COUNSELOR GUIDE
Scoutbook Merit Badge Counselor Guide. Patriots' Path Council, Boy Scouts of America. 1 Saddle Road Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927 Phone: 973-765-9322 Fax: 973-267-3406. The merit badge counselor is a key player in the Boy Scout advancement program. Whatever your area of expertise or interest—whether it is a special craft or hobby (basketry, leatherwork, coin collecting), a profession (veterinary medicine, aviation, engineering), or perhaps a life skill (cooking, personal management, communications)—as a merit badge counselor, you can play a vital role by exposing. Evaluations to show the Cooking counselor Organize with Troop leadership patrol cooking duties to include Scouts working on Cooking merit badge. Use Patrol Duty Roster to organize responsibilities if necessary Pick up extra stoves or cooking equipment if a Scout is not providing their own Cook required meals for camping and backpacking.
To be a merit badge counselor you must register with the BSA at your local council for the position and to be approved to counsel certain badges. For details on how to register, contact your local council service center.
ADDITION TO VIDEO: To locate a Scout you are invited to counsel from another unit, after accepting the invitation, Click on My Dashboard; My Profile; My connections, the Scout will be there.
Once registered with the BSA as a merit badge counselor, your merit badge counselor position will be added to Scoutbook. If you do not already have a Scoutbook account, an account will be created for you and you will be sent login information by email.
You can adjust how you display on the list. Sign onto Scoutbook (if you misplace your login credentials, click login then click the Forgot Password link.)
Log onto Scoutbook Then click on My Dashboard then Administration, then My Account, and then to your My Positions page. Your merit badge counselor position should display similarly to this:
If it isn't in the My Positions section of your account, you are not showing in Scoutbook as a Merit Badge Counselor contact your council service center.
Scoutbook shows blue check marks next to the badges you are approved by the council to counsel and shows how your visibility settings are set. 'Counselor for any Scout in the BSA' in the above example means the counselor is visible to any unit in the BSA. This setting by default is set to counselor for your local council which means you are visible to all units in your local council.
To adjust your settings, click on the Merit Badge Counselor position. You will see a screen similar to the following:
You can set your merit badge counselor as your default (primary in Scoutbook) position.
The other settings as follows:
Availability
Available – Available to counsel Scouts
Busy – To busy right now to counsel any more Scouts
Listing Preference
Any Council (Worldwide) – My name shows up in lists accessible throughout the BSA [available if your council has uploaded the list]
Council List – Restrict my listing to my local council
District List – Restrict my listing to my local district
Unit List – Restrict my listing to my unit (you can list multiple units here)
Not Listed – Don't list me at all on any lists. (this does not remove your merit badge counselor registration. If you wish to be removed from the position, contact your council service center.)
Now that you are setup in Scoutbook, unit leaders or parents can assign you to their Scouts. (see below)
UNIT LEADER INSTRUCTIONS
NOTE: Once a council uploads the council merit badge counselor list to Scoutbook, troops will no longer be able to add a Merit Badge Counselor to their troop roster. However troops will still be able to invite Merit Badge Counselors to work with their Scouts from the Merit Badge Counselor List in Scoutbook.
If you are a unit admin and want to add all the counselors registered with your unit.
To find a registered merit badge counselor, go to your Troop page and towards the bottom of the page, select Merit Badge Counselor List (you have to be a unit leader to see this option.)
You will receive a search page where you can search for merit badge counselors by badge and by how far out you wish to search. The merit badge counselors will be listed with the closest counselors first to the farthest away.
HINT: When you find the merit badge counselors you are looking for write the name down. You will need it later.
Go into your roster and click on the Add Leader button. Be sure to use the global search tool to search for the counselor because they already have an account in Scoutbook created by the local council. Select the Merit Badge Counselor position then set the permissions to None. You will be able to define the badges they will be associated with your Scout to teach after you have set them up in the roster.
Bsa Counselor Guide For Cooking Merit Badges
Merit Badge Counselors do not need Edit Advancement permission to the Scouts they teach.
Scoutbook automatically gives them permission to edit just those badges you have defined in the Scout's Connections page.
Now that the counselors are in your roster you can proceed to assign them to your Scouts.
After the unit leader has discussed a merit badge with the Scout, the leader will suggest at least one counselor to work with to complete the badge. Once decided you can assign a counselor to each badge the Scout has started by going into the Scout's Connection page and add a connection to the counselor.
Here is a sample connection page showing a counselor that is assigned to a Scout. Notice the Unit Leader is also a MBC to the Scout. You can also assign other counselors who are not local to your unit as connections (summer camps, universities). Scoutbook is completely flexible.
If the counselor already exists in your unit:
Go to the Scout's Connections page. See if the counselor already exists as a connection.
If you already see the counselor listed as a connection you may need to edit the connection and check the box to configure them as a merit badge counselor. This will give you additional options to define which of the Scout's badges they will be assigned.
Remember each connection can have multiple roles so check all the boxes that apply.
If the counselor is not listed as a connection to the Scout you can click on the Add button.
Use the search box to find the counselor's Scoutbook account.Fill out the form and Scoutbook will send an email invitation to them to be connected to the Scout.
Make sure all the counselors have current Youth Protection Training (YPT) or else they will not show up in the Merit Badge Counselor List.
You will receive a search page where you can search for merit badge counselors by badge and by how far out you wish to search. The merit badge counselors will be listed with the closest counselors first to the farthest away.
HINT: When you find the merit badge counselors you are looking for write the name down. You will need it later.
Go into your roster and click on the Add Leader button. Be sure to use the global search tool to search for the counselor because they already have an account in Scoutbook created by the local council. Select the Merit Badge Counselor position then set the permissions to None. You will be able to define the badges they will be associated with your Scout to teach after you have set them up in the roster.
Bsa Counselor Guide For Cooking Merit Badges
Merit Badge Counselors do not need Edit Advancement permission to the Scouts they teach.
Scoutbook automatically gives them permission to edit just those badges you have defined in the Scout's Connections page.
Now that the counselors are in your roster you can proceed to assign them to your Scouts.
After the unit leader has discussed a merit badge with the Scout, the leader will suggest at least one counselor to work with to complete the badge. Once decided you can assign a counselor to each badge the Scout has started by going into the Scout's Connection page and add a connection to the counselor.
Here is a sample connection page showing a counselor that is assigned to a Scout. Notice the Unit Leader is also a MBC to the Scout. You can also assign other counselors who are not local to your unit as connections (summer camps, universities). Scoutbook is completely flexible.
If the counselor already exists in your unit:
Go to the Scout's Connections page. See if the counselor already exists as a connection.
If you already see the counselor listed as a connection you may need to edit the connection and check the box to configure them as a merit badge counselor. This will give you additional options to define which of the Scout's badges they will be assigned.
Remember each connection can have multiple roles so check all the boxes that apply.
If the counselor is not listed as a connection to the Scout you can click on the Add button.
Use the search box to find the counselor's Scoutbook account.Fill out the form and Scoutbook will send an email invitation to them to be connected to the Scout.
Make sure all the counselors have current Youth Protection Training (YPT) or else they will not show up in the Merit Badge Counselor List.
Q. Can my unit import merit badge counselors?
A. No. Merit badge counselors are BSA positions which require approval by the local service center. Scoutbook does not support importing merit badge counselors via unit imports.
Was this article helpful?
Related Articles
The merit badge counselor is a key player in the Scouts BSA advancement program. Whatever your area of expertise or interest—whether it is a special craft or hobby (basketry, leatherwork, coin collecting), a profession (veterinary medicine, aviation, engineering), or perhaps a life skill (cooking, personal management, communications)—as a merit badge counselor, you can play a vital role in stirring a Scout's curiosity about that particular topic. By serving as a merit badge counselor, you offer your time, knowledge, and other resources so that Scouts can explore a topic of interest.
If you are not yet a merit badge counselor, it is easy to become a volunteer. You will need to register with the Boy Scouts of America, through your BSA local council. This entails contacting the local council, then obtaining, completing, and turning in the 'Adult Application.' The council will then process the application. (Every applicant is screened.)
In order to register, merit badge counselors are expected to complete BSA Youth Protection. This training can be done through The BSA's Online Learning Center . The Boy Scouts of America seeks to create a safe environment for young people and adult leaders to enjoy the program and related activities. BSA Youth Protection training helps preserve that environment.
For more information, consult the Guide for Merit Badge Counseling, No. 512-065 or Merit Badge Counselor Information, No. 34405 . To learn more about the merit badge program, see section 7 of the Guide to Advancement, 'The Merit Badge Program.'
Bsa Cooking Merit Badge Workbook
Understanding the Scouting Program
The Scouting program emphasizes helping Scouts develop character, citizenship, and mental and physical fitness. Among the handful of methods used to build on these aims of Scouting are adult association, leadership development, and advancement.
Besides parents and relatives, school teachers, religious leaders, and possibly coaches, most Scout-age youth don't have much contact with many other adults or professionals. A Scout's association with his merit badge counselors provides an excellent way for him to grow and gain confidence through exposure to quality adults who serve as positive role models and mentors. Meeting people from business and community leaders to trained specialists and enthusiastic hobbyists, a Scout can experience personal growth and a positive life-altering experience while in pursuit of a merit badge.
A Merit Badge Counselor Is …
As a merit badge counselor, your mission is to join fun with learning. You are both a teacher and mentor as the Scout works on a merit badge and learns by doing. Your hands-on involvement could inspire a Scout to develop a lifelong hobby, pursue a particular career, or become an independent, self-supporting adult.
A Scout first expresses an interest in a particular merit badge by letting his unit leader know. To get him started, the leader gives him a signed Application for Merit Badge (blue card) along with the name and contact information for a district/council approved merit badge counselor. The Scout then contacts the merit badge counselor and makes an appointment. The merit badge counselor sets a date and time to meet with the Scout and his buddy, and may suggest the Scout bring the merit badge pamphlet along with the blue card.
The blue card is the nationally recognized merit badge record. This tool makes the recordkeeping easier for the Scout, the merit badge counselor, and the unit leader. At summer camp, a Scout may receive partial credit for completion of a merit badge on the blue card, which goes to the Scoutmaster at week's end. Back home, the Scout would need to contact a merit badge counselor for assistance with completing the rest of the requirements.
At the first meeting, the Scout and his merit badge counselor review and set expectations for completing the requirements. In some cases, the Scout may share with the merit badge counselor the work he has already started or accomplished. As the merit badge counselor, you and the Scout work out a tentative schedule for completing the merit badge. You should consider both short-term and long-term goals, keeping other obligations (school, Scouting, sports, and so on) in mind, and set dates, times, and a location for future meetings. The number of meetings will depend on the difficulty of the requirements and the preparation and ability of the Scout. Remember, the Scout must always have a buddy with him at these meetings.
Your duty is to be satisfied that each Scout who comes to you meets all the requirements for the merit badge you are coaching. You do this by helping Scouts overcome the different hurdles of the requirements and making them aware of the deeper aspects of the subject through their learning experience. You may tell about your own experiences to help positively reinforce the subject matter. Free downloads for mac. However, you may not tack on new requirements or extra work. While you may guide and instruct a Scout on the subject matter, he must do the work himself.
As each requirement is completed, you will test the Scout individually, with his buddy present. Update the blue card as the Scout completes each requirement. When the Scout has completed all the requirements, you sign off on the card and the Scout returns the completed card to his unit leader.
You may wish to seek additional training from your local council/district on local policies and procedures for merit badge counselors.
Summer Camp Merit Badge Counselors
The same qualifications and rules for merit badge counselors apply to council summer camp merit badge programs. All merit badge counselors must be at least 18 years of age. Camp staff members under age 18 may assist with instruction but cannot serve in the role of the merit badge counselor.
The merit badge counselor assesses the Scout's knowledge to ensure he has completed all the required work—no more, and no less. You may not add to, delete from, or modify the merit badge requirements in any way.
Bsa Cooking Merit Badge Booklet
Helpful Hints
Here are some simple tips that every merit badge counselor should keep in mind.
- Make the Scout feel welcome and relaxed.
- Stimulate the Scout's interest by showing him something related to the merit badge subject, but don't overwhelm him; remember, he is probably a beginner.
- Carefully review each requirement, start with easy skills or questions, and encourage practice.
- Insist that the Scout do exactly what the requirements specify. Many of the requirements involve hands-on activities that call for a Scout to show or demonstrate; make; list; discuss; or collect, identify, and label—and he must do just that.
- Don't make the requirement more difficult—or any easier—than stated. A Scout may undertake more activities on his own initiative, but he cannot be pushed to do so.
- During testing, the Scout might need help in a particular area or with a certain skill, and may need to be retested later to ensure the requirement has been fulfilled.
- Encourage self-evaluation and self-reflection, and establish an atmosphere that encourages the Scout to ask for help.
- Take a genuine interest in the Scout's projects, and encourage completion.
