Merit Badge of the Week: Backpacking

One of my great pleasures in Scouting is backpacking.

Our troop has segment-hiked 150+ miles of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O) over the last 3 years, one weekend at a time. I would like for us to do more of it, but we need to balance camporees, summer camp, and the other special opportunities that come along.

But still. Putting that pack on gets the adrenaline going. Feeling that weight settle in and a good rhythm get established is liberating. Watch that cell signal go dead for a couple of days is relaxing. Even most of the western end of the C&O (East Coast) is a giant dead spot.

All of your Scout skills come into play: poisonous plant identification, fire control, cooking, 10 essentials, hiking, selecting a campsite, leave no trace, conservation, water purification, first aid, hazardous weather training--everything.

"Outing in Scouting" at its best.

So why isn't it a more popular merit badge? Fewer than 5000 earned in 2007, right at a quarter of a percent.

Let this be the summer! Fire up the troops and their troops! Grab the sunblock and head out. If it is too hot in your neck of the world, plan a great series of trips for the fall.

For one leg of the C&O, we slept out under the stars--in January. We had to knock the hard frost off all the bags the following morning. Still a trip they like to talk about 2 years later.

The BSA website has the requirements posted for the Backpacking merit badge.

Resource List

1. Always start with "Introduction to Merit Badges" for the steps to a successful merit badge.
2. Worksheet on Backpacking merit badge from USScouts.org.
3. Backpacker magazine is loaded with goodies, and so is the website. They also tweet. I always recommend this magazine to my older Scouts and our Scouters.
4. Leave No Trace--now that this has been added to the new BSA rank requirements, more important than ever. Second Class requirement #2; First Class requirement #3; new leadership position for Star, Life and Eagle--LNT Trainer.
5. Five ways to treat water on the trail.
6. BSA's Wilderness Use policy--which also references BSA's Fieldbook website. The Fieldbook online leads you to a lot of links and organizations to help with your trekking plans.
7. Planning group adventures section from BSA's Passport to High Adventure.
8. Hazardous Weather training at Scouting.org or Weather Hazards at MyScouting. Same thing, same training online. Get a MyScouting login to complete.
9. About.com provides a good list of Wilderness First Aid topics.
10. Scouting magazine brings you the 10 Essentials for any Scouting activity.

Related BSA merit badges: Camping, Climbing, Hiking, Pioneering and Wilderness Survival

Do you have a resource for the Backpacking merit badge? Please share in the comments below or on Twitter.

Merit Badge of the Week: Architecture

Architecture brings to mind images of great churches, ancient buildings like the Acropolis, and the Taj Mahal.

It should also bring to mind your post office, where you live and go to school.

Architecture is about the structure and construction of buildings.

Everywhere you look, an architect has helped to create the places you live and work.

This is a short merit badge, and yet still only 2104 were issued in 2007. (BSA Fact Sheet)

In the Architecture merit badge, you will list the types of buildings in your community and sketch one; meet with an architect and discuss career and education options; visit a construction site; learn how building plans and materials are related; interview and understand client needs; and draw a scale representation of your bedroom.

The latest Architecture merit badge requirements from the BSA:

1. Tour your community and list the different building types you see. Try to identify buildings that can be associated with a specific period of history. Make a sketch of the building you most admire.

2. Arrange to meet with an architect. Ask to see the architect's office and to talk about the following:
a. Careers in architecture
b. Educational requirements
c. Tools an architect uses
d. Processes involved in a building project

3. Arrange to visit a construction project with the project's architect. Ask to see the construction drawings so that you can compare how the project is drawn on paper to how it is actually built. Notice the different building materials. Find out how they are to be used, why they were selected, and what determines how they are being put together.

4. Interview the owner or occupant of a home or other building (your "client"). Find out what your client's requirements would be for designing a new home or business facility. Write down all of your client's requirements that you think would affect layout or design of the new facility.

5. Measure your bedroom. Make an accurately scaled drawing of the floor plan indicating walls, doors, windows, and furniture. Neatly label your drawing, including your name and the date. (Drawing scale: 1/4 inch=1 foot)


Resource List:

1. Always start with Introduction to Merit Badges for the steps to a successful merit badge.
2. Worksheet on Architecture from usscouts.org. This is a great tool to organize your work, projects and thoughts.
3. An overview of architecture from Wikipedia.
4. Wikipedia also has a basic list of architecture topics--very informative.
5. Find an architect in your area
6. Learn about careers in architecture at ArchCareers.
7. Be an architect in high school--summer opportunities to investigate at a college near you.
8. If you lucky enough to be in the area, participate in programs at Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio.
9. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a great place to run into architecture.
10. Don't know how to draw to scale? Now you do.
11. If you can't find the information you need, just Ask Dr. Architecture.

Related BSA merit badges: Citizenship in the Community, Drafting, Electricity, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Model Design and Building, Plumbing and Surveying.

Do you have a resource for the Architecture merit badge? Please let me know via email or the comments below.

Weekend Patrol Box #5

The weather is sunny and warm, and down into the 40s at night. Perfect for camping and dragging out the Patrol Box. Lots of interesting things in the Patrol Box this week.

Fire is always popular. There is also a video and a video game tucked away to help pass the time. The Cub theme this month is "Adventures in Books", so count on plenty to read.

Autumn seems to bring out the best of everything.

Participate in the Great American Fire Drill in October. The National Fire Protection Association reminds us that 05-11 OCT is Fire Prevention Week.

Plant a family tree, courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour program.

Cub Scouts have the Map and Compass belt loop; Boy Scout's have the Second Class map and compass requirement (1A). Let Backpacker magazine's video help you learn how.

Catch up on Baloo's Bugle at USScouts.org--November's edition is out now for "Seeds of Kindness"--49 pages of fun and training.

Popcorn? Did I mention popcorn?

Scouting.org also has a Cubcast (podcast) available for the "Adventures in Books" theme. Also covers Scouts recruiting new Scouts. This is a BIG download (23.7MB) for those on dial-up.

The BSA theme this month is Engineering: so what is a swingboat? Ropes and Poles shows us another great project. [If you build any of the Ropes and Pole projects, I'd love to see a picture of it. Send to scoutsigns.]

R&P also led me to another pioneering and engineering site: Pioneering Made Easy in the UK. Here is the scaffold hitch needed on another swingboat from South Africa. [I need to find a good source for poles.]

Boys' Life online provides a new game: Robots vs. Aliens Chess

With the political season in full swing, don't miss a chance to work on the American Heritage merit badge, from ScoutSigns.

The future of Cub Scouting? Lion program update from KISMIF.org.

A Scoutmaster's Blog: Button's reads Baden-Powell's last message to Scouting. Kids really seem to like this series.

Lone Star Scouter encourages you to seek training on climbing for your Scouts.

Well, that should give you plenty to see, read, listen to and do for the weekend.

If I missed anything, let me know!