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~~Wichita Area Technical College

Merit Badge College Instructor Information

Thank you for volunteering to help out with the Wichita Area Technical College Merit Badge College for Boy Scouts of America.  The time you spend on Saturday, March 28, 2015, will make a difference in the life of a young boy here in the Wichita Area as well as other communities.



Please, do not allow any youth to leave the room during class time without adult supervision and escort.  Also, please provide activities to the end of class.  Do not release students early. This rule is new per WATC.



Day’s Schedule

• 7:00 AM    The day will begin with units checking in at  Grove, Southside and NCAT

• 7:30 AM    Opening ceremonies will take place on all campuses

• 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM    Morning classes will be held

• 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM  Lunch break

• 12:15 PM – 3:15 PM    Afternoon sessions

• 3:15 PM    Scouts leave after afternoon session is complete

Lunches – there will be a wrist band for each instructor who chooses to eat the lunch provided

Instructor Duties & the new “Blue Cards”

• You should plan on arriving at your campus location around 7:00 AM to allow for time to prepare your classroom. 

• When you arrive at your campus location check in at the registration area (F201 for Southside, the Commons Area outside the Bookstore for NCAT and D- 3 for Grove) and pick up your classroom rosters. 

• You will have an envelope for the class you are teaching.  In the envelope you will find a class roster, new blue card instructions, a wrist band for lunch, a copy of the requirements the boys will have and the password and log in for the computers

• On the new Blue Card Instruction sheet check the box of the requirements that you will be completing in class.  An adult or student volunteer will be using this information to complete the worksheets. 

• At the beginning of class take attendance on the roster that is in the envelope.  If you have boys that are not on the list please send them to the registration area (with two adults) for instructions to their correct badge area.

• After you have taken attendance check to see if the boys have the requirement workbooks.  The boys should enter their names and troop numbers on the workbooks. 

• An adult or student volunteer should collect the workbooks.

• They will mark and date the requirements that you plan to complete during class.  If all the requirements are met then the workbook needs to be signed by you as the counselor or have the adult/student volunteer sign them for you.  Write the letters “WATC MBC” under the signature line.  If not all requirements are met then do not sign the workbook.  The boys will need to make arrangements with either you or another Merit Badge Counselor to complete the requirements at a future date. 

• If you wish the boys to contact you to complete the Merit Badge then you may supply them with your contact information.  The boys can complete the merit badges with another counselor.

• At the end of the class the workbooks should be returned to the boys.  None of the workbooks should be left in the class room area.  

The requirements for the merit badges are listed in the front of the Merit Badge Book.  Additional information may be shared with the boys, but remember that only the listed requirements are required to complete the badge.  Please make every effort to complete as many of the requirements as you can during the event.

Lunch time can be very crowded at the Merit Badge College.  As instructors you can enjoy a hot dog or two for lunch and you do not have to stand in line.  Just go to the front of the line area and let the servers know that you are an instructor.  This will allow you additional time to relax and then prepare your classroom for the afternoon session.

If you need any help during the event please see one of the WATC or BSA staff for assistance.

Youth Protection Policies

BSA adopted the following policies to provide additional barriers to child abuse within Scouting. These policies are primarily for the protection of its youth members; however, they also serve to protect its adult leaders from false accusations of abuse.

• Two-deep leadership. Two registered adult leaders or one registered leader and a parent of a participant, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required on all trips and outings. The "two-deep" policy requires that a minimum of two adults be present during all activities to minimize the potential for clandestine abuse. The chartered organization is responsible for ensuring that sufficient leadership is provided for all activities.

• No one-on-one contact. One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations that require personal conferences, such as a Scoutmaster's conference or working on Merit Badges, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and youths.

• Respect of privacy. Adult leaders must respect the privacy of youth members in situations such as changing clothes and taking showers at camp, and intrude only to the extent that health and safety require. Adults must protect their own privacy in similar situations.

• No secret organizations. The Boy Scouts of America does not recognize any secret organizations as part of its program. All aspects of the Scouting program are open to observation by parents and leaders.

• Constructive discipline. Discipline used in Scouting should be constructive and reflect Scouting's values. Corporal punishment is never permitted.

• Hazing prohibited. Physical hazing and initiations are prohibited and may not be included as part of any Scouting activity.

All adult leaders in BSA are required to be trained and follow the above policies.

The “New” Blue Cards

     There is a change in “Blue Cards” this year.  In an attempt to make it easier on the instructors, the requirements are on regular 8 ½ x 11 sheets of paper and the requirements are listed individually with a check box next to each requirement.  These are the official blue cards.  The Scouts should have downloaded the requirements and should have with them along with any other class work. 

   

Please make sure the boys PRINT their name and troop number on each page.  Have them pass the workbooks back to you.



Have one of the adults or student volunteers in the class room collect the workbooks.



Let the adult with the workbooks know which requirements you plan to complete in class.  The adult should check off the completed requirements on the worksheets.



Requirements That the Instructor Believes Will be Covered during Class

If the requirements for the badge are completed in the class the name of the merit badge counselor and his/her signature plus the date (March 28, 2015)  should be entered on the workbook.



The worksheets should be handed back to the Scouts at the end of the class period regardless of whether the badge is completed or not.



Please turn in the class rosters to Tye at Southside or Jan at NCAT before leaving for the day.  This information is used if any questions come up after the college is over.



Guide for Merit Badge Counselors



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 in stirring a young man'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.

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 to the Scout as he works on a merit badge and learns by doing. By presenting opportunities for growth via engaging activities like designing a flier (Computers), performing an ollie and a wheelie (Snowboarding), or fabricating rope (Pioneering), you can pique a young man's interest in the merit badge subject. 

A Scout first expresses an interest in a particular merit badge by letting his unit leader know. To get him started, the leader may give him a signed Application for Merit Badge (blue card) along with the name and telephone number of 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.

At the first meeting, the Scout and his merit badge counselor review and start working on the requirements. In some cases, the Scout may share with the merit badge counselor the work he has started or accomplished. As the merit badge counselor, you and the Scout work out a tentative schedule for completing the requirements. 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.

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. 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. If you are using a blue card, update this card as the Scout completes each requirement. When the young man has completed all the requirements, you sign off on the blue card and the Scout returns the completed card to his unit leader.

SCOUT BUDDY SYSTEM

A Scout must have a buddy with him at each meeting with a merit badge counselor. A Scout’s buddy could be another Scout, or be a parent or guardian, brother or sister, relative or friend.  

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.

• When the Scout knows what is expected, he can start to learn and do the things required. The counselor will help the Scout learn the things he needs to know or do.

Scout ($20)- Scouts will be able to enroll in two separate merit badge classes of their choice (as long as they are at one lcoation) and enrollments will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.  Registration will only be taken online and will be considered complete at time of payment.

Adult ($10)- 2-Deep leadership is required for your Troop at each location that you have youth registered.  Adults may be asked to help in the classrooms as needed.



Lunch ($5)- Lunch is optional; individuals may now pay less and bring their own lunches.  Be advised, you may eat lunch in classrooms but NOT IN COMPUTER LABS.  Cooking (grills, open flames, hot plates, ect...) or heating (microwave, oven, ect...) equipment will NOT be allowed or availbale.  If bringing your own lunch, we recommend sack lunch.

- If a Scout is unable to attend the event after registering and there is another Scout within the unit that would like to take the same classes please contact the event manager.



-No phone registrations will be accepted nor will registration at the event.  No changes will be made once you submit, so take special care when registering.  Once registration is confirmed we cannot make any changes to the schedule.  We reserve the right to cancel low- interest classes and will make accommodations accordingly.

~~Photo Release

By registering for this event I hereby assign and grant to the Boy Scouts of America the right and permission to use and publish the photographs, film, videotapes, electronic representations and/or sound recordings made of me this date by the Boy Scouts of America.  I also hereby release the Boy Scouts of America from any and all liability from such use and publication, including use on the Council website and Social Media Sites managed by Quivira Council, BSA.

I hereby authorize the reproduction, copyright, exhibit, broadcast, electronic storage and/or distribution of said photographs, film, videotapes, electronic representations and/or sound recordings without limitation at the discretion of the Boy Scouts of America and I specifically waive any right to any compensation I may have for any of the foregoing.