As Of: 8/8/2017 - 11:51 AM MERIT BADGE SKYWAY COLLEGE 2017 TICKET TO SCOUTING JOURNEYS Dear Scoutmaster: It’s that time of year again. Merit Badge Skyway College (MBSC) is coming this September. The following will give you all the information that you will need to register your Scouts for this event. Date: September 16, 2017 Location: Riviera United Methodist Church (175 62nd Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702) Participants: All Skyway District Boy Scouts registered in Greater Tampa Bay Area Council Initial Pre-Registration: Conducted through the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council Office (GTBAC) Enclosed registration form should be submitted to the council service center or registration can be accomplished online. Registration will be restricted to Skyway District only until (9/9/2017). Greater Tampa Bay Area Council 11046 Johnson Blvd. Seminole, FL 33772 Phone: 727-391-3800 Tuition Amount: $10.00 for all merit badges. Tuition Payment: Tuition must be paid in advance with the pre-registration form (enclosed in this packet) at the time of filing at the GTBAC Service Center. Class Scheduling: Class scheduling is being conducted by co-chairpersons, Brad Luther and Mary Luther or can be taken care of at the tampabayscouting.org website . Brad Luther Phone: 727-433-2801 or 727-384-2801 Mary Luther Phone: 727-384-2801 Refunds: No refunds will be given. Registration: Final registration packets will be issued to each registered troop on the morning of MBC. WALK UP REGISTRATION will NOT be accepted!
Transcript
As Of: 8/8/2017 - 11:51 AM
MERIT BADGE SKYWAY COLLEGE 2017 TICKET TO SCOUTING JOURNEYS
Dear Scoutmaster: It’s that time of year again. Merit Badge Skyway College (MBSC) is coming this September. The following will give you all the information that you will need to register your Scouts for this event. Date: September 16, 2017 Location: Riviera United Methodist Church (175 62nd Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702) Participants: All Skyway District Boy Scouts registered in Greater Tampa Bay Area Council Initial Pre-Registration: Conducted through the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council Office (GTBAC)
Enclosed registration form should be submitted to the council service center or registration can be accomplished online. Registration will be restricted to Skyway District only until (9/9/2017).
Greater Tampa Bay Area Council 11046 Johnson Blvd. Seminole, FL 33772 Phone: 727-391-3800 Tuition Amount: $10.00 for all merit badges. Tuition Payment: Tuition must be paid in advance with the pre-registration form (enclosed in this packet) at the time of filing at the GTBAC Service Center.
Class Scheduling: Class scheduling is being conducted by co-chairpersons, Brad Luther and Mary Luther or can be taken care of at the tampabayscouting.org website
. Brad Luther Phone: 727-433-2801 or 727-384-2801
Mary Luther Phone: 727-384-2801 Refunds: No refunds will be given. Registration: Final registration packets will be issued to each registered troop on the morning of
MBC. WALK UP REGISTRATION will NOT be accepted!
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Merit Badge Courses:
Camping* Chess (PM)
Citizenship in the Community* Citizenship in the World*
Communications* Emergency Preparedness*
Environmental Science* First Aid* Golf (AM)
Personal Fitness* Personal Management*
* Course Required for Eagle Scout Rank
Merit Badge Program Catalog:
Camping* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 3, 4a, 5a, 8c Camping is one of the best-known methods of the Scouting movement. When he founded the Scouting movement in the early 1900s, Robert Baden-Powell encouraged every Scout to learn the art of living out-of-doors. He believed a young person able to take care of himself while camping would have the confidence to meet life's other challenges, too. (meritbadge.org) Chess Class Periods – PM Only Pre-Requisites – 6 The USCF (United States Chess Federation) provided the primary contributing writers for the Merit Badge pamphlet. They will be helping to promote the badge through communications with the Chess delegate teams (similar to BSA’s National Committees and Boards) and e-mail blasts, plus website and “tournament news” announcements. Citizenship in the Community* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 A nation is a patchwork of communities that differ from each other and may be governed differently. But regardless of how local communities differ, they all have one point in common: In the United States, local government means self-government. Good citizens help to make decisions about their community through their elected local officials.
Citizenship in the World* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 3a & 3b, 7 Scouts who earn the Citizenship in the World merit badge will discover that they are already citizens of the world. How good a world citizen each person is depends on his willingness to understand and appreciate the values, traditions, and concerns of people in other countries. Communications* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 1a, 1b, 5, 8 This clear and concise definition comes from the U.S. Department of Education: "Communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. The field of communication promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication. Emergency Preparedness* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 1, 2c, 7a, 8b Scouts are often called upon to help because they know first aid and they know about the discipline and planning needed to react to an emergency situation. Earning this merit badge helps a Scout to be prepared by learning the actions that can be helpful and needed before, during, and after an emergency. (meritbadge.org) Environmental Science* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 3G, 4 From its beginnings, the Boy Scouts of America had a strong foundation of woodcraft, nature study, and conservation. Many activities in Scouting come from activities of Native Americans. Many of the principles that Scouts uphold, come from the conservation ethics of early founders, in particular Ernest Thompson Seton and Daniel Carter Beard. (meritbadge.org)
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First Aid* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 1 and 2d Caring for injured or ill persons until they can receive professional medical care — is an important skill for every Scout. With some knowledge of first aid, a Scout can provide immediate care and help to someone who is hurt or who becomes ill. First aid can help prevent infection and serious loss of blood. It could even save a limb or a life. (meritbadge.org)
Golf Class Periods – AM Only Pre-Requisites – 8 & Bring Clubs if you have them Golf is unique because the players police themselves. Other sports depend upon referees or umpires to apply penalties when there are infractions of the rules. In golf, every player is expected to act honorably, and the welfare and integrity of the game rely on every player's honesty. This is why golf often is referred to as a "gentleman's game."
Personal Fitness* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 1, 8 Personal fitness is an individual effort and desire to be the best one can be. Regardless of their current levels of personal fitness, in the twelve weeks it will take Scouts to complete the athletic requirements for this merit badge, they will be in better shape, feel better about themselves, have more energy, and gain self-confidence in their overall abilities. Personal Management* Class Periods – All day Pre-Requisites – 1b, 1c2, 2a, 8c Personal management is about mapping a plan for your life that will involve setting short-range and long-range goals and investigating different ways to reach those goals. Education, training, and experience all help make your goals become a reality. To achieve your goals, you will choose the best path and make a commitment to it, while remaining flexible enough to deal with changes and new opportunities. (meritbadge.org)
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MERIT BADGE REQUIREMENTS & MBC PRE-REQUISITE REQUIREMENTS Because many merit badges have requirements that involve time consuming activities, such as
maintaining a record over a period of time, visiting some type of facility, writing a report, talking to a group of adults or Scouts, attending a city council meeting etc., it is obvious we could not accomplish completion of these merit badges in a single day at MBC. Therefore, achievement of any merit badge requires completion of some requirements, independently, outside of MBC. These requirements are identified as the “prerequisite requirements.”
Prerequisite requirements consist primarily of requirements (selected by the MBC Committee) that cannot be completed in a single day at MBC. By completing these requirements for your selected merit badges, prior to attendance at MBC, a Scout ensures full completion of the merit badge during the MBC program. You will note that most of the merit badges are focused on those types of activities that Scouts do not obtain at Summer Camp. (The badges largely pertain to a great extent outdoor activity.) The goal of MBC is to provide a means for you to assist your Scouts in their advancement activities throughout the year, as opposed to principally during the summer at Summer Camp. It is emphasized, however, that the achievement of a merit badge by a Scout is a measure of the Scout’s own initiative in advancing towards the rank of Eagle. It is part of his character development. At MBC we recognize this and so, merit badges are not just arbitrarily awarded because a Scout attends MBC. Every Scout must earn his merit badges by completing all of the specified requirements. Scouts failing to complete all of the requirements have not earned the merit badge and at MBC are given partial completions. Under these circumstances, it is up to the Scout, on his own initiative, to complete what he has started. Although past MBC events have experienced excellent completion rates, we are still experiencing too many "partial” badges. The reason for this is primarily the failure of the Scout to complete the prerequisite work. You as the Scoutmaster can help your Scouts by establishing an activities program in your troop,, along with Standard Scouting activities, that promotes the opportunity for Scouts to work towards their advancement. Depending on the nature of the requirements, Scouts are required to bring documentation with them to MBC that demonstrates that they have satisfactorily preformed the requirement. For example: if the requirement specifies they prepare a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, then they should bring the notebook with them to MBC. The completion of these types of requirements should be initialed and dated by the Scoutmaster on the merit badge blue card. Although not specifically a requirement, the manual entitled “Boy Scout Requirements” states: You should read the merit badge pamphlet. The MBC Committee strongly concurs with this statement and recommends that All Scouts read the merit badge pamphlet for each merit badge attempted prior to attending MBC. Please help your Scouts receive the maximum benefit from MBC. Encourage them to read the pamphlets for the courses that they attempt. LIMITATIONS ON CLASS SPACE – REGISTRATION “FIRST COME FIRST SERVE” MBC 2017 is featuring 6 merit badges plus Adult Merit Badge Counselor Training. Because we do have liability and safety limitations placed on us, we are forced to set limits on the number of Scouts that can be accepted into a classroom. Due to the large attendance at MBC, we continue to set strict limits on class sizes. For this reason, troops are urged to submit pre-registration forms and payment as soon as possible. Scouts will be logged into the requested classes on a “first come – first served” basis. Troops who register late may find that the desired courses have already been filled and that few or no alternate courses are available. BE PREPARED—PRE-REGISTER EARLY! The MBC Committee will make every effort to accept all Scouts and to accommodate everyone… However, WHEN A CLASS IS FULL, REGISTRATION FOR THAT CLASS WILL BE CLOSED. NO EXCEPTIONS!
MAXIMUM CAPACITY WILL BE 10 Scouts & 2 Adults (minimum) with All Classes Filled.
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Tuition The cost for this MBC will be $10.00 for all merit badges. This fee covers that cost of the merit badge course(s) and a New MBC Patch for each registered Scout. The determination of the total troop fee is calculated using the enclosed pre-registration form.
Pre-Registration In order to pre-register you Scouts, you must complete the enclosed form. Instructions for Completing the Pre-Registration Form. 1. Please fill in the name of an adult positioned leader (Scoutmaster, Committee Member, or etc), Troop
number, mailing address (For mailing blue cards), Telephone number including area code and e-mail address.
2. Arrange registered scouts in Alphabetical order. Please use complete names, last name first of each scout attending MBC.
3. To accommodate course choice please have each scout choose at least 3 merit badges and indicate each choice in order of preference: 1, 2 & 3… 1 being the first choice and 3 being the last choice of merit badge.
4. In the Amount Due column insert $$$ for each Scout based on the badge selected. Fees are $10.00 for all merit badges.
5. Once you have entered the fee for each Scout, the Amount Due Column should be totaled at the bottom of the page.
Important: Please make a copy of the registration sheet if you have more Scouts than available spaces on the sheet and carry the totals to the next page. Be sure all Troop information is filled out on each sheet. 6. After completing the form, please make two copies for your records. Send the original along with your
check to:
Greater Tampa Bay Area Council - MBSC 2017 Boy Scouts of America 11046 Johnson Blvd Seminole, FL 33772
Make all checks payable to GTBAC – BSA for the total amount due as determined from your pre-registration form.
Closing Date (Deadline for Pre-Registration) The Closing Date for receipt of pre-registration forms and payments is September 9th.
Course Changes
In the past, Scouts who are pre-registered have been permitted to change courses on the day of MBC. Due to the large number of Scouts that now attend the event, CHANGES ARE NOT PERMITTED AT MBC. Because of the number of Scouts being registered and the limited number of classroom spaces available for each course, it is required that each Scout pre-register for this event. ONCE A SCOUT PRE-REGISTERS, NO CHANGES CAN BE MADE TO THE COURSE CHOICES. Scoutmasters are requested to instruct their Scouts that the merit badges they select through pre-registration will be the merit badges that they will be assigned by the MBC Committee. The merit badge assignments for each Troop will be emailed to the Scoutmasters soon after pre-registration so that those Scouts will know which merit badge course they will be attempting at MBC.
Refunds Because of the strict class size limitations, tuition for Scouts who are pre-registered but fail to attend will not be refunded. Refunds will only be given if the selected courses were closed at the time pre-registration was received and no alternatives were available. Under this circumstance, the paid tuition will be refunded to the troop by credit to the troop’s account.
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Final Registration Final registration will take place on the day of the event. On the day of the event (9/16/2017), you are requested to bring one copy of your registration form that you submitted for pre-registration. Scoutmasters are instructed to present that copy of their form. In return they will get their packet that will include: Scout nametags with course and classroom assignments and MBC Patches for each scout. All Scouts need to be pre-registered and tuition needs to be pre-paid. WALK UP REGISTRATION will NOT be accepted!
Merit Badge Blue Cards At registration, Scoutmasters should present filled out blue cards for each course for his Scouts who are registered. The cards should be completely filled out with Scout’s name, address, city, and troop number, district, council and merit badge information. Do not fill in any requirement information unless to verify a completed pre-requisite. Please make sure that you have enough blue cards for all your Scouts as only a limited amount will be available at the registration desk for emergencies only at a cost of $1 per card.
Important MBC Changes for Lunches All Scouts are to bring their own lunch and drink and each troop will need to provide coolers for their own
troop lunches. In the past we have provided coolers for storage and drinks for the scouts…DUE TO RESOURCE ISSUES WE ARE UNABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COOLERS AND DRINKS. Water coolers and cups will be available but not the flavored drinks as in the past. Please make sure your troop leadership has cooler space for all your scouts’ and adults’ lunches.
Uniforms All Scouts are to be in a Class A or Field uniform for attendance at MBC.
Program Times
A draft copy of the planned program is attached. It is subject to revision as necessary prior to MBC. Registration will begin promptly at 7:00am and last until approximately 8:00am. The MBC event will conclude with closing ceremonies at 4:30pm. Blue cards for merit badges will be returned in a few weeks after MBC to the Scoutmasters in the mail. ALL SCOUTS AND SCOUTMASTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REMAIN UNTIL AFTER THE CLOSING CEREMONY PROGRAM IS COMPLETE. Scouts are required to police/clean the area following closing ceremony and may depart for home once clean-up is complete.
Youth Protection All Scoutmasters are advised that all rules governing Scout Youth Protection will be observed during MBC. Scouts coming together as a troop must have adequate adult leadership to comply with the Youth Protection Guidelines.
Adult Volunteers As always, during this event we will be in need of adult volunteers to assist with various tasks, including Merit Badge Clerks. We will need a minimum of 20 adult volunteers for clerks and other functions. Scoutmasters are asked to instruct any adult volunteers willing to serve as merit badges clerks, assistant counselors, or as classroom chaperones to contact either Brad Luther (727)433-2801 or Mary Luther (727)-384-2801. With your help and cooperation this will be a very successful MBC 2017! Yours in Scouting, Brad Luther, Mary Luther Co-Chairpersons, MBC
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Greater Tampa Bay Area Council BOY SCOUT MERIT BADGE SKYWAY COLLEGE
Riviera United Methodist Church (September 16, 2017)
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Time Activity and Location 7:00 – 7:50AM TBA 7:50 – 8:00AM Scouts seated in auditorium according to AM merit badge
schedule 8:00 – 8:20AM Opening Ceremony Call to Attention Presentation of Colors ? Invocation and Welcomes Introduction of MBSC Staff Announcements 8:20 – 8:30AM Scouts walk with Counselors to designated classrooms 8:30 – 11:45AM AM Merit Badges Sessions 11:45 – 12:45PM Lunch for all Scouts and Adults 12:45 – 1:00PM Scouts assemble in auditorium according to PM Merit Badge
schedule. 1:00 – 1:15PM Scouts walk with Counselors to designated classrooms 1:15 – 4:15PM PM Merit Badge Sessions 4:15 – 4:30PM Scouts assemble in Auditorium for Closing Ceremony 4:30 – 4:45PM Review of MBC, Closing Ceremony 4:45 – 5:00PM Clean up Facility*
* Scouts are required to police/clean the area following closing ceremony and may depart for home once clean-up is complete.
