Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

http://boyslife.org/section/about-sc...rces/robotics/

It's launched.

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

Been waiting for a robotics merit badge forever but just quit this year because of the season interfering :( now they get one right after i quit :mad:

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

Everyone has to get out there and recruit robotics merit badge counselors now!

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

What would the counselor do? Would they be "on call" for troops to help with the badges? Is there anything special the counselor would have to do in order to help a troop?

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

I just filled out the papers for bing a counselor tonight. I was a little dissapointed that they promoted the 'www.robotevents.org' web site that is really Vex biased.

One interesting item... I went to the site this morning and it had a picture of a scout in class A uniform (including neckerchief) leaning over a robot (it appeared to be a 2010 design) and making repairs. However, his neckerchief was hanging into the robot waiting to get snagged by the mechanism! Major safety issue! :ahh: I wrote them on it and it appears that the picture was taken down this evening.

Enjoy!

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

I'm on the Robotics Merit Badge team. I hope it's not my picture. Was making a set of do's and don'ts photos that we decided not to use in the merit badge. Was the neckerchief red? Was there a pocket patch also hanging into the robot?

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

This is HUGE! Did not know that NASA was a part of this. Very cool!

The story below contains links to the requirements for obtaining the badge and a picture of the badge

NASA And Boy Scouts Of America Unveil New Merit Badge
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.rss.html?pid=33253

BTW - The new merit badge is one of 31 STEM-related merit badges that Scouts can earn.

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

A counselor is a mentor who supervises the scouts and certifies that they have satisfied all the necessary requirements for the particular badge.
You just follow the merit badge book and the explicit list of requirements.
There is a blue card that you use to keep track of which requirements have been finished in previous meetings, and that you sign to certify when they have completed all the necessary requirements for the badge. The scout should bring the blue card with them.

http://troop343.org/resources/MBCounselorGuide.pdf

To become a counselor you register with a local District/Council and then scouts from various local troops who want to pursue the badge will call you to arrange meetings. Your local District holds a merit badge fair occasionally where the work gets done in a larger group. If you are too busy you can say no, or delay meeting to a less hectic time. The scout has a list of counselors and they can move on to another one until they find someone who's available.
Although with a new badge the list of available counselors is likely to be quite short.

Badge work often takes place over several meetings. Typically, the scout does the work beforehand and presents/demonstrates it to the counselor. You discuss the work to explore their depth of understanding and enlighten/mentor them where they need support.
It's important to follow the badge requirements closely. A counselor doesn't add extra work or stint on the things they may consider less important.

The Council for Riverside is:

California Inland Empire Council
http://www.bsa-ciec.org

1230 Indiana Court
Redlands, CA, 92374
909-793-2463

Your local District (smaller than a Council) is Mt. Rubidoux and it covers Riverside, Jurupa, Pedley, Rubidoux, Mira Loma, and La Sierra.
They are having a merit badge fair this Saturday. You might drop by with some of your robotics friends to talk to them about the robotics merit badge:

APRIL MERIT BADGE FAIR:
When: Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: University of California at Riverside, Engineering Sciences Department
Badges: Electricity, Electronics, Computers

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

Yes it was a red neckerchief. I didn't notice if there was a pocket patch of not. As I said I received a nice reply later in the day thanking me for the information and then later that evening I looked and the full picture was not there, but a smaller horizontally cropped version was still shown in the later "resources" section.

http://boyslife.org/section/about-sc...rces/robotics/

My daughter saw the picture (on the FIRST team) and she immediately said "Wow that is bad!", so it is pretty obvious.

Enjoy!

Re: Robotics Merit Badge
 

The BSA has a new promotional video up on YouTube for this merit badge.