Monthly Archives: June 2010

During our trip to Kartchner Caverns we watched a 15-minute video about how and why the cave became a State park. The founders talked about their reasons for wanting to protect it. They talked about their sense of responsibility to protect their beautiful Xanadu from the unfortunate fate of other caves, like this one:

It was an inspiring film. My 10-year-old was particularly touched by it. It was an unexpected opportunity to reinforce the values of individual responsibility toward ourselves, others and our world.

I’ve recently come to appreciate the fact that film is a powerful way to reach children. In an upcoming post, I’ll share which recently-released movie became the basis for a Family Home Evening lesson.

Meanwhile, because this is what I do, here’s  a scouting requirement that capitalizes on the power of movies (and would make a great FHE as well):

Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge requirement 5: “With the approval of your counselor and a parent, watch a movie that shows how the actions of one individual or group of individuals can have a positive effect on a community. Discuss with your counselor what you learned from the movie about what it means to be a valuable and concerned member of the community. Some suggestions:
Follow Me, Boys (G)
It’s a Wonderful Life (G)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (G)
Remember the Titans (PG)
October Sky (PG)
Mr. Holland’s Opus (PG)
Hoosiers (PG)
Pay It Forward (PG13)
Braveheart (R)
The Patriot (R)”

As an LDS mom, I’m thankful BSA made things easy on me by including the ratings right there in the text.

Anyone know of any other movies that would be good for this requirement?

Just about every parent has heard the horror stories: young scouts who get injured, lost or even die while on scouting trips. For that reason (along with others), hiking trips and overnight camping can be a concern for parents of young scouts.

Here’s my two cents on the matter.

Don’t rely on leaders alone to keep your child safe, particularly if your son is in an LDS troop where the leader may or may not have the experience, knowledge and skill you may like him to have.

Take it upon yourself to sit down with your son and go over the basics.

A great place to start is by helping him earn the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge. This merit badge covers first aid, recognizing signs of heat exhaustion, what to do if lost, surviving different climates and more. It’s a great all-encompassing overview of wilderness survival.

Get the merit badge booklet for this one. There’s valuable information in there for both of you. Don’t just go over it once and consider it done either. See if your son still remembers the material a few weeks later.

If you don’t know what your son should be taking with him on these trips (many parents don’t), ask the leader so you can teach your son how to be properly prepared.

Secondly, go over the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide [link opens the official PDF file].This is something you’ve seen before if your son was in Cub Scouts. It’s a requirement for every Cub Scout rank and is part of the requirements for the first Boy Scout rank, Scout.

Teach your son how to protect himself from abuse no matter the source (leaders, other boys or what have you). Give him the confidence to say “NO!” and reassure him that it’s safe to come to you with any problems or concerns he may have.

Do this even if you have complete faith and trust in the leaders and boys your son will be spending time with.

The point of this post is not to be an alarmist. Things do happen, but I have found that when I feel that my child and I are both as prepared and informed as we can be, I’m more comfortable with the situation.

A little praying doesn’t hurt either.

Going and Coming by Norman Rockwell

Get your scouts out and about, bring the family along, and get a few scouting requirements done at the same time. Or just use this list for ideas for your next family vacation, even if you don’t have boy scouts under your roof.

As for me, I’d love to do a little geocaching this summer!

Click if you missed my other list of Summertime Fun Activities. Since there are 126 merit badges, and BSA is big on the great outdoors, I decided to put the merit badges in their own post. I’ve saved you some hunting and narrowed it down to the 37 merit badges with possible activities for your next family vacation.

Now get packing.

The American Heritages Merit Badge involves picking “THREE groups that have different racial, cultural, national, or ethnic backgrounds, one of which comes from your own background.” The following two requirements could give you ideas for a family activity, but keep in mind that if you have a boy scout and he wants to do both to help fulfill requirements for this merit badge, he must use a different group for each requirement. Requirement 1a: “Go to a festival, celebration, or other event identified with one of the groups. Report on what you see and learn. ” Requirement 1e: “Go to a library or museum to see a program or exhibit featuring one group’s traditions. Report on what you see and learn. ”

American Heritage Merit Badge requirement 4e: “Visit a historic trail or walk in your area. After your visit, share with your counselor what you have learned. Discuss the importance of this location and explain why you think it might qualify for National Register listing.”

The Animal Science Merit Badge includes requirements to visit a farms or ranches for beef cattle, dairy, horses, sheep, hogs or poultry, depending on which option you’re working on.

Archeology Merit Badge requirement 4c: “Visit an archaeological site and learn about it.”

Art Merit Badge requirement 4: “With your parent’s permission and your counselor’s approval, visit a museum, art exhibit, art gallery, artists’ co-op, or artist’s workshop. Find out about the art displayed or created there. Discuss what you learn with your counselor.”

Astronomy Merit Badge requirement 9a: “Visit a planetarium or astronomical observatory. Submit a written report, a scrapbook, or a video presentation afterward to your counselor that includes the following information: activities occurring there, exhibits and displays you saw, telescopes and instruments being used, celestial objects you observed.”

Aviation Merit Badge requirement 4c: “Visit an aviation museum or attend an air show. Report on your impressions of the museum or show.”

Get the whole family in shape by helping your scout with his Hiking Merit Badge. For the heavy-duty version of hiking, boys can complete the Backpacking Merit Badge. (Are you up for it Mom and Dad?)

Another outing that requires a bit more focus than your typical hike is a bird-watching trip. If you’re interested, check out the Bird Study Merit Badge.

Or put your adventure on wheels. Cycling Merit Badge requirement 8: “Avoiding main highways, take two rides of 10 miles each, two rides of 15 miles each, and two rides of 25 miles each. You must make a report of the rides taken. List dates, routes traveled, and interesting things seen. ” (Now, I know there are families out there fit and active enough to do some of these rides as a family activity. Right? If you’re one of them, please let me know. Give this former couch potato some hope.)

FYI, you might think the Camping Merit Badge to be an obvious choice, but most the requirements need to be fulfilled while camping with the troop, not the boy’s family. Family camping trips (aside from being a great vacation in general) are still a good place to reinforce and test your scout’s knowledge of camping skills though.

If you like watersports, check out the requirements for the Canoeing Merit Badge and have your scout demonstrate how to launch a canoe, perform the various strokes, etc. There’s also a Rowing Merit Badge, Motorboating Merit Badge,  Small Boat Sailing Merit Badge, and Water Sports Merit Badge.

Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge requirement 4 involves completing TWO of the following four options:

1. Visit a place that is listed as a National Historic Landmark or that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Tell your counselor what you learned about the landmark or site and what you found interesting about it.
2. Tour your state capitol building or the U.S. Capitol. Tell your counselor what you learned about the capitol, its function, and the history.
3. Tour a federal facility. Explain to your counselor what you saw there and what you learned about its function in the local community and how it serves this nation.
4. Choose a national monument that interests you. Using books, brochures, the Internet (with your parent’s permission), and other resources, find out more about the monument. Tell your counselor what you learned, and explain why the monument is important to this country’s citizens.

Citizenship in the World Merit Badge requirement 7e: “Participate in or attend an international event in your area, such as an ethnic festival, concert, or play.”

Coin Collecting Merit Badge requirement 10a: “Tour a U.S. Mint facility, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing facility, a Federal Reserve bank, or a numismatic museum or exhibit, and describe what you learned to your counselor.”

Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge requirement 4: “Visit TWO of the following locations and take notes about the accessibility to people with disabilities. In your notes, give examples of five things that could be done to improve upon the site and five things about the site that make it friendly to people with disabilities. Discuss your observations with your counselor. [Options are] your school, your place of worship, your Scout camping site and a public exhibit or attraction (such as a theater, museum, or park)”

Naturally, the Fishing Merit Badge and Fly Fishing Merit Badge are great options. Even if you don’t have the skill or desire to walk your scout through all the details of reels, knots and bait, you can still provide the opportunity to catch a fish or two. (Both merit badges require catching two fish; one that’s caught and released and one that’s cooked and cleaned.)

Forestry Merit Badge requirement 5a: “Visit a managed public or private forest area with its manager or a forester familiar with it. Write a brief report describing the type of forest, the management objectives, and the forestry techniques used to achieve the objectives.”

The above is one of a few options for requirement 5 and not mandatory for the merit badge. If you’re going to be in the forest this summer, with or without a forest manager, take a look at requirements 1 and 2 of the Forestry Merit Badge which involve keeping a field notebook and collecting samples. A great camping activity.

Another great opportunity for field work during a camping trip is the Nature Merit Badge.

A very cool option, new this year, is the Geocaching Merit Badge.

Geology Merit Badge, Earth History Option requirement 5a: “Visit a science museum or the geology department of a local university that has fossils on display. With your parent’s and counselor’s approval, before you go, make an appointment with a curator or guide who can show you how the fossils are preserved and prepared for display.”

Indian Lore Merit Badge requirement 1: “Give the history of one American Indian tribe, group, or nation that lives or has lived near you. Visit it, if possible. Tell about traditional dwellings, way of life, tribal government, religious beliefs, family and clan relationships, language, clothing styles, arts and crafts, food preparation, means of getting around, games, customs in warfare, where members of the group now live, and how they live.” and 2d: “Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Discuss them with your counselor. Identify at least ten artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use.”

Mammal Study Merit Badge requirement 4e: “Visit a natural history museum. Report on how specimens are prepared and cataloged. Explain the purposes of museums.”

Music Merit Badge requirement 3a: “Attend a live performance, or listen to three hours of recordings from any two of the following musical styles: blues, jazz, classical, country, bluegrass, ethnic, gospel, musical theater, opera. Describe the sound of the music and the instruments used. Identify the composers or songwriters, the performers, and the titles of the pieces you heard. If it was a live performance, describe the setting and the reaction of the audience. Discuss your thoughts about the music.”

Plant Science Merit Badge Horticulture Option requirement 1: “Visit one of the following places and tell what you learned about horticulture there: public garden, arboretum, retail nursery, wholesale nursery, production greenhouse, or conservatory greenhouse.” and Field Botany Option requirement 6.d.i: “Write ahead and arrange to visit an herbarium at a university, park, or botanical garden; OR, visit an herbarium Web site (with your parent’s permission).”

Pottery Merit Badge requirement 7b: “Visit a museum, art exhibit, art gallery, artists’ co-op, or artist’s studio that features pottery. After your visit, share with your counselor what you have learned.”

Railroading Merit Badge Railfanning Option requirement 1: “Visit a railroad museum, historical display, or a prototype railroad-sponsored public event. With permission, photograph, videotape, or sketch items of interest. Explain what you saw and describe your photos, sketches, or videotape.” or 2: “Purchase tickets and ride a scenic or historic railroad. Under supervision, photograph the equipment and discuss with your counselor the historic significance of the operation.” or 4: “Plan a trip by rail between two points. Obtain a schedule and explain when the train should arrive at two intermediate points. Purchase the tickets and make the trip. Explain to your counselor what you saw.”

If you like to go shooting, check out the Rifle Shooting Merit Badge which includes options for rifle shooting, air rifle shooting (bb or pellet) and muzzleloading rifle shooting. There’s also a Shotgun Shooting Merit Badge.

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge requirement 4b: “Write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.* Obtain information about this facility. Give a short report on what you think the role of this museum is in the Scouting program. *If you visit the BSA’s national traveling tour, Adventure Base 100, in 2010, you may use this experience to fulfill requirement 4b. Visit www.adventurebase100.org (with your parent’s permission) for the schedule and for more information.”

Time to pack up the family for a little road trip.

As promised in my Xanadu post, here’s a list of requirements from the various programs that may blend well with (or inspire) your family summer plans.

Well, this is part one. There are so many possibilities with merit badges alone that I scooted them into their own post, coming up later today.

If you’re specifically looking for outdoor activities (camping and more), check out my Before You Go Camping post for a succinct list of requirements for Cub and Boy Scouts.

Possible summertime-fun requirements:

Faith in God Serving Others requirement 7: “Plan and hold a parent-child activity, such as a dinner, picnic, hike, day trip, or service project.”

Faith in God Developing Talents requirement 5: “Visit an art museum or attend a concert, play, or other cultural event. Share your experience with your family or activity day group. ”

Tiger Scout requirement 1G: “Go to a library, historical society, museum, old farm, or historical building, or visit an older person in your community.  Discover how family life was the same and how it was different many years ago.”

Tiger Scout elective 22: “With your family or with your den, have a picnic — indoors or outdoors.”

Tiger Scout elective 41: “Visit a train station, bus station, airport or boat dock.”

Tiger Scout elective 42: “Visit a zoo or aquarium.”

Wolf Scout requirement 10c: “Plan a walk. Go to a park or a wooded area, or visit a zoo or museum with your family.” and 10f: “Attend a concert, a play, or other live program with your family.”

Wolf Scout elective 18a: “Help plan and hold a picnic with your family or den.” and 18b: “With an adult, help plan and run a family or den outing.”

If you like to fish, check out the six fishing activities for Wolf Scout elective 19 Fishing.

Likewise for the Cub Scout Fishing Belt Loop and Pin.

Wolf Scout elective 23h: “With your den or pack or family, participate in a worship service outdoors.”

Bear Scout requirement 3d: “Find out where places of historical interest are located in or near your town or city. Go and visit one of them with your family or den.” (Great for the Stay-cation!”)

Bear Scout requirement 5d: “Visit one of the following: Zoo, Nature center, Aviary, Wildlife refuge, Game preserve.”

Bear Scout requirement 9e: “Make some trail food for a hike.” and 9g: “With an adult, cook something outdoors.”

Bear Scout requirement 10a: “Go on a day trip or evening out with members of your family.”

More camping, hiking, picnic-ing and outdoor fun options in the five requirements for Bear Scout requirement 12: Family Outdoor Adventure.

Bear Scout elective 1c: “Visit a planetarium.”

Bear Scout elective 5a: “Help an adult rig and sail a real boat. (Wear your PFD.)”

Bear Scout elective 9b: “Visit an art museum or picture gallery with your den or family.”

Bear Scout elective 15c: “Visit a burned-out forest or prairie area, or a slide area, with your den or your family. Talk to a soil and water conservation officer or forest ranger about how the area will be planted and cared for so that it will grow to be the way it was before the fire or slide”

Bear Scout elective 16d: “With your family or den, visit a livestock exhibit at a county or state fair.”

Bear Scout elective 23e: “Mark a map showing the way to a place you would like to visit that is at least 50 miles from your home.”

Webelos Scout Family Member activity badge requirement 8: “Tell what your family does for fun. Make a list of fun things your family might do for little or no cost. Plan a family fun night.”

It would be easy to earn the Webelos Scout Traveler activity badge while on a family trip. Be sure to leave some time beforehand for your scout to help map and plan the trip.

Webelos Scout Geologist activity badge requirement 8: “Take a field trip to a geological site, geological laboratory, or rock show. Discuss what you learned at your next Webelos den meeting.”

Webelos Scout Naturalist activity badge requirement 4: “Visit a museum of natural history, nature center, or zoo with your family, Webelos den, or pack. Tell what you saw.”

For several camping and hiking activities, including helping to pitch a tent and cook outdoor meals, see the Webelos Outdoorsman activity badge.

Webelos Aquanaut activity badge requirement 6: “With an adult on board, show that you know how to handle a rowboat.”

Cub Scout Art Pin requirement 1: “Visit an art museum, gallery, or exhibit. Discuss with an adult the art you saw.”

Cub Scout Astronomy Pin requirement 6: “Visit an observatory or a planetarium. Give a report on what you learned to your den.” (If you do this, see if you can talk to an astronomer to fulfill requirement 5.)

Cub Scout Citizenship Pin requirement 10: “Attend a community event or visit a landmark in your community.”

Cub Scout Collecting Belt Loop requirement 3: “Visit a show or museum that displays different collections.”

Cub Scout Communicating Pin requirement 12: “While traveling, make a list of road signs, animals, or license plates that you see.”

If you’re going on a family trip, be sure to check out the requirements for the Cub Scout Family Travel Belt Loop and Pin.

Cub Scout Geology Pin requirement 11: “Visit a mine, oil or gas field, gravel pit, stone quarry, or similar area of special interest related to geology.” Visiting with a geologist fulfills requirement 12. If you go to a cave, have your scout complete requirement 13: “Draw the inside of a cave showing the difference between stalactites and stalagmites.”

Cub Scout Heritages Pin requirement 2: “Attend a family reunion.” In fact, if you do this you may want to read through the requirements for the Heritages Belt Loop and Pin.

Cub Scout Music Pin requirement 6: “Attend a live musical performance or concert.”

Cub Scout Nutrition Pin requirement 11: “Visit a farm or ranch. Talk with the owner about how the farm or ranch produces food for families.” (We have an olive farm nearby that features a restaurant where you can eat freshly-baked bread and olive oil. Oh yeah baby. That’s nutritional, right?)

Cub Scout Photography Pin requirement 8: “Visit an art exhibit that features photography. Write a list of some of the things you saw and felt during your visit.”

Cub Scout Science Belt Loop requirement 3: “Visit a museum, a laboratory, an observatory, a zoo, an aquarium, or other facility that employs scientists. Talk to a scientist about his or her work.”

Cub Scout Wildlife Pin requirement 1: “Visit a wildlife sanctuary, nature center, or fish hatchery.” and 7: “Visit with a person who works in wildlife conservation, such as a park ranger, biologist, range manager, geologist, horticulturist, zookeeper, fishery technician, or conservation officer.” and 8: “Visit a state park or national park.”

Cub Scout Bicycling Pin requirement 7: “Go on a “bicycle hike” with your family or den. Obey traffic rules related to bicycling.” and 9: “Visit a bicycle race or exhibition.”

If you go hiking, check out the Cub Scout Hiking Belt Loop and Pin, just released this year.

Another new one, great for summer activities, is the Cub Scout Horseback Riding Belt Loop and Pin.

If you do any outdoor activities, check out the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award, a special award that’s fun to earn and can be earned again in each successive year of Cub Scouting.

Boy Scout Second Class rank requirement 1b: “Using a compass and map together, take a five-mile hike (or 10 miles by bike) approved by your adult leader and your parent or guardian. (If you use a wheelchair or crutches, or if it is difficult for you to get around, you may substitute ‘trip’ for ‘hike’ in this requirement)”

Boy Scout First Class rank requirement 2: “Using a compass, complete an orienteering course that covers at least one mile and requires measuring the height and/or width of designated items (tree, tower, canyon, ditch, etc.).”

**Look for Merit Badges in an upcoming post**

Duty to God Deacon – Educational, Personal and Career Development requirement 6: “Attend a cultural event such as a church, school, or community play, music program, or musical.”

Kubla Kahn in the Throne Room at Kartchner Caverns

As part of our summer adventures this year, we took a trip to Kartchner Caverns south of Tucson in Arizona. Discovered by Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts in 1974 and kept a secret until 1988 to protect the cave from pilferers and vandals, Kartchner Caverns is now a State Park and a true delight.

Not only does it boast awe-inspiring formations in a series of impressive caves, this is a living cave. That means water still seeps through crevices, drips from stalactites and sometimes floods the muddy floor of the Rotunda Room.

This cave is still a work in progress (though we’d have to live a very long time to notice the changes) and it’s delicate environment requires a high level of protection.

Touch a nearby formation and you’ve stunted it’s growth forever. The process of growing layer upon microscopic layer of calcium deposits doesn’t work when the oil from human hands enters the equation.

Even lint from our clothing can be a problem. Airborne lint clings to the cave wall and offers a place for algae growth. Very rapid algae growth.

So my boys and I went down the corridor through three vault-style doors (to protect the interior of the moist cave from the dry Arizona air), walked through misters so lint wouldn’t fly off our clothes, and diligently kept our hands to ourselves and the railings in spite of the don’t-I-look-like-so-much-fun-to-touch formations we passed.

Fortunately for us, there’s a replica in the Discovery Center where we can feel to our heart’s delight:

Where does Xanadu come in?

The founders of these caverns needed a code word so they could discuss their find in public without betraying their secret. A friend, majoring in English, referred them to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan” (or “A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment”).

The poem begins:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree

Thus their secret cave became Xanadu. After many months exploring Xanadu, Tenen and Tufts came over a ridge within the cave and discovered a vast inner room with a massive column in the center.

The young men began to giggle.

If this was Xanadu, then this was surely the King’s throne room and there in the center was Kubla Khan himself.

The highlight of this tour was the final light and music show in the Throne Room. Our tour guide called it rock music (har har) but really it was the inspiring Adiemus. Magnificent.

Or, as my 8-year-old son declared, “That was the most awesomest tour ever!”

Well put.

If you’ll be in the area this summer (or any time, really) I highly suggest a visit. If you’d like to see what’s closer to home, check out this directory of caves across the United States.

Don’t forget, visiting a State or National Park isn’t just a fun family adventure. It’s scout-friendly too. I was going to list some requirements to keep in mind as you make your summer plans, but that list got to be a tad long. So that’ll be in it’s own post, up next.

The requirements for the new inventing merit badge are here! Now, I’ve been pretty curious about this one. The only new merit badge I’ve been anticipating more is robotics (cuz that just sounds cool!).  But how do you make a merit badge out of inventing?

Here’s how.

Take one dose of the history of invention.

Add two cups invention terminology (can we say “patent infringement”?).

Stir in a little spin on camping (if there’s going to be a way to put camping into an inventing merit badge, the BSA is going to find it).

Lastly, dump in a whole bunch of daring and gusto by creating your own invention.

In the end you have a fabulous new creation that’s going to change the world!!

Okay, maybe not.

If nothing else, you’ll have an appreciation for history’s great inventors and maybe a little guidance and inspiration in case you have a new idea yourself.

Has anyone built the Automatic House Cleaning Machine yet? Cuz you can put me down for one of those, for sure.

(Click for a complete list of the requirements for the Inventing Merit Badge.)

The English version of the new Duty to God booklets are on their way to wards and branches as we speak. Yippee! They should arrive in the next couple of weeks. An interactive version will go live on the Church’s website sometime this month.

I’ll get the America Jane database updated as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, I’ll keep you apprised of any new information.

Rest in peace, dear modem.

Is it just me or is it ironic that just a few days after blogging about the perils of the digital age my modem died and I went a week without the Internet?

On the one hand it was a terrible inconvenience. On the other, it was nice not to be bothered by it. I did miss my America Jane blog, though, so I’m definitely returning to the virtual world.

And a week’s worth of missed emails. Oy vey.

James M. (Jimmy) Stewart

Faith in God:

Learning and Living the Gospel requirement #4: “Read a recent conference address given by the prophet. Decide what you can do to follow the prophet, and do it.”

Duty to God:

Deacon Spiritual Development requirement #2: “Read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.” Review them with a parent or priesthood leader.”

Personal Progress:

Divine Nature requirement #2: “As a young woman you are blessed with divine feminine qualities. Increase your understanding of and appreciation for womanhood. Read Proverbs 31:10–31 and two talks on womanhood from a conference issue of the Church magazines. Review what “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”

Cub Scouts:

Webelos Family Member Activity Badge requirement #8: “Tell what your family does for fun. Make a list of fun things your family might do for little or no cost. Plan a family fun night.”

Boy Scouts:

Send away for the James M. Stewart Good Citizenship Award. This is a unique award that would be fun to work on, with some activities being appropriate for future Sundays. While not required, you could watch a Jimmy Stewart movie with your family. (Your kids do know who Jimmy Stewart is, right?)