Updates to the Merit Badge Workbooks

I'm in the process of updating all of the current merit badge workbooks to a PDF format that will allow Scouts to type into the form and save their work (but not, of course, change the wording of the requirements).  I've got the Eagle required badges done, and a few others (the badges with names starting with "A", plus Game Design), and I have posted the ones I've completed to the USSSP site.  I'll continue  to work on  the rest over the next few weeks, and will post them in groups as I get them completed.

The PDFs have been tested successfully with the Adobe Acrobat Reader, the Foxit PDF Reader, and the Nuance PDF Reader.  Each of those programs are available as free downloads.

As part of the process, I have changed the PDFs visually by making most of the entry areas text boxes, instead of blank lines. I am also concurrently converting the source files from "doc" to "docx" format.  That substantially reduces the size of the files, but it will make them no longer usable to those with legacy (pre-2007) versions of Word or other word processors which do not support that file format.  There are, however, reader versions of Office 2010 and Office 2013 that can display, but not edit, them.

Please submit errors, omissions, comments or suggestions you feel appropriate, positive or negative, (such as "There needs to be more space for a response to requirement 3b(1)") about the format of any of the WORKBOOKS to: Workbooks@USScouts.Org

Comments or suggestions for changes to the wording of the requirements for any MERIT BADGE should be sent to the BSA merit badge team at: Merit.Badge@Scouting.Org

Copies of all of the workbooks we've developed (PDF format only) are also available on the Meritbadge.org website. (I'll upload the new versions to that site as soon as I can.) A few, like Game Design, are also available through the BSA's Scouting.org site. However, if you find copies on any other site, they have been placed there without our permission, and we would be grateful to be notified of those cases.  Please write us at Workbooks@USScouts.Org with the website address.  

After Ive done all the merit badge workbooks, I'll convert the other workbooks we've created (such as the ones for Cub Scout belt loops and pins, rank advancements, etc.) in a similar manner. Should keep me busy for a while.

KNOTS Cartoon for April

KNOTS Kayak Rolling April 2013

Baloo's Bugle for Health & Fitness and Cub Cafe on-line April 1

Baloo's Bugle for the Core Value - Health & Fitness and 

the supplemental theme - Cub Cafe 

is on-line as of April 1

Enjoy your month - 

Comments always welcome!

Game Design Merit Badge

BSA's latest new merit badge, GAME DESIGN, is now available for Scouts to earn.  BSA released the requirements for the new badge on March 6, 2013.

The US Scouting Service Project has posted a copy of the requirements, and a note to counselors from the merit badge pamphlet, along with a workbook we prepared (with some input from BSA staff) that Scouts can use to help organize their work, at http://usscouts.org/mb/mb151.asp Although the workbook can help, Scouts will also need to create a Game Design Notebook to document their work as they create a new game, test it with others, and make modifications as they continue development.

BSA is also distributing a flyer to publicize the new badge. The flyer includes the full text of the requirements. Click here to see a copy of the flyer.

Baloo's Bugle for March Roundtables and April Activities Is on-line

Baloo's Bugle for March Roundtables and April Activities
Is on-line

Core Value - Faith

Supplemental Theme - Cub Scouts Give Thanks

*Baloo's Bugle for March Roundtables with *
**Go to:* *www.usscouts.org/bbugle.asp
* * * Take a few minutes to read it and prep for your Scouting meetings (RTs, Den Meetings, Pack Meetings, and more) Have a great month!!
Dave
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Copyright - U.S. Scouting Service Project | Visit us at http://usscouts.org| News at http://usssp.blogspot.com

Baloo's Bugle for Compassion/ Planting Seeds of Kindness is on-line

Baloo's Bugle for February's Roundtables with 

March's core Value (Compassion) and 

Supplemental Theme (Planting Seeds of Kindness) 

is on-line!!

Go to:
www.usscouts.org/bbugle.asp 

Take a few minutes to read it and prep for your Scouting meetings (RTs, Den Meetings, Pack Meetings, and more)

Have a great month!!

Dave

2013 Boy Scout Requirements - Advancement Changes

The new 2013 BOY SCOUT REQUIREMENTS book has been shipped to Scout Shops nationwide, and has started to appear on the shelves.

Here is the list from the inside front cover of the booklet identifying the ranks and merit badges that have revisions this year:

Rank requirement changes:
Second Class — requirements 3e, 3f, and 3g.
First Class — requirement 4a.
Star — requirement 5.
Life — requirement 5.
Eagle — requirements 4 and 7.
Eagle Scout rank alternative requirements

Minor merit badge requirement updates:
Astronomy (3b, 9)
Automotive Maintenance (1, 8d)
Bird Study (7b)
Chess (3)
Citizenship in the Community (3a)
Communication (1a, 1b)
Composite Materials (1)
Dog Care (10)
Emergency Preparedness (2b)
Fire Safety (7c)
Fishing (1)
Gardening (1, 3, 6)
Hiking (5, 6)
Home Repairs (1, 6b)
Law (11)
Oceanography (8b)
Orienteering (6c)
Photography (3)
Safety (6, 7)
Wilderness Survival (1)
Wood Carving (1)

New merit badges:
Kayaking
Search and Rescue

The new merit badges were, of course, released during 2012, but are listed since they weren't in the 2012 edition of the booklet.

There are notes concerning the upcoming new Sustainability and revised Cooking merit badges and the future changes to the Eagle requirements in regard to those badges.  There are also a few other changes or additions which are not listed.

All of the changes have now been incorporated into various web page and workbooks on the USSSP site http://usscouts.org. The worksheets on usscouts.org now reflect the current requirements (but the old ones are still available as well for those who already started work).

My annual summary identifying all of the changes in detail is now available at these URLs:
http://usscouts.org/advance/changes/advchanges13.asp and
http://usscouts.org/advance/docs/AdvancementChanges2013.pdf

In addition to the new book, new merit badge pamphlets for Photography, Public Speaking, and Astronomy should be in the Scout Shops in the next week or two. The pamphlets for Photography and Astronomy include the requirements changes that are in the 2013 Boy Scout Requirements Book. (There are no requirements changes for Public Speaking - just new content).

Next up - in early March - will be the new Game Design merit badge.

There will also be a few more revised merit badge pamphlets in coming months, most  (but not all) with revisions to both content and requirements.

-- Yours in Scouting,
Paul S. Wolf, PE (Ret.), FITE       mailto:pwolf@usscouts.org
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Secretary, U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc.
http://www.usscouts.org
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