| Ever had a really great idea for a new merit badge? Always wanted to know who to talk
to or how to get your idea into the right hands? HERE'S HOW!
Subject: New Merit Badges? From: bec@nyc.pipeline.com (Bruce E. Cobern) Date: 1995/06/18 Newsgroups: rec.scouting In rec.scouting BZVN06A@prodigy.com (Eric Friedl) said: >Can anyone tell me the procedure for submitting new merit badge ideas to >the BSA National Council? Just send a letter with the description of the badge and your suggestions regarding requirements and the reasons why you feel there should be such a badge to T.J. Van Houten at the National Office. I should warn you, however, that he receives hundreds of suggestions each year. He has a ring book with all the suggested MB subjects that have been rejected. The appropriate committee reviews all of the suggestions every 2 years in preparation for the release of the new Requirements book. The odds are that they have already received your suggestion, whatever it is. When I was at the advancement seminar at Philmont in 1990 the entire class was hard pressed to come up with a suggestion that he had not already heard. I believe that Collections might have come out of that particular seminar. Good luck and keep us posted. -- Bruce E. Cobern Adv Ch, Founders District, Queens Council, NY
Thanks to Bruce Cobern for sharing this information with the Scouting community. To get in touch with the national office advancement committee in Texas, go to the National Boy Scouts of America Contacts page. I don't recommend calling simply because if you really want them to take notice of your idea, you'll want to document a little background research. Contact some professionals in a related field. Try to come up with some basic ideas about possible requirements. You may also want to contact your local library or university. Finally, don't expect overnight success. Like all bureaucracies, everything in Scouting has to "go through processing." If you know of other folks interested in your subject, get them to write letters in support of it as well. Good Luck! |
