Hey, there's a new merit badge for 2006. Composite Materials is now available. This is another high tech career merit badge. To find out a bit about composite materials, you can google it and see there are about 2 million hits - ouch! Or, the page at this Australian site has some good info.

Also, a bunch of the existing merit badges have had requirement changes in the past year. Scouts and merit badge counselors should check the requirements before forging ahead with what they always did in the past. (I'm working on updating the worksheets here now)

Finally, there's a new requirement for First Class rank advancement...
#11: Tell someone who is eligible to join Boy Scouts, or an inactive Boy Scout, about your troop's activities. Invite him to a troop outing, activity, service project or meeting. Tell him how to join, or encourage the inactive Boy Scout to become active.

If scouts have not earned their First Class rank by June 30, they will be required to include this new task.

The new requirement fits well with what I've been 'preaching' to scouts for the last couple years. We can't take Webelos for granted - they may not advance on to our troop. A first year scout needs to invite a friend that hasn't been in cub scouts to join his patrol. It is a perfect time for a new boy to get involved because it is all new for the cub scouts moving on also.

I also see this requirement as another opportunity for older scouts to teach effective communication skills and better understanding of the joining process for everyone.

Scout On
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