REPOSTED FROM THE 'CURRENTS NEWSLETTER' Seneca Waterways Council, March 17, 2020

COVID-19 (coronavirus) is causing us to be even more resourceful and creative in how we keep the Scouting program going. Units may not be meeting as a group, but Scouts can continue to work on merit badges while they're home d uring Coronavirus outbreak.

• As always discuss your interests in a merit badge with your Scoutmaster before starting one.
• Most of these will require online research during this time so be sure you have completed your Cyber Chip first.
• Remember to always use a speaker phone when talking with a counselor with a parent present or copy parent or another leader into any emails you send regarding merit badges.
• Do not adopt or buy a pet/animal just to complete a merit badge if you don’t plan to keep it. Remember some requirements require supervision so ask a parent or counselor about these before you start.

From the PDF attached to the newsletter:

ADDED: Guids for Couselors and Scouts

No outside requirements:

• American Business
• Animation
• Basketry
• Collections
• Electricity
• Electronics
• Energy
• Entrepreneurship
• Family Life
• Fingerprinting
• Genealogy
• Home Repairs
• Model Design and Building
• Nature
• Painting
• Personal Fitness (requires MD visit but yearly physical would cover this)
• Personal Management
• Photography - but shots might be limited
• Plumbing
• Programming
• Reptile and Amphibian Study
• Wood Carving

Can be done with no outside requirements depending on options chosen:

• American Heritage - #2 Choose 2 options if you choose 2c it could be done over the phone, skype, or family members you can visit. #4 choose 2 options a & c could be done by online research if you choose 4b avoid visit or see if there are virtual tours available.4d would have to be done at a later date, 4e would have to be done at a later date
• Animal Science - depending on what type of farm visit you do it might have to occur at a later date, The Avian option has a option to do this through videos
• Archaeology - #7 choose 2 if you choose option A you will need to do at a later date, #8 choose 1 option A will have to be set for a future date, #9 choose 1 option A will have to be done at a later date
• Astronomy - #8 all options would have to be done at a future date
• Bird Study - If you have a variety of birds in your neighborhood/yard. #8 choose 1 option A would have to be at a later date
• Chemistry - #7 Choose 1 Option A, C, D would have to be at a later date
• Citizenship in the World - #7 choose 2 option c could be done online through email/skype etc, option d & e would have to be done at a later date
• Coin collecting - #10 choose 1 option d is the only one what can be done without being in the community, also might be hard to get all the coins needed if not going into the community but is possible
• Digital Technologies - #8 do two options d&c would have to be done at later date, #9 do one option b would have to be done at later date
• Drafting - #6 choose 1 option A would have to be done at a later date
• Emergency Preparedness - #7 work with councilor to figure out how to complete
• Leatherwork - #5 choose 1 option d would have to be done at a later date
• Moviemaking - #3 choose 1 option 1 would have to occur at a later date
• Nuclear Science - #3 choose 1 option A would have to be done at later date, #4 choose 2 option D would have to be done at a later date, #5 Choose 1 option c would have to be done at a later date
• Pets - #4 A & B might have to be done at a later date
• Pulp and Paper - #7choose 1 all options besides e would have to be done at a later date
• Railroading - #8 choose 1 option A could be done without outside exposure option b would require at least part to be done at a later date
• Reading - #4 could read to younger children if family, read to those listed over skype, or other method, record your own books/magazines and send to those listed, or can be done at a later time, check with your counselor on how you can meet this requirement
• Robotics - #6 choose 1 option A would have to be done later
• Safety - #4 would have to use photos or other options to complete or do at later date, #6 project should be home or talk with counselor about possible other locations that would be safe
• Sculpture - #2 choose 2 option c would have to be done later or possibly online tour
• Soil and Water Conservation - #7 Choose 2 option a would have to be done at later date
• Stamp Collecting - #7 choose 2 option b would have to be done at a later time
• Sustainability - Several options can include community but could be done without community
• Textile - #3 choose 2 option A would have to be done at a later date

Depending on counselor outside requirement might be ok to be done as on onlive virtual tour

• Art - #6 will have to be done at a later date or check with counselor about an online tour

Has a requirement that would have to he completed once safe to join community events

• American Labor - #2 would have to be done at a later date
• Bugling - could learn skills needed and then serve once meeting resume
• Composite materials - Work with councilor on how to set date and time for projects
• Cooking - camping and trail section to be done at a later date
• Dog care - #8 would have to be done at a later date
• Fire Safety - #10 B & C could possibly be done from home or at a future campout, #11 would have to be done at a later date
• Gardening - #5 would have to done at a later date
• Medicine - #7 Should be done when threat of exposure to illnesses are at a minimum
• Public Health (Might be an interesting one to do now) - #5 would have to be done at a later date
• Radio - #7 would have to be done at a later date, also might be had/expensive if family doesn't have the equipment need
• Signs, Signals, and Code - #7 would have to be done at a later date
• Soil and Water Conservation - #7 would have to be done at a later date
• Weather - #9 choose 1 option b would have to be done at a later time, #10 would have to be done at a later date

Nova and Supernova Awards

• Several Achievements could worked on during this time especially the 3 hours of reading or watching videos about the topic, Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award - requirements 1- 4 can be completed and #5 completed at a later date.

Various religious emblems could be worked on

58 Merit Badges Scouts can Complete at Home

Bryan on Scouting also posted an article on Merit badges for Social Distancing.  He references topics like:

• Reminder to follow Youth Protection guidelines and to review the Scouting's Barriers to Abuse.
• How to find a merit badge counselor.
• The list of 58 merit badges that he has compiled.