Cub Scouts To Offer Merit Pin For Video Gaming 366
Hugh Pickens writes "Fox News reports that the Boy Scouts of America — a group founded on the principles of building character and improving physical fitness — have introduced merit pins for academic achievement in video gaming, a move that has child health experts atwitter. 'It could be quite visionary and exciting or it could be a complete sellout,' says Dr. Vic Strasburger. 'I don't see anything wrong with that as long as they're not playing first-person shooter games, violent games, games with a lot of sexual or drug content. The question is, who's going to supervise the scouts?' Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts can earn their pins by spending an hour a day playing games, teaching others how to play better, and researching the best price for games they'd like to buy."
Next: pins for first post. (Score:5, Funny)
n/t
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
The badge should show a boy in a scout uniform peeing a stream of snowflakes.
Why the censure? (Score:5, Funny)
I don't see anything wrong with that as long as they're not playing first-person shooter games, violent games, games with a lot of sexual or drug content.
Stop the censure! I grew up with duke nukem and it had no bad consequences.
And I'm all out of gum!
Re: (Score:2)
We are not training child soldiers... honest..
Oh yeah (Score:4, Interesting)
Oh yeah, because sitting on a chair and moving a mouse around so teaches one how to handle a real assault rifle, and for that matter so prepares one to sprint with 60 pounds of equipment.
Not to mention other valuable lessons. While those dumb Russkies and Chinese go like sheep and run at the enemy with a gun, as ordered, our brave NATO troops will be where it matters: camping an airstrip so they can fly an airplane into a hill ;)
I guess next thing you know they'll progress to other games, and the USA will have the first army who knows how to bunny-hop, grenade jump and spawn-camp. And woe to Osama once they learn where on the map are the BFG and quad damage ;)
Re: (Score:2)
Oh yeah, because sitting on a chair and moving a mouse around so teaches one how to handle a real assault rifle
Seriously, assault rifles have point-and-click interfaces. Guns are ridiculously easy to operate.
and for that matter so prepares one to sprint with 60 pounds of equipment.
That's taught by, you know, the non-video game part of being a cub scout.
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Seriously, assault rifles have point-and-click interfaces. Guns are ridiculously easy to operate.
Yet I'm sure shoulder mounted launchers from the US have a "this end to enemy" warning sticker.
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Yet I'm sure shoulder mounted launchers from the US have a "this end to enemy" warning sticker.
yeah, the M72 LAW even has some funny stick figure drawings detailing how to operate it.
also, the claymore anti-personnel mine really has "FRONT TOWARD ENEMY" written all over the "business end".. see wikipedia [wikipedia.org]
Re:Oh yeah (Score:5, Informative)
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Yet I'm sure shoulder mounted launchers from the US have a "this end to enemy" warning sticker.
They do. With pictograms and text.
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Pic or isn't true.
Please say it ain't so. I don't really expect much from the US military by now, but at least I'd expect them to NOT child-proof the guns. What happened to basic training?
I remember my time in (our) military. Every single piece of equipment we got into our hands was explained THROUGHLY. To the point where you feel like pointing out that you're not an idiot. Usually then someone will prove that the n-th repetition of the same movements is really necessary.
I can hardly believe the US troops d
Re:Oh yeah (Score:4, Insightful)
Plus, combat is stressful. IANAS (Soldier) but I can say that under extremely stressful conditions people that have not had extreme training to handle those situations tend to lose a great deal of their higher cognitive and memory functions. If you are scrambling to point one of those things at an armored vehicle that is trying to kill you, taking the time to read and understand instructions or to remember a 3 day training you received years ago will be difficult. Having simple little images that show you how to use the thing are majorly helpful. At the very least, they don't hurt anything.
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Easy to operate, technically yes. Easy to operate _effectively_, no. Otherwise we could just forget about training the troops that much. There's more to using that gun than knowing where to "click" so it shoots stuff. Someone whose only training was using a mouse in a FPS, sorry, I don't think they'll be particularly good at it. Or not before getting just about as much training as someone who hasn't played FPS.
Re:Oh yeah (Score:4, Informative)
Why don't you go down to the range one day and say that to someone who actually owns a gun. See how many shots you can land with any respectable accuracy.
"Seriously, assault rifles have point-and-click interfaces. Guns are ridiculously easy to operate."
Any dipshit can point and fire a rifle WITHOUT ANY VIDEOGAMES. A crazed man with a gun and videogames is no different from a crazed man with a gun.
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Seriously, assault rifles have point-and-click interfaces. Guns are ridiculously easy to operate.
That's actually quite funny. Watching someone load and fire an AR-15 for the first time is usually amusing. Will they figure out how to cock it? Will they open the ejection port? And then there's the whole thing about actually aiming and hitting a target. Back in my day, the BSA had a merit badge for rifle and shotgun marksmanship that was a wee bit more applicable.
That's taught by, you know, the non-video game part of being a cub scout.
I actually quit the boy scouts as a kid because we didn't do any scouting. Showing up to every meeting and going to clean parks and talk about t
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Back in my day, the BSA had a merit badge for rifle and shotgun marksmanship that was a wee bit more applicable.
Still [meritbadge.org] do [meritbadge.org]. Archery, too.
I actually quit the boy scouts as a kid because we didn't do any scouting. Showing up to every meeting and going to clean parks and talk about the evils of drugs wasn't my thing. I actually liked to spend my time out in the woods, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, etc. Our troop did very little of such things, however, and I quickly lost interest.
Sounds like you had a lousy troop. It's unfortunate you weren't able to find a better one. That said, I think the public service aspect is equally important, but it shouldn't overshadow camping and outdoorsmanship.
There are definitely too many troops set up as 'Eagle factories', where they just rush to get the minimum requirements for Eagle done as quickly as possible. Quite a shame.
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Not everyone can do jumping jacks you insensitive clod!
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oh yeah (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Well, Baden-Powell's (not that he's some kind of deity or anything, he wasn't) original reason for starting scouting in the first place was really more of a means of getting boys off the streets, giving them a structured environment for learning skills for self-reliance, etc. (Well, quite honestly, the real reason was probably, he was a veteran, war-hero, retired, rich, and bored, and maybe had guilt-issues to resolve and wanted to give-back? - who knows?)
Granted, it's evolved into something much more than
MAG (Score:2)
Playing MAG will prepare them for a disappointing life as a platoon leader later in life.
At least they won't be surprised when half their men randomly decide to start running in circles or getting themselves blown up by mortar fire.
Re:Why the censure? (Score:4, Insightful)
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Personally, I say to that constraint, what about doom? It teaches nice, christian values (stop satan and demons!), better than that "Left Behind" game... Truely ironic. Of course, it doesn't teach hypochristian values, and that might be the problem.
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Of course, you only get the badge if you batter the hooker academically.
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Well just as we had an "approved reading list" in school there ought to be an approved gaming list to earn this merit pin. I couldn't do a book report on "The Collected Anthology of Snoopy Comics" and neither should someone get a pin because they played Dead or Alive Bikini Volleyball nonstop. I'd limit the list to games that require reading skills, like RPGs.
IMHO
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A merit pin for hand eye coordination (Score:2, Funny)
What a shame (Score:2)
Guess it is time I made my own version to compete, and show them what crap they've become.
Best price (Score:4, Insightful)
Do you get extra credit for working out that piracy provides the best price?
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How about double credit for playing Oblivion all the way to the end only using a bow?
Can I apply that to my Archery badge?
Or maybe Left 4 Dead will apply to my Rifle Shooting badge or maybe even my Shotgun Shooting badge if I stick to those weapons?
Oh, right. No first person shooters...(sigh)
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"Archery, Rifle, and Shotgun are Boy Scout merit badges.
The Video Gaming awards are for Cub Scouts"
The point I was trying to make was one of mixed messages. I think it still stands.
Re:Best price (Score:4, Informative)
Nope. Cub Scouts have always shot bows and small rifles.
I've just gone through the whole thing with my son from Cub Scout to Eagle Scout, I'm an Eagle Scout myself, was Scout Master of his troop for three years, took Wood Badge, and went with the troop to summer camp, Double H and Philmont. Clearly I wouldn't know anything about the program.
Cub Scouts do not shoot rifles or shotguns. Webelos get to shoot pump action BB guns.
Boy Scouts get to shoot 22 rifles and shotguns, and older boys (14+) get to shoot black powder rifles. At Philmont they get to shoot 30-06 rifles in addition to shotgun and black powder.
This is like printing money (Score:2)
2. Put pin up on eBay
3. Profit
Re:This is like printing money (Score:5, Funny)
1. Shakedown boys scouts for their video game pin. Mention something about getting the self defense belt loop so this doesn't happen again
2. Put pin up on eBay
1. Get boy scout.
2. Put boy scout on craiglist.
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++ would buy again
Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:5, Insightful)
How much lower can it go? They already discriminate (and still get funds from various governments).
Re:Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:5, Informative)
Discriminate?
Yes, they discriminate against people based upon religion and sexual orientation. I have no problem with a private organization doing either, but they should not be eligible for government funding or freebies like they have been getting.
Government funding? I don't think so.
Here is a list [about.com] of a few dozen instances where they've lost government aid in various court cases. Mostly it was a case of being allowed to use public facilities free of charge. It includes the cities of Philadelphia and Berkley and the states of Illinois and Oregon in the US. There are still many city and state governments providing assistance to the BSA despite it being illegal favoritism. Sadly too many people in the US are in favor of discrimination against gays and non-christians so politicians are unwilling to do anything about it.
Re:Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:5, Insightful)
Discrimination exists. There is a reason for it these days.
Umm, okay. I'm not even going to address this.
Also what is wrong with organizations using facilities for free?
It is illegal favoritism. Other organizations are not allowed use of the same facilities for free.
Did they not help pay for it with their taxes?
No, the BSA is a not for profit that does not pay taxes. More importantly though, why should some taxpayers be forced to pay utility costs and upkeep fees for facilities that are incurred by an organization that bans their children from joining? If the BSA allowed anyone to join, then I would have a lot less of a problem letting them use government facilities, but when they exclude some citizens, that nixes it for me.
Are you not being discriminatory yourself?
No because I'm proposing equal access to all people based upon the criteria of nondiscrimination in the constitution. The government is forbidden from providing favoritism based upon certain criteria including religion. That extends to providing extra perks to private organizations that discriminate on that basis. You do remember the constitution don't you?
I think the government exists to help people...
Which it can do by providing free facilities to organizations that follow the guidelines necessary for it to do so legally. The government is not allowed to promote any religion and spending taxpayer dollars subsidizing an organization that does promote specific religions, certainly qualifies.
I can see the difference between a group of kids getting together with their parents and a rock band playing at a public arena.
What about a rock band that does not allow Christians to attend? Are you okay with that? What about a club using the public park for the day, but not letting white people in the park that day because whites cannot join said club?
They did something like that with a local park I used to go to when I grew up.
Sorry, your anecdote does not apply. The government charging fees for thing is one thing. How would you feel if that same park had started charging fees, but only to registered members of the republican party? That's what we're talking about, unequal treatment for groups based upon criteria specifically forbidden by federal law to be used as criteria for unequal treatment by the government. It's entirely the BSA's choice to discriminate based upon those criteria and that is what makes them ineligible for government benefits; the same as the KKK, Neo Nazis, and the Black Panthers.
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Any boy that meets the age requirements can join scouting. There is no discrimination there.
This is not quite true. Fact check from Wikipedia:
The Boy Scouts of America's position is that atheists and agnostics cannot participate as Scouts (youth members) or Scouters (adult leaders). According to the Bylaws of the BSA, Declaration of Religious Principle:
"The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, ‘On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.’ The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members."
During the membership application process and as a requirement to obtain membership, youths and adults are required to subscribe to the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle and to agree to abide by the Scout Oath and Law, which include the words, "do my duty to God" and "reverent". Youths are also required to repeat the Scout Oath and Law periodically after being accepted as Scouts. The BSA believes that atheists and agnostics are not appropriate role models of the Scout Oath and Law for boys, and thus will not accept such adults as leaders.[4]
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This isn't the Boy Scouts, its the Cub Scouts which is a totally different thing.
Re:Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:5, Informative)
More importantly, the cub scout belt loops and pins have always been about leisure activities. There's one for chess, why not one for video games? Besides, these kids are going to spend far more time playing video games than nearly any other subject, why not teach them to do it responsibly? As a secondary effect, their parents will learn about the ESRB ratings system, since one requirement is for the boys to teach their parents about it.
It's not even like the cubs will gain ranks or advancement from video games. It's just recognition that they've learned something about it. Even if it were a BSA merit badge (which is used for advancement as a boy scout), would a video game merit badge be less useful that indian lore? What about coin collecting? How many scouts do you think earn basket weaving or pottery and go on to use their skills after summer camp is over? As long as they're learning age-appropriate (we're talking 10-year olds) and useful knowledge, I see nothing wrong with it.
For reference, here are the requirements:
Requirements for the Video Games Belt Loop
Complete these three requirements:
Explain why it is important to have a rating system for video games. Check your video games to be sure they are right for your age.
With an adult, create a schedule for you to do things that includes your chores, homework, and video gaming. Do your best to follow this schedule.
Learn to play a new video game that is approved by your parent, guardian, or teacher.
Requirements for the Video Games Pin
Earn the Video Games belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:
With your parents, create a plan to buy a video game that is right for your age group.
Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on). Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system.
Play a video game with family members in a family tournament.
Teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game.
List at least five tips that would help someone who was learning how to play your favorite video game.
Play an appropriate video game with a friend for one hour.
Play a video game that will help you practice your math, spelling, or another skill that helps you in your schoolwork.
Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer’s warranty.
With an adult’s supervision, install a gaming system.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Hey, it could be worse [pbfcomics.com].
Re:Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:5, Funny)
And still no badge for masturbation. We'd all have made Eagle around here...
Re:Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:4, Funny)
If they're going to do this, they really need to make the badge more realistic.
Instead of a game controller on the badge, they somehow need to convey how playing video games is a complete waste of time. The badges aren't nearly big enough to show a 40 year old fat virgin on a recliner in his moms basement surrounded by twinkie wrappers and empty pizza boxes.
Be Prepared - for what.....Aliens? Zombies?
I fail to see how this will help them in later life. Unlike outdoor survival skills which can save your life, playing video games only increases your proficiency in playing video games.
As a Boy Scout, I learned knots that I thought were stupid at the time - but I still use them to this day.
Re:Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Way to lower the credibility of Boy Scouts... (Score:4, Insightful)
This latest move is stunning in it's lameness, but not really surprising, given their increasingly desperate attempt to remain relevant.
Really? Perhaps you are just ignorant of the requirements. [boyscouttrail.com] It's teaching personal responsibility, time management, and how to spend money wisely, it just uses video games as a trick to interest the boys. Why? Because they're 11-years old, at the oldest!
And how is disallowing homosexuals (or atheists) based on 'fear and ignorance'? Why not the simpler explanation of 'it doesn't fit with our moral beliefs'? Are you saying they should compromise on their morals, just to be politically correct?
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In other words (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't see anything wrong with that as long as they're not playing first-person shooter games, violent games, games with a lot of sexual or drug content.
So in other words, as long as they aren't fun games
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It's the scouts. Duh. I mean, they give you a knife, but only after they told you about all the cool things you could do with it and then tell you that you can't do them. How cruel can an organisation be?
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We didn't need a badge! (Score:2)
Back in my day, we played D&D and Magic and didn't care about getting a badge for it!
Sounds fun, though. I hope it'll include some game design requirements, to get the scouts thinking a little more about how their games are put together.
How about the popped cherry badge? (Score:2)
In all honesty, kids don't need more encouragement to game. Yes I'm a parent, but I'm young enough to still be a gamer and trust me, I didn't/don't need more encouragement.
Re:How about the popped cherry badge? (Score:5, Insightful)
In all honesty, kids don't need more encouragement to game. Yes I'm a parent, but I'm young enough to still be a gamer and trust me, I didn't/don't need more encouragement.
Have you read the requirements? [boyscouttrail.com] It's using video games as a cover to teach useful skills. For example, how to research a purchase, about the ESRB and content ratings, how to schedule leisure time so it doesn't interfere with responsibilities, and how to connect a console to a television. It's teaching them to play responsibly, which is probably more than they had done before, while teaching them a few more life skills.
Don't you have more important things to do? (Score:5, Insightful)
Really? This? Are you going to have a merit badge for going to the movies?
How about you work on some of those long standing issues like your discrimination against gays, and non-Christians?
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Sort of, except they call it a college degree [collegeboard.com].
Re:Don't you have more important things to do? (Score:5, Insightful)
Scouts does have problems, but to be fair I am an atheist, and my Eagle board of review new it, and awarded me the rank anyways. When asked about 'Reverence' I simply answered that I possess reverence, for the mighty forces of nature, that when I am 10 miles into the woods on the top of a snow covered hill, I understand that nature can kill you on a whim. They responded positively.
Also, a lot of people call scouts 'gay' even though it tends to discriminate against homosexuals. I just find that amusing. I think we should merge boy and girl scouts to just have 'scouts'. Canada does that and it works fine, but in the US? Hell no, they might see each others parts in the group shower, and that would just be the end of the world. The ground would turn to lava and hell would swallow up all the sinners. At least thats what I am told.
Cub scouts really is a crock, as is Girl scouts. My ex was a girl scout, and their merit badges were like sandwich making, how to keep a kitchen clean, knitting, needlepoint, parenting. Not even kidding.
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Really? This? Are you going to have a merit badge for going to the movies?
Yes [meritbadge.org].
But this isn't a merit badge, it's a cub scout award. That's like saying an elementary school graduate has their diploma...
Re:Don't you have more important things to do? (Score:5, Insightful)
Heterosexual people don't have sexual problems?
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Nobody said homosexuality was their only concern. It's just the easiest to criticize because it isn't politically correct.
Re:Don't you have more important things to do? (Score:5, Informative)
Cub Scouts != Boy Scouts
The Boy Scouts are the ones that hate atheists and gays. Not sure about the Cub Scouts but a quick perusal of the Wikipedia article suggests that they have no such offensive policies.
Straight from the Wikipedia page:
The Cub Scouts are a division of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
From the Wikipedia page:
A religious emblem of faith, or some other form of religiousity, is a requirement for the Bear and Webelos badges, and by extension the Arrow of Light.
So, they are religiously discriminating.
From the "Membership controversy page" on Wikipedia:
The Boy Scouts of America makes a division between its Scouting programs and the Learning for Life program. The Scouting programs are Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing. The policies that are considered controversial apply only to the Scouting programs.
Also in 2001, the BSA "revoked the charters of several Cub Scout packs in Oak Park, Illinois, because the sponsors, a parent-teacher group, adhered to a nondiscrimination policy."
In 1991, twin brothers William and Michael Randall, who had refused to recite the "duty to God" portion of the Cub Scout Promise and Boy Scout Oath, sued to be allowed to continue in the program (see Randall v. Orange County Council and Welsh v. Boy Scouts of America).[49] In addition, there were several other lawsuits involving essentially the same issues.[50] Ultimately, the courts ruled in favor of the Boy Scouts of America in each case.
Any cursory Google search will show that Cub Scouts has actively discriminated against atheists, and LGBT persons.
Way to go (Score:4, Interesting)
It was appearantly not enough to put off every halfway liberal person by their quite questionable membership policies, now they're working hard to alienate their conservative supporters.
Just like I always say, give someone enough rope and he'll somehow manage to hang himself.
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Curse those wireless controllers! Before them, you could easily learn enough to earn that badge trying to untangle those controller cables!
I thinks it's a smart move (Score:2)
Scouts can earn their pins by spending an hour a day playing games, teaching others how to play better, and researching the best price for games they'd like to buy.
One hour per day seems perfectly normal for any teenager, teaching others will train their social & verbal skills and the gaming market research will teach them how to get the most out of their buck.
From my point of view these are all useful skills.
Embraces what kids are doing anyway (Score:5, Insightful)
The requirements talk about comparing prices of games & consoles (and store return policies), teaching others how to play games, balancing homework/videogames, and picking games that will help improve school skills. You know, the kinds of things we [slashdot.org] discuss [slashdot.org] here [slashdot.org] all [slashdot.org] the [slashdot.org] time [slashdot.org]?
Some would say that FPSs fit in (Score:2)
Some people would say that First Person Shooters fit in *exactly* with the Scouts militaristic origins/undertones.
(If it was the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodcraft_Folk/ [wikipedia.org] then it would be a different matter.)
No first person shooters? (Score:5, Insightful)
People are up in arms because these violent video games "train young people how to operate weapons". No, they don't. You know what does train young people to use guns? Learning to shoot in the boy scouts.
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. No one is bitching about REAL guns with REAL bullets shooting REAL targets, but the second it becomes virtual everyone throws a fucking hissy fit.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
No first person shooters? Are the scouts aware that they actually offer a merit badge in SHOOTING.
I'm the last person to depend Scouting (they've really gone off the deep end in recent years), but I should at least point out that the Rifle Shooting merit badge [scouting.org] significantly emphasizes gun safety and appropriate use. I remember my own experiences from scout camp as a kid where they were hyper-vigilant about safety, only using guns for target practice, and so on. Again, I'm not defending Scouting in general or guns in particular, but there is a big difference between learning how to shoot targets with a r
Re: (Score:2)
Learning the basics of an FPS does none of this.
Also, we're talking about cub scouts here (approx. age 7-10). Cub scouts are limited to Archery and BB gun shooting [scouting.org] with trained supervisors present. Only boy scouts (teenagers) a
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. No one is bitching about REAL guns with REAL bullets shooting REAL targets, but the second it becomes virtual everyone throws a fucking hissy fit.
There's a pretty significant difference between an adult teaching a child marksmanship on paper targets, and violent video games where 99% of the time the *targets* are other human beings, and there is little to no moral context for the violence. There is nothing inherently evil about "REAL guns with REAL bullets." A firearm can be used to provide food and security, or it can be used to harm others maliciously, depending upon the intent of the operator. I learned to shoot as a child at a Boy Scout camp, and
Re:No first person shooters? (Score:5, Insightful)
Wait, what?
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No first person shooters? Are the scouts aware that they actually offer a merit badge in SHOOTING.
People are up in arms because these violent video games "train young people how to operate weapons". No, they don't. You know what does train young people to use guns? Learning to shoot in the boy scouts.
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. No one is bitching about REAL guns with REAL bullets shooting REAL targets, but the second it becomes virtual everyone throws a fucking hissy fit.
Just for the record, this is CUB SCOUTS. From http://www.boyscouttrail.com/cub-scouts/cub-scouts.asp [boyscouttrail.com], this is limited to boys from 1st to 3rd grade. We are talking about ages 6-9. They do not have a merit badge for shooting, but they do have one for shooting BBs and archery. And no, I do not consider BB guns REAL guns with REAL bullets.
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The REAL requirements (Score:5, Informative)
Ignoring Fox's propaganda, the list of tasks a scout has to do to earn this is pretty decent. Considering these kids are gonna be playing anyway, why not teach them to play right ...I see nothing to complain about in the following list.
Belt Loop
Complete these three requirements:
1. Explain why it is important to have a rating system for video games. Check your video games to be sure they are right for your age.
2. With an adult, create a schedule for you to do things that includes your chores, homework, and video gaming. Do your best to follow this schedule.
3. Learn to play a new video game that is approved by your parent, guardian, or teacher.
Academics Pin
Earn the Video Games belt loop and complete five of the following requirements:
1. With your parents, create a plan to buy a video game that is right for your age group.
2. Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on). Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system.
3. Play a video game with family members in a family tournament.
4. Teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game.
5. List at least five tips that would help someone who was learning how to play your favorite video game.
6. Play an appropriate video game with a friend for one hour.
7. Play a video game that will help you practice your math, spelling, or another skill that helps you in your schoolwork.
8. Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer’s warranty.
9. With an adult’s supervision, install a gaming system.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
5. Tip one: Don't suck
Tip two: stop dieing
Tip three: Get the shiny things
Tip four: press harder
Tip five: If all of the above fail, rage quit
How about something more useful? (Score:2)
Maybe one for completing a simple self-taught course in a simple language like Java?
-Todd
p.s. The discrimination thing is an unfortunate issue, but, hey, just "Don't tell."
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How about a merit badge for creating Web pages or setting up a Web site. Maybe one for completing a simple self-taught course in a simple language like Java?
The pin is for cubs not scouts, most cubs are still learning to read and write.
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How about a merit badge for creating Web pages or setting up a Web site. Maybe one for completing a simple self-taught course in a simple language like Java?
The pin is for cubs not scouts, most cubs are still learning to read and write.
When I was a Cub scout, I was programming my TI-57 calculator.
I think we often set the bar too low for our children. New math might have been the worst thing to happen to me academically. I did not find out how devastating it was until I took my first graduate-level mathematics course at the University of Wisconsin.
-Todd
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Yeah, and I built a crystal radio when I was seven (we didn't have calculators in the 60's). I'm not saying kids under 10 are stupid but if you set the bar too high the majority will lose interest. A kid needs to be keenly interested before they do remarkable stuff and even then there may not be a great deal of understanding about what they are doing.
For example: when my daughter was 4 I was amazed to see her one day start up my XT from a
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How about a merit badge for creating Web pages or setting up a Web site. Maybe one for completing a simple self-taught course in a simple language like Java?
Already been done. Computers Merit Badge [meritbadge.org], for Boy Scouts.
That said, Cub Scout awards are more about participation and providing learning opportunities, rather than judging proficiency. Merit badges, on the other hand, do require a demonstration of proficiency.
Commercial vs. Academic focus in the badge (Score:4, Interesting)
Disclaimer: Cub Scouts was awesome and I remember most the warm feeling when the scouts gathered at a parents house. Video games would fit that atmosphere. The requirements are actually not so bad I think for this badge. Whereas I dropped out of Boy Scouts after some years when the bullying overwhelmed the exciting but life threatening campouts (8 miles into the wilderness in freezing winter, other scouts trying to burn down your tent, etc.) loved the hiking though.
Okay in this video merit badge for cub scouts I am worried about these lines:
It seems to require you to buy games in a store and the purchasing experience is emphasized. Being aware of the return policy is good but there seems to be a requirement to buy something. What if you want to use Free (or free) Software? Likewise "install a gaming system" could mean install a linux system on an old PC, and download some free games for it. So I think it would be better for cubs to emphasize the noncommercial aspect.
Also there is the cost of hardware, whether a console or not. If you can use an existing computer then the "install" could really mean just doing a software install.
I think it would be great if linux distro's sites had a page for Cub Scouts to learn about Free Software and guide them to fulfilling all the requirements for these badges and belt loops using Linux.
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What if you want to use Free (or free) Software?
You're joking right? The Cub Scouts, as a division of the now jingoistic Boy Scouts of America, would never support such a COMMUNIST idea.
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Supervision?!? (Score:3, Informative)
The question is, who's going to supervise the scouts?
These are young boys. The parents are still supposed to be involved at this age. Once they get to boy scouts, then its OK to give them a little bit more freedom.
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its what the scouts are FOR (Score:2)
People seem to forget that scouting was originally seen as a way to train BETTER SOLDIERS. (Could be because Scouting worked so hard to camoflage it in the 70s)
This is clearly still on that path, as far as the US military in the 21st century is concerned.
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Stupid. (Score:2)
Why not a badge for system building, or tech troubleshooting?
I love video games, but scouting isn't about sitting in your home playing video games.
This beats the hell out of gluing popsicle sticks (Score:2)
When I tried being a cub scout for a couple years, all we did was sit around in the suburbs and glue popsicle sticks together. Do the cub scouts even go outside anymore?
Not just pins! Belt Loops Too! (Score:2)
My 8 yr old son told me that he saw they have video game belt loops in Boys Life this month!
http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/content/cub_scouts_video_games_academics_pin_and_belt_loop-2035.asp [boyscouttrail.com]
Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts may complete requirements in a family, den, pack, school, or community environment. Tiger Cubs must work with their parents or adult partners. Parents and partners do not earn loops or pins.
Requirements for the Video Games Belt Loop
Complete these three requirements:
Explain
Oh man! That ain't fair! (Score:2)
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About 20 years ago I remember there was a computer related merit badge. There were three steps to earn this badge; one of them was to turn a computer on and then off. The other two steps were only marginally more complex.
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You're thinking of the cub scout belt loop [boyscouttrail.com], which is designed for children younger than 12 (and as young as 7). Of course it's meant to be easy.
There is an actual computers merit badge, and it is much more in-depth.
Do ONE of the following:
a. Visit a business or an industrial plant that uses computers. Observe what tasks the computers accomplish, and be prepared to discuss what you have learned.
b. Using a software package of your choice for computer aided design (CAD), create an engineering-style drawing of a simple object. Include the top, bottom, and at least one side view and the dimensions.
c. Use a general purpose programming language to write a simple program application of your choice, subject to approval by your counselor.
d. Design a Web page for your troop, patrol, school, or place of worship. You need not post the page to a Web site. However, if you decide to do so, you will first need to get your parent's permission and your counselor's approval, as well as permission from the host site.
In other words, Boy Scouts do exactly what the GP suggests, while cub scouts do not.
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In the sixties, I got so disgusted with "Scouting" I got out before We-Be-Los(t). As a youngster, I'd studied all my Dad's scouting manuals from the forties, and thought we'd be doing some serious woodcraft. One of the things I learned from TFM was that a REAL SCOUT can survive anywhere you dropped him with only a knife and an axe. Once again, I fail to see the application. I taught myself to make a fire using a bow-drill. (Well, I did it once, good thing it wasn't a real situation...) Maybe if you could le