BSA provides Bear den meeting ideas for den leaders on the Scouting.org website. These Cub Scout Bear den meeting plans are step by step guides to carrying out a den meeting. In addition to the basic den meeting plans, there are supplemental plans which can be used if you have additional meetings left. Today’s plan covers Bear Achievement 18 – Jot It Down.

If you don’t already have the BSA den meeting plans, download BSA Bear Den Meeting Supplemental Plan F to follow along with this article.

Bear Den Meeting Plans: Jot It Down

Preparation and Before the Meeting

There is not a lot of preparation needed for this meeting. You will need to gather the writing supplies for the activities.

Gathering

Check out my gathering activities page for ideas.

Opening

Have a flag ceremony. Say the Scout Law.

Business

Keep business short and sweet.

Activities

The den will be working on Bear Achievement 18 (Jot It Down) requirements a, d, e, g, and h.

Achievement 18a: Make a list of the things you want to do today. Check them off when you’ve done them.

So 18 a is just a todo list. They can include things like homework, chores, something fun, etc.

Achievement 18d: Write an invitation to someone.

If you have a big pack or den event coming up, such as Blue and Gold or Pinewood Derby,  have them write invitations to their families, the head of their chartered organization, the chartered org rep, and others.

Achievement 18e: Write a thank-you note.

They can write a thank you note to anyone who has helped them out lately. This could be somebody who helped with their Cub Scout program, a teacher, a parent or family member. See Thank You Note Template for Thanking a Special Person  for tips to encourage Cub Scouts to write thank you notes.

Achievement 18g: Write about the activities of your den.

The meeting plan suggests adding these to the den scrapbook. You could also submit them to your chartered organization for publication in their newsletter or bulletin. Members of the organization might be interested to know what the Cub Scouts they are supporting are doing and they will enjoy reading what the Bears wrote.

Achievement 18h: Complete the Character Connection for Honesty:

• Know: Tell what made it difficult to be clear and accurate as you wrote details and kept records, and tell what could tempt you to write something that was not exactly true. Define honesty.
• Commit: Tell why it is important to be honest and trustworthy with yourself and with others.
• Imagine you had reported something inaccurately and tell how you could set the record straight. Give reasons that honest reporting will earn the trust of others. Practice: While doing the requirement for this achievement, be honest when you are writing about real events.

See my Honesty Core Value page for some more ideas and games for talking about honesty.

Closing

Close with the Scout Oath.

After the meeting

The Bears should help clean up all of the writing supplies and put them away. And talk to the parents to find out who can help at your next meeting.

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Some kids today seem to be more proficient at using computers than their parents. For your Cub Scouts who know their way around a keyboard and mouse, there is the Computers pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program.

Computers Pin Requirements

Earn the Computers belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Use a computer to prepare a report on a subject of interest to you. Share it with your den.
2. Make a list of 20 devices that can be found in the home that use a computer chip to function.
3. Use a computer to maintain a balance sheet of your earnings for four weeks.
4. Use a spreadsheet program to organize some information.
5. Use an illustration, drawing, or painting program to create a picture.
6. Use a computer to write a thank-you letter to someone.
7. Log on to the Internet. Visit the Boy Scouts of America homepage – http://www.scouting.org
8. Discuss with an adult personal safety rules you should use while using the Internet.
9. Practice a new computer game for two weeks. Demonstrate an improvement in your scores.
10. Correspond with a friend using e-mail. Have at least five e-mail replies from your friend.
11. Visit a local business or government agency that uses a large mainframe computer to handle their business. Be able to explain how computers save them time and money in carrying out their work.

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Boy Scouts from our troop often earn the Law merit badge at a skill center at the historic Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis – a great venue to see how law has shaped our history. They even get to have a mock trial in one of the courtrooms.

Earning this merit badge enables a Scout to learn about the history and kinds of laws, the purpose and methods of law enforcement, consumer protection agencies, emerging law, and careers in the legal profession.

Law Merit Badge Requirements

1. Define “law.” Tell some of its sources. Describe functions it serves.
2. Discuss two of the following:
1. Justinian’s Code, the Code of Hammurabi, and the Magna Carta
2. The development of the jury system
3. Two famous trials in history
3. Tell what civil law is; tell what criminal law is. Tell the main differences between them. Give examples of each.
4. Ask five people (not more than one from your immediate family) about the role of law enforcement officers in our society. Discuss their answers with them. Go to a law enforcement officer in your neighborhood and ask about his or her responsibilities and duties. Report your findings.
5. Tell about several laws that were passed to protect the consumer and the seller. Tell about several organizations that provide help to consumers and sellers.
6. Do ONE of the following:
1. Attend a session of a civil or criminal court. Write 250 words or more on what you saw.
2. Plan and conduct a mock trial with your troop or school class. After the trial is over, discuss it with the group.
7. Arrange a visit with a lawyer who works for a business, bank, title company, or government agency. Find out his or her duties and responsibilities. Report what you have learned.
8. Explain the requirements for becoming a lawyer in your state. Describe how judges are selected in your state.
9. Make a list of 15 jobs that deal with some aspects of law or legal processes. Tell which you prefer. Why?
10. Tell where people can go to obtain the help of a lawyer if they are unable to pay for one. Tell what you can do if you can afford a lawyer but do not know of any in your area.
11. Discuss with your counselor the importance in our society of TWO of the following areas of law that have recently emerged and are still developing:
1. Environmental law
2. Computers and the Internet
3. Copyright and the Internet
4. Space travel and satellites orbiting Earth

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My kids all enjoy reading.  I often find them sitting in a quite corner reading a book. Cub Scouts who are interested in books and writing can earn the Reading and Writing pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program.

Reading and Writing Pin Requirements

Earn the Reading and Writing belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Locate and identify the following parts of a book: title, author, spine, cover, table of contents, and index.
2. Read a book to a child or group of children.
3. Participate in a school or community organized reading program.
4. Explain the differences in a biography, autobiography, fiction, and nonfiction books to your parent or den leader.
5. Create a bookmark that you can use, or design a book cover.
6. Read an article from a newspaper or magazine. This can be done on the computer. Report about what you read to an adult.
7. Write a poem and read it to a family member.
8. Write a short report about something of interest to you. Read your report to your den or family.
9. Read several jokes and riddles. Create two of your own and share them with your den or family.
10. Write a commercial, song, or jingle for some product. Perform it for your den or family.
11. Create your own alphabet, writing system, or code and explain it to your den or pack.
12. Learn about another writing system such as petroglyphs or Egyptian hieroglyphs. Do your best to draw some of these symbols. Report what you learned to your den or family.

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If your Boy Scouts aren’t interested in the Coin Collecting merit badge or Stamp Collecting merit badge, maybe they will like the more general Collections merit badge.

Collecting can be an educational and financially rewarding pastime: a collector must educate himself about a specific subject, be able to tell which items are worth preserving, how to catalog and organize his collection, and how to evaluate the value of items.

Collections Merit Badge Requirements

Stamp and coin collecting are excluded from eligibility for this merit badge. There are separate merit badges for these.

1. Prepare a short written report or outline for your counselor, giving a detailed description of your collection, including a short history. Be sure to include why you chose that particular type of collecting and what you enjoy and have learned from your collection.
2. Explain the growth and development of your collection.
3. Demonstrate your knowledge of preserving and displaying your collection.
1. Explain the precautions you need to take to preserve your collection, including
1. Handling
2. Cleaning
3. Storage
2. Explain how best to display your collection, keeping in mind preserving as discussed above.
3. Explain to your counselor the events available for a hobbyist of this collection, including shows, seminars, conventions, contests, and museum programs or exhibits.
4. Demonstrate your knowledge of collecting and investing. Discuss with your counselor:
1. How investing and speculation would apply to your collection
2. What you would look for in purchasing other collections similar to yours
3. What you would expect in return value if you decided to sell all or part of the collection
5. Do the following:
1. Discuss with your counselor at least 10 terms commonly used in your collection and be prepared to discuss the definition of each.
2. Show your counselor any two groups from your collection. Explain how you organized your collection and why you chose that method. (Note: If your collection is too large to transport and your counselor is unable to view your collection directly, photographs should be available to share.)
3. Explain how your collection is valued by other collectors, and display to your counselor any price guides that may be available.
4. Explain how your collection is graded for value, physical defects, size, and age. Show the various classifications or ratings used in your collection.
5. List the national, state, or local association responsive to your collection.
6. Show the location of and explain to your counselor the identification number (if applicable), series, brand name (if any), and any other special identification marks.
6. Discuss with your counselor the plans you have to continue with the collection in the future.
7. Discuss with your counselor why and how collecting has changed and how this applies to your collection.
8. Find out about career opportunities in collecting. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

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Children like to learn what is different and what is the same for kids in other countries. Cub Scouts who enjoy learning about life in other parts of the world can earn the Language and Culture belt loop from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program.

Webelos who earn the Language and Culture Belt Loop while a Webelos also complete requirement 6 for the Scholar activity badge.

Language and Culture Belt Loop Requirements

Complete these three requirements:

1. With your parent’s or adult partner’s permission, talk with someone who grew up in a different country than you did. Find out what it was like and how it is different from your experience.
2. Learn 10 words that are in a different language than your own.
3. Play two games that originated in another country or culture.

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BSA provides Webelos den meeting plans for Cub Scout den leaders on the Scouting.org website. These meeting plans are full of Webelos den meeting ideas. The fifteenth Webelos den meeting plan covers all of Scholar Activity Badge and part of Artist Activity Badge.

If you don’t already have the BSA Webelos den meeting plans, download BSA Webelos Den Meeting Plan 15 to follow along with this article.

BSA Webelos Den Meeting Ideas: Plan # 15 – Scholar and Artist

Preparation and Before the Meeting

You might notice a rather lengthy list of things in the plan which you need to do before the meeting. Most of them aren’t too complicated though. You will need to be ready to discuss the requirements for Scholar activity badge. And of course, you will need to have your materials ready for the art project you will be doing for Artist activity badge.

Gathering

See my gathering activities page for some ideas.

Opening

Do a simple indoor flag ceremony. Say the Boy Scout Oath.

Business

Keep business to a minimum. The requirements for Scholar involve talking, so you’ll want to make sure you have time to do the art project.

Activities

You will be doing Scholar requirements 1, 5, 11, and 12. These are pretty straighforward discussion items. Just talk about what the requirement asks

1. With your parent, guardian, or Webelos den leader, complete the Positive Attitude Character Connection.
a. Know: Discuss with your parent, guardian, or your Webelos den leader, what it means to have a positive attitude and the “BEST” steps you can take to have a positive attitude. (Believe it can happen, Expect success, Set your mind, and Try, try, try.)
b. Commit: Plan with your parent, guardian, or your Webelos den leader, how you will apply the “BEST” steps for a positive attitude in doing your schoolwork and in other areas of your life.
c. Practice: Do your “BEST” to have a cheerful and positive attitude while doing the requirements for this activity badge.
5. List in writing some important things you can do now because of what you’ve learned in school.
11. Ask a parent and five other grown-ups these questions:
• What do you think are the best things about my school?
• What are its main problems?
• Tell what you think were the best answers and why.
• Have boys share the responses with their den members.
12. List and explain some of the full-time positions in the field of education.

Next you will make a portfolio, a mobile, and a collage for Artist activity badge requirements 2, 8, and 10.

2. Create a scrapbook (portfolio) of your Artist activity badge projects and show it to your den leader.
8. Make a mobile, using your choice of materials.
10. Create a collage that expresses something about you.

You might not have time to complete all of these projects, so you might have to instruct the Webelos to finish some of these at home. For some more ideas, see my Crafts page.

Closing

Close with the Boy Scout Law.

After the Meeting

Have the Webelos help clean up. And this is a good time to line up some adults to help at the next meeting.

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My background is in electrical engineering.  I have always found science and mathematics fascinating. If you have a Cub Scout who is really into math, have him look at the requirements for the Mathematics pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program.

The requirements for this pin are a little different than the requirements for other pins in the program. Instead of picking any five requirements, the Scout must complete one requirement in each of the five areas.

Mathematics Pin Requirements

Earn the Mathematics belt loop and complete one requirement from each of the five areas below:

1. Geometry is related to measurement but also deals with objects and positions in space.
   1. Many objects can be recognized by their distinctive shapes: a tree, a piece of broccoli, a violin. Collect 12 items that can be recognized, classified, and labeled by their distinctive shape or outline.
   2. Select a single shape or figure. Observe the world around you for at least a week and keep a record of where you see this shape or figure and how it is used.
   3. Study geometry in architecture by exploring your neighborhood or community. Look at different types of buildings-houses, places of worship, businesses, etc.-and create a presentation (a set of photographs, a collage of pictures from newspapers and magazines, a model) that you can share with your den or pack to show what you have seen and learned about shapes in architecture.
2. Calculating is adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers.
   1. Learn how an abacus or slide rule works and teach it to a friend or to your den or pack.
   2. Go shopping with your parent or adult partner and use a calculator to add up how much the items you buy will cost. See whether your total equals the total at check out.
   3. Visit a bank and have someone there explain to you about how interest works. Use the current interest rate and calculate how much interest different sums of money will earn.
3. Statistics is collecting and organizing numerical information and studying patterns.
   1. Explain the meaning of these statistical words and tools: data, averaging, tally marks, bar graph, line graph, pie chart, and percentage.
   2. Conduct an opinion survey through which you collect data to answer a question, and then show your results with a chart or graph. For instance: What is the favorite food of the Cub Scouts in your pack (chart how many like pizza, how many like hamburgers, etc.).
   3. Study a city newspaper to find as many examples as you can of statistical information.
   4. Learn to use a computer spreadsheet.
4. Probability helps us know the chance or likelihood of something happening.
   1. Explain to your den how a meteorologist or insurance company (or someone else) might use the mathematics of probability to predict what might happen in the future (i.e., the chance that it might rain, or the chance that someone might be in a car accident).
   2. Conduct and keep a record of a coin toss probability experiment.
   3. Guess the probability of your sneaker landing on its bottom, top, or side, and then flip it 100 times to find out which way it lands. Use this probability to predict how a friend’s sneaker will land.
5. Measuring is using a unit to express how long or how big something is, or how much of it there is.
   1. Interview four adults in different occupations to see how they use measurement in their jobs.
   2. Measure how tall someone is. Have them measure you.
   3. Measure how you use your time by keeping a diary or log of what you do for a week. Then make a chart or graph to display how you spend your time.
   4. Measure, mix, and cook at least two recipes. Share your snacks with family, friends, or your den.

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BSA provides den meeting plans for den leaders on the Scouting.org website. These plans are full of Bear den meeting ideas. Today’s article covers the eleventh Bear Cub Scout den meeting plan. This plan focuses on Bear Achievement 8 – The Past Is Exciting and Important and Bear Achievement 17 – Information Please.

This meeting is a field trip. If you can’t arrange a field trip or the location you are visiting can’t help you with all of the requirements, see my Bear Achievement 8 and Bear Achievement 17 pages for some different ideas for completing these requirements.

If you don’t already have the BSA den meeting plans, download BSA Bear Den Meeting Plan 11 to follow along with this article.

BSA Bear Den Meeting Plans # 11 – The Past Is Exciting and Important and Information, Please

Preparation and Before the Meeting

This meeting is a field trip to a newspaper office or a TV, cable, or radio station, so much of your preparation will involve setting the visit, getting permission slips, arranging drivers, etc.

Gathering

Check out my gathering activities page for some ideas.

 Opening

Do a simple indoor flag ceremony or an outdoor ceremony. Don’t forget to give each of the Wolves a chance to participate in flag ceremonies.

 Business

Keep business short and sweet.

Activities

On the  field trip, complete achievement 17c

Visit a newspaper office, or a TV or radio station, and talk to a news reporter.

and achievement 8a

Visit your library or newspaper office. Ask to see back issues of newspapers or an almanac.

Next do achievement 17b

Play a game of charades at your den meeting or with your family at home.

Finally, do achievement 17d

Use a computer to get information. Write, spell-check,  and print out a report on what you learned.

Closing

Close with the Law of the Pack or the Cub Scout Promise.

After the meeting

Have the Scouts thank the people at the location they visited.  Talk to the parents about what you will be doing at the next meeting and arrange for some of them to help.

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Table top displays are a way to show off a  hobby, collection, event, or other project. Or you can showcase your unit’s program. As part of the Hobbies Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts, table top displays are used in a hobby fair to show of each Scout’s particular hobby. In addition, for several of the Venturing awards, Venturers must create a table top display.

Table top displays are not just for Scouting though. Creating displays for Scouting projects will help Scouts later when they need to create displays for school projects, science fairs, and even later in life for business.

So how do you create a great tabletop display? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Tips for a Great Table Top Display

Know the Rules

First of all, find out what sort of limitations will be placed on your display. Don’t assume you will be allowed unlimited space. Find out what the maximum width, depth, and height of your display can be. Must all of your display be attached to a board, or can you place loose items on the table. Are perishable items like food allowed? What about batteries or liquids?

Obtain a Display Board

For most displays, you will want a display board. You don’t need to purchase an expensive business quality board. Look for an inexpensive tri-fold presentation display board like this one. Just make sure it meet the rules. Having the display board in hand before you start creating stuff to put on it will give you a solid idea how much space you have to work with.

Organize Your Thoughts

The material on your display board should be organized into different sections. These sections should have brief descriptions which catch the viewer’s attention. For example, if you are making a display about Leave No Trace, you might have a section for each principle – “Dispose of Waste Properly”, “Leave What You Find”, “Minimize Campfire Impacts”, etc. A display for a science project would be completely different. It might have sections like “Problem”, “Hypothesis”, “Background”, etc.

So you need to come up with your own way of organizing the material. About six to ten different sections works well for most displays. But be flexible and do what works best for your particular project.

Type It Up

After you organize your thoughts, type up a heading for each section and then the material.  Your heading font should be really large so it catches the eye. The material under each heading should be in a large enough font that most people standing in front of the display can read it without leaning forward or squinting.

You might have to do some trial and error to get the sections printed up correctly so they fit on the board. If you have additional information you want to make available, but it in a report and place it on the table in front of the display. (You might want to attach it to a long string so it doesn’t wander off.) Just be aware that most people won’t pick up the report, so get your main ideas on the display.

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

Depending on the rules and what information you are trying to convey, you might not be able to use physical objects to share your ideas. But you can often use pictures. If you are creating a display to recruit new Scouts and it lists some of your great activities, add lots of pictures.

Use Color for Impact

Add construction paper boarders to your typed information and section headings. One way to do this is to print the material with wide margins, cut off some of the margins, and mount it on the construction paper. Add boarders to your photos also. If your display still lacks impact, add some brightly colored shapes with key words neatly written on them.

Be Prepared

You’ve completed your display. It looks great. You take it to your location, set it up, and on no! Something has fallen off. Take some glue, tape, string etc with you in case you need to make last minute repairs. You probably won’t need it, but you will be glad you made the extra effort if you do.

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This month I am featuring a chess theme for Cub Scouts. If your Cub Scout has already earned the Chess belt loop from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program, and he still wants to learn more, he can work on the chess pin from the same program.

Chess Pin Requirements

Earn the Chess belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Demonstrate basic opening principles (such as development of pieces, control center, castle, don’t bring queen out too early, don’t move same piece twice).
2. Visit a chess tournament and tell your den about it.
3. Participate in a pack, school, or community chess tournament.
4. Solve a pre-specified chess problem (e.g., “White to move and mate in three”) given to you by your adult partner.
5. Play five games of chess.
6. Play 10 chess games via computer or on the Internet.
7. Read about a famous chess player.
8. Describe U.S. Chess Federation ratings for chess players.
9. Learn to write chess notation and record a game with another Scout.
10. Present a report about the history of chess to your den or family

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Do you feel like you always lose when you play chess? If you are better at getting your own pieces captured than capturing your opponents pieces, then Antichess is the game for you. In Antichess (sometimes called Suicide Chess or Giveaway Chess) the object is to lose all of your pieces. It will also make you think differently about chess strategy.

Antichess

• The board is set up and the pieces move the same as in regular chess
• If there is a piece you can capture, then you must capture it
• If there are multiple pieces you can capture, then you get to choose which piece you capture on your turn
• Kings can be captured – there is no check or checkmate
• Pawns can be promoted to any piece, including kings
• Castling is not allowed
• You win by losing all of your pieces
• In the case of a stalemate, the player with fewer pieces wins

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Earlier this month, I wrote about basic chess terms. So today I am presenting a word scramble puzzle to reinforce the meanings of some of those terms.

This would make a great gathering activity for a chess themed pack meeting or den meeting. Or use it when working on Chess belt loop from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program.

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This month I am featuring a chess theme. Do you think regular chess is boring? Then try atomic chess. In atomic chess, pieces don’t just capture other pieces, they explode! Both pieces involved in the capture are destroyed along with any in the surrounding area. Sound like fun?

Atomic Chess

• The chessboard is setup as normal and all of the pieces move as they do in a regular chess game.
• When one piece captures another, both the capturing piece and the captured piece are destroyed in the explosion and are removed from the board.
• In addition, when a capture takes place, all pieces in the eight squares surrounding the location of the capture are removed by the explosion except pawns.
• The game ends when one of the kings is captured or exploded.
• If both kings are exploded in the same move, the game ends in a draw.

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Both the Chess pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program and the Chess merit badge for Boy Scouts have requirements related to using chess notation and recording chess games. If you are not familiar with chess notation, this might seem a little daunting, but it really is pretty easy to learn.

Using chess notation, all of the moves in a game can be recorded on a score sheet. This allows players to go back and analyze a game. Chess notation is also important if you read any books about chess. You can download a very simple score sheet here: Simple Chess Score Sheet

First, you need to understand algebraic notation for the board. Each space on the board is represented by a number and a letter. So if you start by setting up the board as shown in the diagram on the lower right, then you can use the diagram to name each space.  For example, the space where the white king begins the game is always e1.

Next, you need a way to identify the pieces:

• K = King
• Q = Queen
• R = Rook
• B = Bishop
• N = Knight

Pawns are indicated by the absence of a letter. So Nb3 would indicate that you moved a knight to space b3.  If you moved a pawn to d4, that would simply be indicated by d4. Since there is no letter, you know it is a pawn.

Use an x to indicate a capture. Qxe5 means that the queen captured the piece which was at e5.  When a pawn captures another piece, the notation is a little different. fxe6 means that the pawn which was in file (column) f captured the piece at e6.

More advanced players might be familiar with the en passant capture. In this case, the notation is a little different again. En passant captures are notated by specifying the capturing pawn’s file of departure, the x, the destination square (not the square of the captured pawn), and the suffix e.p. indicating the capture was en passant. For example, exd6e.p.

When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board and is promoted to another piece, the letter for the piece is added. For example, d8Q indicates that a pawn advanced to space d8 and was promoted to a queen.

0-0 indicates a kingside castling and 0-0-0 indicates a queenside castling. Like en passant, castling might not be familiar to beginners, but advanced players will use it.

Check is indicated by adding a +. For example, Qb4+ indicates that the queen moved to space b4 and the king was placed in check. Double check is indicated by adding ++. Double check is when check is caused by two pieces at the same time. Checkmate is indicated by #.

Use 1-0 to indicate that white won the game. 0-1 indicates that black won. 1/2-1/2 indicates a draw. The indication of who won does not necessarily follow a checkmate. One of the players may have resigned.

If any of the moves you are recording are ambiguous, you add additional information to indicate either the file (column) the piece started on, the rank (row) the piece started on, or both.  For example, with knights on g1 and d2, either of which might move to f3, the move is specified as Ngf3 or Ndf3, depending on which knight you moved.

You know you have done a good job using chess notation if you have a score sheet and you can replay the game from start to finish without any confusion.

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One of the challenges of teaching chess to a group of Scouts is that you will probably have different proficiency levels in the group. Some of them will already know how to play the game and others will not.

Bughouse (sometimes called Bunkhouse) is a game which helps even the playing field. Basically, there are two teams which simultaneously play chess together. Each player has a direct opponent, but when he captures a piece, he passes it to one of his teammates to play on the board.  The key is to have the direct opponents as evenly matched as possible and then to have the teams fairly well balanced in skill level.

We played this recently at a den meeting for ZM’s den. We were working on the Chess belt loop as part of the Scholar activity badge. It would also be a fun activity for Boy Scouts working on the Chess merit badge.

When we play this at home, we play 3 vs 3 since there are six of us. You can also play this game with as few as four players or with more players. You just need one complete chess set for every two players.

Bughouse Chess

1. Divide the players into two teams. Each team must have the same number of players.
2. Have opponents sit opposite each other at a table, with one team along one side and the other team on the other side.
3. Each player should be sitting exactly opposite his opponent and there should be one chess set between them.
4. The chess sets must be set up so that the players colors alternate along the team. For example, the first player on one side of the table is white. His teammate next to him must play black. The next teammate in the row must be white. Etc.
5. Each pair of opponents play a normal game of chess. The twist is that when someone captures a piece from his opponent, he gives it to his teammate on his immediate left or right. (If he is on the end of the row of teammates, he only has one teammate he can hand the piece to.)
6. On any turn, instead of making a move a player may place a piece which he has received from his teammate in any unoccupied space on the first row on his side of the board. He only places the piece. He cannot move it until his next turn.
7. The first person to achieve checkmate wins for his entire team.

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The new Chess merit badge for Boy Scouts was just launched a few weeks ago. DS is especially excited about this badge. He has always loved chess.

My husband has just put in his paperwork to be registered as a chess merit badge counselor. The Boy Scout troop is doing a lock-in at our charted organization in December.  On Sunday morning they will be doing a service project by setting up for a blood drive. But there is nothing planned for the rest of the event yet. If my husband’s merit badge counselor application is approved by then, maybe some of the Scouts will be interested in working on the Chess merit badge.

Chess Merit Badge Requirements

1. Discuss with your merit badge counselor the history of the game of chess. Explain why it is considered a game of planning and strategy.
2. Discuss with your merit badge counselor the following:
1. The benefits of playing chess, including developing critical thinking skills, concentration skills, and decision-making skills, and how these skills can help you in other areas of your life
2. Sportsmanship and chess etiquette
3. Demonstrate to your counselor that you know each of the following. Then, using Scouting’s Teaching EDGE, teach the following to a Scout who does not know how to play chess:
1. The name of each chess piece
2. How to set up a chessboard
3. How each chess piece moves, including castling and en passant captures
4. Do the following:
1. Demonstrate scorekeeping using the algebraic system of chess notation.
2. Discuss the differences between the opening, the middle game, and the endgame.
3. Explain four opening principles.
4. Explain the four rules for castling.
5. On a chessboard, demonstrate a “scholar’s mate” and a “fool’s mate.”
6. Demonstrate on a chessboard four ways a chess game can end in a draw.
5. Do the following:
1. Explain four of the following elements of chess strategy: exploiting weaknesses, force, king safety, pawn structure, space, tempo, time.
2. Explain any five of these chess tactics: clearance sacrifice, decoy, discovered attack, double attack, fork, interposing, overloading, overprotecting, pin, remove the defender, skewer, zwischenzug.
3. Set up a chessboard with the white king on e1, the white rooks on a1 and h1, and the black king on e5. With White to move first, demonstrate how to force checkmate on the black king.
4. Set up and solve five direct-mate problems provided by your merit badge counselor.
6. Do ONE of the following:
1. Play at least three games of chess with other Scouts and/or your merit badge counselor. Replay the games from your score sheets and discuss with your counselor how you might have played each game differently.
2. Play in a scholastic (youth) chess tournament and use your score sheets from that tournament to replay your games with your merit badge counselor. Discuss with your counselor how you might have played each game differently.
3. Organize and run a chess tournament with at least four players, plus you. Have each competitor play at least two games.

Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting

This month I am featuring a Chess theme in honor of the launch of the new Chess merit badge. Chess is a game which requires the player to focus, analyze, and think ahead.  So this month I will feature awards related to chess as well as some aids to meet the requirements and some fun ways to help beginners learn the game.

While the theme is called a “Cub Scout” chess theme, chess is fun for all ages. So  information in this theme can be used with:

• The Chess belt loop and pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program
• The Chess merit badge
• The Venturing Arts and Hobbies Bronze award
• Venturing Crews with a chess specialty

I’ll post the Chess merit badge requirements tomorrow in case you haven’t seen them yet.

Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting

Communications merit badge is one of the Boy Scout merit badges which is required for the rank of Eagle.  Unlike many of the Eagle required badges, this one really lends itself to being worked on in a group meeting setting. So this is one that could be the basis for a series of troop meetings.

Once when a group of Scouts from our troop was working on this badge, they planned a campfire program for requirement 8. They made up many of their own skits. Then they volunteered to do the program as a Cub Pack meeting. The Cub Scouts loved the program and the adults in the pack were grateful to the Boy Scouts for providing the entire program for on of their meetings.

Remember, even if the Scouts work on the requirements as a group, they still need to meet with their counselor individually to complete the badge.

Communications Merit Badge Requirements

1. Do ONE of the following:
1. For one day, keep a log in which you describe your communication activities. Keep track of the time and different ways you spend communicating, such as talking personto-person, listening to teachers or the radio, watching television, reading books and other print media, and using any electronic communication device. Discuss with your counselor what your log reveals about the importance of communication in your life. Think of ways to improve your communication skills.
2. For three days, keep a journal of your listening experiences. Identify one example of each of the following, and discuss with your counselor when you have listened to:
1. Obtain information
2. A persuasive argument
3. Appreciate or enjoy something
4. Understand someone’s feelings
3. In a small-group setting, meet with other Scouts or with friends. Have them share personal stories about significant events in their lives that affected them in some way. Take note of how each Scout participates in the group discussion and how effectively he communicates his story. Report what you have learned to your counselor about the differences you observed in effective communication.
4. List as many ways as you can think of to communicate with others (face-to-face, by telephone, letter, e-mail, text messages, and so on). For each type of communication, discuss with your counselor an instance when that method might not be appropriate or effective.
2. Do ONE of the following:
1. Think of a creative way to describe yourself using, for example, a collage, short story or autobiography, drawing or series of photographs, or a song or skit. Using the aid you created, make a presentation to your counselor about yourself.
2. Choose a concept, product, or service in which you have great confidence. Build a sales plan based on its good points. Try to persuade the counselor to agree with, use, or buy your concept, product, or service. After your sales talk, discuss with your counselor how persuasive you were.
3. Write a five-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a group.
4. Interview someone you know fairly well, like, or respect because of his or her position, talent, career, or life experiences. Listen actively to learn as much as you can about the person. Then prepare and deliver to your counselor an introduction of the person as though this person were to be a guest speaker, and include reasons why the audience would want to hear this person speak. Show how you would call to invite this person to speak.
5. Attend a public meeting (city council, school board, debate) approved by your counselor where several points of view are given on a single issue. Practice active listening skills and take careful notes of each point of view. Present an objective report that includes all points of view that were expressed, and share this with your counselor.
6. With your counselor’s approval, develop a plan to teach a skill or inform someone about something. Prepare teaching aids for your plan. Carry out your plan. With your counselor, determine whether the person has learned what you intended.
7. Do ONE of the following:
1. Write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to express your opinion or share information on any subject you choose. Send your message by fax, e-mail, or regular mail.
2. Create a Web page or blog of special interest to you (for instance, your troop or crew, a hobby, or a sport). Include at least three articles or entries and one photograph or illustration, and one link to some other Web page or blog that would be helpful to someone who visits the Web page or blog you have created. It is not necessary to post your Web page or blog to the Internet, but if you decide to do so, you must first share it with your parents and counselor and get their permission.
3. Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier, or other printed material for your Scout troop or crew, class at school, or other group. Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration.
8. Plan a troop court of honor, campfire program, or an interfaith worship service. Have the patrol leaders’ council approve it, then write the script and prepare the program. Serve as master of ceremonies.
9. Find out about three career opportunities in communication. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting

Learning how to express ideas is important for people of all ages. Cub Scouts can practice storytelling, writing, and presentation skills by working on the Communicating belt loop from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program.

If you make Cub Scouts aware of the requirements, many of them will find they are already doing them in school. Why not get some recognition for it?

Remember, the program is meant to introduce different subjects and sports to Cub Scouts. They don’t have to do the requirements perfectly. Remember the Cub Scout Motto – “Do Your Best”.

Webelos who earn the Communicating Belt Loop while a Webelos also complete requirement 15 for the Communicator activity badge.

Communicating Belt Loop Requirements

Complete these three requirements:

1. Tell a story or relate an incident to a group of people, such as your family, den, or members of your class.
2. Write and send a letter to a friend or relative.
3. Make a poster about something that interests you. Explain the poster to your den.

Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting