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Metal Detecting Boy Scout Badge

J

Jeff Calzarette

New member
Has anyone ever thought about trying to work with the Boy Scouts to get a Metal Detecting Merit Badge started? It would be a great way to promote the hobby and detecting clubs could work with troops and it might even open up some new local hunting territory. Just a thought.
 
While its great to support the Boy Scouts... but why would you want to PROMOTE 'this' hobby?
TV shows like Diggers and detector stores are doing quite well promoting the hobby all the way to hobby's eventual logical conclusion...its demise.

IMO there's enough, way too many people already detecting out out there these days.
There will always be a certain percentage of lunatics out of the general population digging up places, leaving open holes and junk around which is rapidly ruining the hobby as many of us knew it.

IMO, if we want to keep public places open for furture detecting in public places, the hobby needs to be DEMOTED not PROMOTED.

Just the way i feel. Seen way too many unfilled holes out there.
 
My thought is to educate a new digger to fill holes and be respectful so the hobby continues. I also feel the more people who support the hobby the less likely it will be out lawed like it is in many towns. I do not know why there must be a " eventual logical conclusion...its demise " to this wonderful hobby. Thing are being lost every day and many "hunted out spots" that I go to reward me with old and new finds. I do agree there are some very bad people using detectors but that is the exception to the rule. That is why we must educate the general public that must of us are doing the right thing.
 
I'm an Eagle Scout as are both my brothers, so am a bit familiar with the program...But I also agree with ironsight...

Any kid now a days in Scouting gets teased enough as it is!...so dont add to that misery by burdening them with this geeky Sport!...This is for old guys who dont care anymore what anybody thinks!:rofl:

Its an admirable idea Jeff, to get kids outside doing something fun and exciting...but dang, not MY Sport! I'm selfish...a bunch of rabid kids armed with detectors would flat wipe out an area in a hurry! Leaving nothing for Me! They can do this when they get old, maybe something for them to look forward to?..
Mud
 
mudpuppy said:
...I'm an Eagle Scout as are both my brothers, so am a bit familiar with the program...
Mud
Click to expand...

Hey thats cool mud!:thumbup:

In a galaxy far far away a long long time ago i was a Cub Scout. Musta been 7 or 8 at the time.
For some long unforgotten reason never made it to the Boy Scouts.

Don't know if its the same these days but Cub Scouts back then had Den Mothers.
All i can remember from those Cub Scout days was the uniform, going to a couple meetings and looking back....
that Den Mother, she was one HOT Den Mother! :drool::nono:
I think she push started my puberty or something and been grateful ever since!!:smoke:
 
I guess I am just not selfish and I really enjoy sharing this wonderful hobby with other as I have since 1977. I will have to ask members of the detecting club I belong to if they feel the same way. I think they are much more willing to share the fun. It will be interesting to find out. I will let you know what I find out and if I am in the minority I will keep my mouth shut. :)
 
Unfortunately, for an adult male, being around any kids now a days is just down right dangerous...'Be Prepared' to address these horrible issues such as Criminal background checks for any and all that may want to get involved..Plus, if you smoke, forget it...nobody can smoke around kids anymore...so that weeds out probably 10% of your club right there....

They are even doing this at Churches now a days for anybody that wants to volunteer for any kind of affiliated position, music, teens, etc...Even then its a risk...all a kid has to say is "Mr Soandso made me feel uncomfortable"....Boom! Your in big trouble fast.!..until proven innocent if possible...just one of those things to be aware of...your life/reputation can be ruined by some kid...so yes, they are more dangerous to be around than sharks or bears..something to consider..
Mud.
 
Interestingly, this past weekend there was a knock on my front door as the sun was setting...Earlier It was a nice sunny day and a lot of the snow had melted...but by the evening it was getting very cold and freezing again...Well, there was a teenage kid standing out on my front porch, seems he decided to go for a walk and got lost, no hat, no gloves, feet were soaked from the slush, and he also was carrying one of those CPap machines over his shoulder..As we spoke, I ascertained he was mildly retarded, not in the best of health either..carrying a CPap machine? Whats up with that?..:shrug:...He had no idea N from S or where he was...but he knew where he lived, which was @5 miles away...without thinking, I said, "hop in the car and I'll drive you on home"..and so I did..and he was thankful, said he had been knocking on doors for help and nobody would help him.....It was only a little later I got to thinking what a BAD idea this was! It could have gone bad fast...

Same thing happened last year except it was a teenage girl exchange student from China who knocked on my door and the same thing happened, she was lost...I drove her to the place where she was staying at...

35 yrs ago some little boy was lost down at the river in St Cloud MN...He was a Hmong child..lots of Hmong settled there in the late 70's early 80's....it was probably 11pm as I was coming up out of there from fishing, and he was sitting there in the dark crying, didnt hardly speak any english...so one again, I took care of it...He hopped into my truck and I drove around St Cloud until he recognized an area...As I pulled down the street, there were cop cars and all sorts of Hmong out there in a frenzy! As we got close, he jumped out of my crappy truck and ran into his parents arms...I thought to myself, "damn, this could go bad fast"...I explained to the police what had transpired, the kids folks thanked me, so nothing bad happened, but in all instances it sure could have!...I am a 'nobody' in the Community, nobody with any power would come to vouch for my character if something bad went down...:shrug:...I am convinced I have a pair of guardian angels that keep me safe, and also direct the lost to my door..:angel:.
Mud
 
You are STILL a good scout, Mudpuppy: "....To help other people at all times....". Good job! Best of luck and...

Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel
 
Jeff Calzarette said:
My thought is to educate a new digger to fill holes and be respectful so the hobby continues. I also feel the more people who support the hobby the less likely it will be out lawed like it is in many towns. I do not know why there must be a " eventual logical conclusion...its demise " to this wonderful hobby. Thing are being lost every day and many "hunted out spots" that I go to reward me with old and new finds. I do agree there are some very bad people using detectors but that is the exception to the rule. That is why we must educate the general public that must of us are doing the right thing.
Click to expand...

No demise?
Just ask some of the members here who 'used' to search the forest preserve parks in Cook Co. IL. Total ban now on detecting.

Just the visibility of swarms of people detecting public grounds puts metal detecting in the public's eye and worse the politician's radar.
How? When a park caretaker has to repair un-filled holes or City Hall gets complaints from people who just don't like seeing people digging in their precious parks.

Detector bans are springing up all over the country including many school grounds which used to be open to detecting.
Don't think a total ban on all parks could happen? Take a look at the UK and other European Countries.

Its got nothing to do with greed but has everything to do with keeping public areas open to detecting.
 
That is why we must educate, get more supporter, and weed out the bad "diggers". If we hide this hobby I will surely end but if we have a group like the boy scouts behind us it can only help our cause.
 
Mudpuppy,

My son is an Eagle Scout and I volunteered as a leader for over five years and there are ways the scout leader keep from being targeted, " all a kid has to say is "Mr Soandso made me feel uncomfortable" which is called " boy scout two deep leadership" meaning no scout is alone with a leader unless it is his or her own son. Yes there are back ground checks and training require which protects the youth and adults. I guess from the feedback that I am receiving that most detectorist do not want to educate the public the way my club does. Working with the State police, state archaeologist and museums which has helped us get to detect new places. I guess the answer to my question is no. No one has looked into getting involved with The Boy Scouts of America. Thank you Mudpuppy for your opinion and it is good to hear you learned a lot from scouting and are still practising it. "Do a good turn daily". I am proud you have helped lost people find their way home. You said you are a "no body in the community" which is incorrect. You are and always will be an Eagle Scout. Keep up the good work.

Jeff
 
Working with a boy scout may be a "Good" idea. We all know that metal detector makers will sell their machines to anyone, and we all know that there are "slob" hunters that can cause many places to be shut down. The key opportunity here is to "Educate". Not only to show how to sweep a coil etc., but the PROPER way to dig in parks, schools etc. as opposed to woods and plowed fields and such. If you are taught the right way, then you are likely to detect and DIG the RIGHT way. Right now I'm working with a young guy who just happens to be a Boy Scout, and he is all in for learning this hobby, he even wondered if there might be a "merit badge" for detecting. Again, detectors can be sold to anybody, so why not try to show & teach the RIGHT way to search for and recover a target, as opposed to having people buy a detector thinking they will find all the "Good Stuff" for money, not caring where or how. You cannot stop the sale of detectors , so how about a new generation of "Responsible" detectorist? It's just a thought fella's........
 
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