The Boy Scouts Now Offer a Robotics Badge

[vansau]

The Boy Scouts Now Offer a Robotics Badge

Today, a merit badge. Tomorrow, the world!

In an effort to keep up with the times, the Boy Scouts of America have unveiled a new merit badge to appeal to tomorrow's mad scientists: Robotics. The new badge is the latest addition to the Scouts' Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program. The STEM program is designed to make such subjects fun to learn, and Robotics is one of thirty-one related merit badges.

According to BSA Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca:

"The Robotics merit badge is an example of how Scouting remains true to
its roots to help young people be prepared. While the guiding principles of Scouting-
service to others, leadership, personal achievement, and respect for the outdoors-will never change, we continue to adapt programs to prepare young people for success in all areas of life.

Changes to the merit badge catalog are a somewhat regular occurrence. Requirements are updated, old badges are phased out, and new ones are created based on current trends and hobbies. However, I have to say that Robotics is a pretty cool idea. Not only is it both nerdy and cool, but it'll probably teach a lot of scouts about how to start their careers as future villains with android armies.

Source: Geek


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[AnOriginalConcept]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

 

[Veloxe]

I'm going to hold out for the genetic engineering merit badge.

 

[gigastar]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

Really? Where is this?

OT: [Standard positive comment here]

 

[C95J]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

Yeah, in the USA.

I am pretty sure in the UK it is different, since I have been in the scouts for 5 years, I am definitely not homophobic and openly Atheist.

 

[Mr. Grey]

In an effort to keep up with the times, the Boy Scouts of America have unveiled a new merit badge to appeal to tomorrow's mad scientists: Robotics.

I'd like to think of it as not so much creating mad scientists and more making sure we have a fighting chance against Terminators.

 

[Space Jawa]

Not only is it both nerdy and cool, but it'll probably teach a lot of scouts about how to start their careers as future villains with android armies.

They're the Boyscouts. I hardly think they'll be churning out many villains.

Now, future heroes on the other hand, with android armies to counter the villains that show up, that I could see.

Or on the other hand, it'll mean that stopping the inevitable robot uprising will be just another disaster that the Scouts will "Be Prepared" for.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

They're the Boyscouts. I hardly think they'll be churning out many villains.

Have you ever been one? Hell, I was, and they (not I) experimented with more fire and chemicals than I think is allowed under the Geneva Convention

 

[Spartan448]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

Not in my troop. We have, what, an entire Patrol of the groups you've mentioned.

Anyway, these scouts can have their robotics. There was a Stalking badge once. Now those years Scouting was popular. They shouldn't have changed the name back to Tracking, but I guess some parents had problems with the other name.

Anyway, I just have my Eagle Project left to do, so this new badge really doesn't draw any curiosity from me at the moment.

Now a Quantum Physics or Matter-Anit-matter Reactions badge, THOSE would be popular!

 

[FlashHero]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

Really? Where is this?

OT: [Standard positive comment here]

It is true sadly..I don't have links with me but they have taking away eagle scouts badges when they say they were atheist when they accepted them. They also do not allow gays under the idea that gay people want to fuck little boys.

 

[Feste the Jester]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

The Atheist and Homophobic things are complete lies. I have friends in scouting who are openly Atheist and there's nothing again gays or bisexual people, at least in the Boy Scouts of America there isn't

OT: I'm totally going to get this merit badge.

 

[thedoclc]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

Yeah, in the USA.

I am pretty sure in the UK it is different, since I have been in the scouts for 5 years, I am definitely not homophobic and openly Atheist.

The Boy Scouts of the UK do allow gays and do not maintain that religion is an essential part of scouting. The United States chapter does do so, though it does not receive federal funds. The Department of Defense has cut all funding for scouting activities in light of their position on homosexuals. However, the courts has routinely and regularly ruled that the BSA's first amendment right to free association allows them to choose to exclude on such grounds as they wish, provided they remain a private organization. As the BSA does not receive federal funds, that 1st amendment right does not run afoul of fourteenth amendment due process or equal protection clauses. Also, as of (yet) the Supreme Court has not included sexual orientation as a protected group under the 14th; Sandra Day O'Conner wrote a -minority- opinion holding it was, and it seems inevitable that it will eventually be included.

Also, completely OT: could folks kindly stop making silly comments about sciences they barely understand? Kthanx.

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

Really? Where is this?

OT: [Standard positive comment here]

The BSA's own statements.

"Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. The conduct of youth members must be in compliance with the Scout Oath and Law, and membership in Boy Scouts of America is contingent upon the willingness to accept Scouting?s values and beliefs. Most boys join Scouting when they are 10 or 11 years old. As they continue in the program, all Scouts are expected to take leadership positions. In the unlikely event that an older boy were to hold himself out as homosexual, he would not be able to continue in a youth leadership position."

"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."

BSA has a Christian, slightly conservative origin and value structure. This is found in the BSA Oath and Law.

Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

 

[Quaxar]

I suppose that pictured Mars rover is a lie and they are actually given out for things like a Lego Mindstorms dance bot?

If so I'm disappointed.

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

Now there'll be a million engineers in team fortress!

 

[BabySinclair]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join.

Know a couple gay scouts and atheist eagle scouts. The BSA does not bar gay scouts, only openly gay scout leaders out of paranoia after a few instances of sexual misconduct by adult leaders. The scouts were started for God and Country in the US and is in principle an organization that is based morally on religious tenants, kind of in the scouting Oath and Law there. However the 12th point of the Law "reverent" means understanding for all religious views and if you say an article in which it was taken away then it was either hoax, written with half information to defame the BSA, or an instance in which people not representing the BSA abused their authority to make a biased statement.

That said, where is my Lego merit badge?

 

[thedoclc]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

The Atheist and Homophobic things are complete lies. I have friends in scouting who are openly Atheist and there's nothing again gays or bisexual people, at least in the Boy Scouts of America there isn't

OT: I'm totally going to get this merit badge.

The BSA does exclude gays and maintains that atheism is incompatible with scouting, as per their own statements; see my above post. However, welcome to the internet age: if you choose to associate with a group which has these values, even if they also preach tolerance, then clearly you must be a homophobe, etc.

You've run into an ugly truth here; there are folks who cannot realize that a person might choose to regard an act as wrong, but still "love the sinner and hate the sin." I entirely disagree with the BSA's belief that homosexuality is a sin, but they remain far from a hate group.

 

[gigastar]

Alot of copy/pasting.

I probably should have cleared up that i live in the UK, but i see where this is coming from now.

 

[Feste the Jester]

The BSA does exclude gays and maintains that atheism is incompatible with scouting, as per their own statements; see my above post. However, welcome to the internet age: if you choose to associate with a group which has these values, even if they also preach tolerance, then clearly you must be a homophobe, etc.

You've run into an ugly truth here; there are folks who cannot realize that a person might choose to regard an act as wrong, but still "love the sinner and hate the sin." I entirely disagree with the BSA's belief that homosexuality is a sin, but they remain far from a hate group.

Maybe I just have an incredibly tolerant troop. We even accepted a girl to unofficially join our troop because her Girl Scout troop was not camping enough like she wanted and she was not old enough for joining Venturing (14 years old).

 

[PureIrony]

Looks like have a new badge to start and never get done.

Also:

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

The BSA is openly homophobic. The actual troops are made up of mostly responsible, sensible adults and youths who are smart enough to not generalize entire groups of people.

For the most part. You can never speak for everyone.