Assignment Sheet

March 7, 2000

Over the next month, we will be working on Communications merit badge during our troop meetings at the Scout House on March 7, March 14 and April 11. The long break between the second and third sessions results from the swim nights scheduled for the Middle School pool, but it conveniently provides you with the time you’ll need to work on the merit badge requirements that can’t be completed during our meetings.

The “homework” portion of this merit badge is extensive and important. Except for requirements 2 and 3, all of the Communications merit badge requirements call for some degree of preparation – planning, writing or researching. This work must be done between meetings because the amount and quality of this preparation that you can do during the troop meetings will not be adequate to pass the requirements. Please do not ask for paper and a pencil at the meetings so that you can try to do the work that should have been completed before arriving at the meeting.

March 7 Meeting

We plan to work on requirements 1, 2 and 3 at our first meeting. First, we will talk with Dr. Diehl about opportunities to help teach some of the skills for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class advancement over the next month. The actual teaching will probably take place at a future meeting since you will need to plan your teaching approach and develop your teaching aids.

1. Develop a plan to teach a skill. Have your merit badge counselor approve the plan. Make teaching aids. Carry out your plan. With the counselor, check to see if the learner has learned.

Second, we will be working at the meeting on selling and telephone communications skills in order to complete requirements 2 and 3.

2. Choose a product or service. Build a sales plan based on its good points. Try to "sell" the counselor on buying it from you. Talk with the counselor about how well you did in telling about the product or service and convincing the counselor to buy it.

3. Do the following:

a. Show how you would make a telephone call inviting an expert in the field of your choice to give a demonstration to your unit on that person's area of expertise.

b. Show how to create an effective recorded message and how to leave a voice-mail message.

As homework for the next meeting, you will need to prepare your 5-minute speech (described below). You do not actually have to write out every word, but it must be outlined ahead of time.

March 14 Meeting

Those who have done their homework and prepared a 5-minute speech will give it to the group, for requirement 4. We will also talk about how to introduce a guest speaker and actually introduce each other before these 5-minute speeches.

4. Do the following:

a. Write a 5-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a group.

b. Show how to introduce a guest speaker.

There is quite a bit of homework for the final session – essentially all of requirements 5, 6, 7 and 8.

April 11 Meeting

We will use our final session to review the work you have done outside of our meetings for requirements 5, 6, 7 and 8. For requirement 5, attending a full Town Meeting will not be required. Rather, any regular meeting of any official Town of Weston committee or commission will be fine (for example, the School Committee, Planning Board, Recreation Commission, Historical Commission, etc.) and you should plan these visits yourselves. For requirement 6, any of choices a, b or c is acceptable, but sending an e-mail message to request information is probably the easiest. For requirement 8, surfing the web for information about careers is recommended, but please print out some of the best material that you find and be prepared to discuss it.

5. Attend a town meeting where two or three points of view are given. Listen and take notes. Make a report from your notes. Tell your troop or patrol what you heard.

6. Do ONE of the following:

a. Write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to express your opinion or share information (on any subject you choose). Or, write to an individual or organization to request information (on any subject). Send your message by fax or electronic mail, if possible. Otherwise, mail a traditional paper letter.

b. Create a page on the World Wide Web for yourself or to give information about your Scout troop, school, or other organization. Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration.

c. Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier, or other printed material for your Scout troop, school, chartered organization, or other group. Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration.

7. Prepare an autobiographical resume that you would use in applying for a job.

8. Check careers in the field of communications. Choose one career and discuss with your counselor the qualifications and preparation needed for it.

You can also use this meeting to finishing teaching the rank advancement skills for requirement 1.