Cooking Merit Badge Activity Planner

Alongside Camping, Cooking will be one of your most common outdoor activities. Take the time to learn, plan and practice to do it well. There is nothing like after a hard day's adventure then to sitdown afterwards to enjoy a great meal that you prepared yourself.

'Patrol Leader Merit Badge Planning Guide for the Cooking Merit Badge

*** Activities for the Youth Lead Patrol ***

Exploring Cooking can be a fascinating youth adventure when done right. Here are a few tips to help the patrol leader get started.

• Scouts may never add or subtract from the actual merit badge requirements
• This Planner is only a suggestion of different ideas to make working this Merit Badge both fun and easy.
• While doing the Worksheet is not a requirement for earning this badge, in many cases it can help you learn key concepts and track your progress.

A. Make Your Plan

1. Merit Badge Activity Planning Tips - 14 tips for a successful patrol activity. Read carefully before you start your plan!
2. Share Your Plan - Meet ahead of time with your patrol, scout leaders, parents and especially with the Merit Badge Counselor. Make changes to the plan as needed.
3. Prepare Activity Flyer - Keep your fellow scouts informed - events, activities, pre-requisites and more.

Patrol Activity	GREAT	Awesome MB to work as a patrol / Max Size 12 scouts
Virtual Field Trip	GREAT	Require presenter shares Cooking in virtual meeting
Family Activity	POOR	Requires access to Cooking Transmitter
Service Activity	FAIR	Useage in Emergency Preparedness Drills
S.T.E.M. Activity	GREAT	Learn how to use Modern Digital Technology
Field Trip	FAIR	Find a remote broadcast location
Duty-to-God	POOR	N/A
MB Day	GREAT	But only if you broadcast equipment. Many special Cooking MB Day groups abound.
Overnighter	GREAT	Find a remote broadcast location
Summer Camp	GREAT	Pre-requisite: Scout Camp has their own broadcast transmitter

Online Resources

• Cooking Merit Badge Requirements: BoyScoutTrial.com lists all requirements, additional resources, activity worksheet, etc.
• Cooking Merit Badge File Store: Online resources
• Cooking Merit Badge Worksheets: Worksheets are optional - but highly preferred by many MBC. When you find that many requirements say "discuss" - the worksheet can help you gather your thoughts beforehand.
• Cooking Merit Badge Booklet: Everything thing you need to know about Cooking is right here. Get this study guide from either Amazon or your Troop Library, Merit Badge Counselor or Scoutmaster to Learn More About this Subject. (Amazon.com)
• Cooking @ Simple-Wikipedia: Get the basics quickly.

Cooking Resources

• The Lodge Book of Dutch Oven Cooking: The cast iron Dutch oven is the one cooking pot that does it all: bakes bread, steams vegetables, boils seafood, fried eggs, stews wild game, and broils meat. Very popular outdoor cooking event. (Amazon.com)
• Scout's Outdoor Cookbook: emphasizes the best food preparation and techniques currently used in scouting. Thoroughly covered are recipes employing time-tested cooking methods using Dutch ovens, pots and pans, grills, and open fire. Many outstanding no-cook dishes are also provided. (Amazon.com)
• Camping Cookbook Beyond Marshmallows and Hot Dogs:: With over 550 recipes to choose from, make your next camping trip the tastiest ever from breakfast to dessert. (Download FREE with Kindle Unlimited - Amazon.com)

B. Introduction Meeting

The Cooking Merit Badge introduces Scouts to principles of cooking that can be used both at home or in the outdoors. Scouts who earn this badge will learn about food safety, nutritional guidelines, meal planning, and methods of food preparation, and will review the variety of culinary (or cooking) careers available. Completion of this merit badge is required to earn Eagle Scout rank.

Cooking is a classic example of a patrol sized activity. When you have too few scouts it is hard to finish the projects, and if you have too many scouts then there is not enough space or equipment and many end up just standing around. But for the typical patrol (4-10 scouts) you should find that there is plenty for everyone to become fully immersed in the activity and have fun.

Merit Badge Notice

Note: The meals prepared for Cooking merit badge requirements 4, 5, and 6 will count only toward fulfilling those requirements and will not count toward rank advancement or other merit badges. Meals prepared for rank advancement or other merit badges may not count toward the Cooking merit badge. You must not repeat any menus for meals actually prepared or cooked in requirements 4, 5, and 6.

C. Homework / Prerequisites

Assign one or more requirements that the scout can do at home, perhaps as a family activity. Radio Technology has very few pre-requisites - mostly just for the boys to study how Radio works.

• Required Reading:
  • Radio @ Simple-Wikipedia: Get the basics quickly.

D. Study Hall Patrol Night

While some scouts may be adept at self-study, others may do better in a small group setting and taking notes on worksheets. Make an agenda. You can facilitate discussion by asking them why each of the principles introduced here would be relevant. Schedule one or more patrol meetings to work this merit badge.

Discuss with your MBC the following :

• Req #1: Explain What Radio Is
• Req #2: Explain How Radio Works
• Req #3: Diagram of Radio
• Req #4: How Does Radio Carry Information
• Reg #5: Block Diagrams of a Radio

Resources:

• Youtube NOAA Weather Alert Broadcast - Severe Thunderstorm alert.

E. Field Trip

A related field trip with the MBC will be a great time to do the second half of this merit badge activity:

• Reg #6: Safety Requirements
• Req #7: Visit a Radio Installation
• Reg #8: Careers in Radio
• Reg #9: Radio Broadcasting Activity

Ham Radio Station

There are Ham Radio Operators in every community that would love to demonstrate their equipment and skill. Ask your MBC for help to find one near you.

Ham Radio Campout

A few years ago, one of the "Roadkill Patrol" scout leaders brought his Ham Radio on a campout where there was electrical supply. He then hung his radio antenna high up in the trees where he got pretty good reception. His radio operation there was a success.

Scout Camp Radio Station

This merit badge works well for those scout summer camps that operate their own weak frequency radio stations.

Broadcast Station Tour

Some commercial radio stations have a visitors gallery for guests.

Virtual Field Trip

Many MBC for this subject have an amateur radio station at home with which they can do a virtual tour with your patrol. Even better if their radio has a computer interface / share screen feature.

• Reg #6: Safety Requirements
• Req #7: Visit a Radio Installation
• Reg #8: Careers in Radio
• Reg #9: Radio Broadcasting Activity

F. Extra Credit

While none of these are actual requirements for this merit badge - they are terrific opportunities to show Scout Spirit, Do A Good Turn Daily and to have FUN!

1. Activity Reflection: Use this meeting for scouts to ask questions and to reflect on what they gained personally from this adventure. You can also have a discussion on what future opportunities are here.
2. Court of Honor Exhibit: Pictures, handiwork and other memorabilia from this adventure will make for a great presentation at the next Scout Troop Court of Honor.

Jamboree on the Air

• JOTA Official Scout Website
• K2BSA Official Website

JOTA gives you the chance to experience the joys of amateur radio by conversing with other Scouts in your community, across the country, and, just maybe, around the world. Scouts of any age can participate, from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and Venturers. Contact your local Scout council and see what may already be planned in your area.

Jamboree on the Air, known by its acronym JOTA, is an international Scouting and Guiding activity held annually; it is on the third full weekend in October. First held in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of Scouting in 1957, it was devised by Leslie R. Mitchell, a radio amateur with the callsign G3BHK. It is now considered the largest event scheduled by the World Organization of the Scout Movement annually.

Amateur radio operators from all over the world participate with over 500,000 Scouts and Guides[4] to teach them about radio and to assist them to contact their fellow Scouts and Guides by means of amateur radio and since 2004, by the VOIP-based Echolink.[3] This provides the Scouts and Guides with a means of learning about fellow Scouts and Guides from around the world. Scouts and Guides are also encouraged to send paper or electronic confirmations known as "QSL cards", or "eQSLs[5]" when they are sent electronically. In recent years, a parallel Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) has developed. It is an adjunct to the World Scout Jamboree.

The event is recognized as one of international participation by the various Scout and Guide organisations, and supports several awards which are a part of Scouting and Guiding programmes. The Boy Scouts of America recognizes this as an international Scouting event for Citizenship in the World Merit Badge.

Related Merit Badges

Sometimes it is easier by doing two or more merit badges together as a joint activity:

• Camping - Did you know...scouts usually complete these two requirements together - multiple weekends cooking, camping and having fun.
• Family Life - A lot of cooking skills is learned in the home.

See Also

• 9 Things to Know about Merit Badges - BoysLife.org - There are more than 135 merit badges. By earning them, you can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers. Here’s how to get the most out of your merit badge experience.