Pioneering Merit Badge Activity Planner

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Come learn how to have fun with Pioneering Scoutcraft. Plan this one for Camporee month and be the envy of all other scout patrols.

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

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

Exploring Pioneering 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.
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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 Pioneering in virtual meeting
Family Activity GREAT Practice knots at homes. Make a camp gadget for the family.
Service Activity GREAT Useage in Emergency Preparedness Drills
S.T.E.M. Activity GREAT Great practice in physics and engineering skills
Field Trip GREAT Great for Scout Camp or District Camporee
Duty-to-God POOR N/A
MB Day POOR Insufficient time to teach skills (1-8) and then to complete notable projects.
Overnighter GREAT Great for Scout Camp or District Camporee
Summer Camp GREAT Best done with those camps that have a large supply of quality rope and varied size poles


Online Resources

B. Introduction Meeting

Most merit badge activities do best to have a "introduction" meeting where the patrol can discuss how to get started and to plan out their field trips.

Pioneering 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.

News Flash

  • Popular Knots YouTube Channel - Popular Knots presents videos "How to tie a knot". Tying the Knots or Knot tying is not a rocket science but still you need to "Do it right". This is a YouTube channel created specifically as an "Encyclopedia of Popular Knots" It's created for introduction, to our viewers, of the most popular knots such as : Fishing Knots, Boating Knots, Climbing Knots, Tying a Tie and many other knots in everyday practice.
  • Top Six Boy Scout Knots - YouTube Video from Practically Outdoors shows easy way to teach Boy Scout Knots.
  • Hot to Tie Useful Knots - YouTube Video from ElectronicsNMore shows easy way to teach Boy Scout Knots.

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.

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.

Pioneering Exercises with your MBC

Find a large open area and gather your troop's supply of ropes, poles and other useful pioneering gear: Allow several meetings for these exercises.

Activity Night A: All About Rope

  • Req #1: Pioneering Safety
  • Req #2: Rope Care, Knots & Lashings.
  • Req #3: Rope Throwing
  • Req #4: Different Types of Ropes

Activity Night B: Manufacturing Rope

  • Req #5: Splicing Rope
  • Req #6: Rope Making Machines (See Extra Credit below)
  • Req #7: Anchoring Projects
  • Req #8: Rope Tackles

Activity Night C: Manufacturing Rope

  • Req #9: Trestle Construction - (See Diagram to the right)

Activity Night D: Gateway Tower

  • Req #10: Gateway Tower - At Camporee do the Gateway / as patrol night do Group B Individually

With the approval of your counselor and using appropriate lashings and pioneering techniques, build and use one full-size pioneering project from either group A or group B. Your project must comply with the requirements of the Guide to Safe Scouting. (Requirement 10 may be done at summer camp, at district or council events, or on a troop camp outing.)

    • Group A: Tower OR bridge - Anchor your project as appropriate and necessary. Explain how your anchoring system works. Group A projects may be worked on in a group and with others.
    • Group B: Camp chair OR camp table - Group B projects must be worked on individually.

E. Field Trip / Scout Camp

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

Camporee Gateway Tower

  • Req #10: Gateway Tower - At Camporee do the Gateway / as patrol night do Group B Individually. Or spend a non-summer weekend at Scout Camp and ask your Scout Camp if they have the large oversize poles available for pioneering use.

With the approval of your counselor and using appropriate lashings and pioneering techniques, build and use one full-size pioneering project from either group A or group B. Your project must comply with the requirements of the Guide to Safe Scouting. (Requirement 10 may be done at summer camp, at district or council events, or on a troop camp outing.)

    • Group A: Tower OR bridge - Anchor your project as appropriate and necessary. Explain how your anchoring system works. Group A projects may be worked on in a group and with others.
    • Group B: Camp chair OR camp table - Group B projects must be worked on individually.

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.
  3. Video lesson on Friendship Knots from Cubmaster Curtis

Build Your Own Rope Maker Machine

Related Merit Badges

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

  • Weather - Use pioneering skills to build a weather rock for your patrol campsite.