"Fred Goodwin, CMA" wrote

Thanx for that reminder.

Actually, to be a merit badge counselor, there is no fee required. If
you register for any other volunteer position (e.g., Scoutmaster or
unit commissioner), it does indeed cost $10, then you can add MBC or
additional volunteer positions for free.

But if you register *only* as a MBC, there is no charge.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^
As long as we are on the subject of becoming active in Boy Scouts, I should
mention the Explorer program, specifically, the Aviation Explorer program.
The Explorers are groups involved in about every career path that could be
taken in life. Examples are paramedic, police, nursing, engineering, and
the list goes on.

Explorers are a "division" of Boy Scouts, and more specifically, "Learning
for Life." Not to lose sight of the ball though, as the organizational
specifics are not important.

Aviation Explorers can be a pivotal way to increase our youth's interest in
aviation. In our post, we have had several youth take aviation as a career
path, when that was not the likely way they were headed.

It is not all that hard to get a new post started. The activities can be
broad, and varied, and not necessarily all aviation. We have gone to at
least two air shows per year (not counting the big one (OSH)) gone skiing,
rafting, to scuba certifying classes, directed parking and aircraft at our
area air show, helped with our local EAA fly-ins, and the list goes on.

I'll bet a good many people do not realize where all of the man (and boy
g) power comes from, to push and park all of the airplanes in the
homebuilt showplane area at OSH every year. It is all Explorers, and other
adult EAA advisors. They also man the ropes at the taxiways in area 51, do
crowd control and plane protection (from the few ignorant people watching
the daily airshow) People over 18 that have been to OSH two times as an
Explorer are eligible to be trained to flag aircraft on some of the active
taxiway intersections off of 18/36, serving one year as apprentice, then on
their own the next year. Shifts are 2 or three hours per day, with
opportunities to work double shifts, if desired.

The Aviation Explorers have a base on the airport grounds, down next to the
North airplane camping area, next to the Civil Air Patrol base camp. There
are usually a few more than 100 boys and girls, and 20 or 30 adult advisors.
Units come from Cleveland, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, North Carolina, and some
other far away places that I can't remember right now.

I can't emphasize how good of an experience Aviation Explorers can be for
you, and for our youth. For those people who really want to make a
difference in keeping G.A. alive, and even growing, IMHO, there is NO better
way to make it happen.

Seriously, think of getting some buddies together and start a post. It is
not hard, and very rewarding. I can point you to a person who is far more
qualified than me, to give you the specifics of how to make this all happen.

Contact me via back channels to get the contact person's name, at:


Make the two obvious BIG changes in my addy.

For other general questions, feel free to contact me, or better yet, post
them here, in newsgroup land.
--
Jim in NC