Here are some merit badge classes that are available locally. We are not participating in these classes as a troop, so if you want to take one of these classes, you will need to register directly with the organization offering the program, and arrange your own transportation to the class.
Pav YMCA, 2947 S. Oak Park Ave. in Berwyn will offer Swimming Merit Badge – Monday October 17, 6-9 pm $20 and Lifesaving Merit Badge – Wednesday, October 19, 6-9 pm $20. Register at the Pav YMCA front desk in advance.
Microsoft Store, Oak Brook, IL offers merit badge classes in Animation, Astronomy, Digital Technology, Game Design, Moviemaking, Photography and Programming. $10 per class. Check Council calendar for dates of classes and links to online registration: http://pathwaytoadventure.org/ptaccalendar.
The DuPage County Forest Preserve offers a monthly merit badge class for $30 per class. http://dupageforest.org/scout_merit_badge_program/
Morton Arboretum regularly offers merit badge classes, their programs often fill up quickly. http://www.mortonarb.org/learn-experience/youth-scout-courses
The Thunderbird District will have a merit badge clinic in Naperville (Oct 22 and Nov 19, 8am to noon) for 1st Class and above. Classes will be offered in Automotive Maintenance, Chess, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Genealogy, Reading, Salesmanship, Sustainability and Truck Transportation. Deadline to register is October 15. Here’s the link: http://www.thunderbirddistrict.org/index.php/activities/tb-merit-badge-clinic-fall-2016
The Signal Hill District will offer a Merit Badge Clinic Saturday, October 29, 8:30-noon in Barrington, IL. Here is the link for class offerings and more information: https://scoutingevent.com/456-8811
The Crystal Lake Park District offers classes year- round, after you follow this link, check on their website calendar for details on dates, cost and registration: http://crystallakeparks.org/Parks-Facilities/Nature-Center/scouts.asp
The Potawanomi District will have their Merit Badge Clinic February 18, 2017 at York High School in Elmhurst. https://www.facebook.com/meritbadgeuniversity/
The Des Plaines Valley Community Merit Badge Academy will take place March 25, 2017 at Elmwood Park High School. Check the PTAC calendar as the date approaches for registration: http://pathwaytoadventure.org/ptaccalendar
These following programs are farther away, but are recommended by Troop 24 scouts:
Three Harbors District in Milwaukee always has a nice variety of MB clinics/workshops: http://www.threeharborsscouting.org/OpenRosters/ViewOrgPageLink.aspx?LinkKey=46873&orgkey=2686
Discovery World Museum in Milwaukee offers Merit badge classes: http://www.discoveryworld.org/programs/boy-scout-workshops/
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We are looking to assemble a group of up to four boy scouts to conduct skits, songs and a flag retirement during the evening of Saturday, October 15, 2016.  Our boys scouts will be putting on a camp fire program for the cub scouts of Pack 24 during their camp out at the Riverside Scout Cabin on that date.  This event will help scouts complete requirement #8 for the Communications Merit Badge, which is required for the Eagle rank.

The specific requirements are:

• Plan a troop or crew court of honor, campfire program, or an interfaith worship service. Have the patrol leaders’ council approve it, then write the script and prepare the program. Serve as master of ceremonies.

Any scouts that are interested should email Jim Jerz (jiminov@hotmail.com) who will assist the scouts with their preparations for the program and coordinate with  all logistics with Pack 24.  If we have interest from more than four scouts we will prioritize older scouts.  Plan on working on this program during the next two troop meetings on October 6 and October 13.

Scouts that participate in this event can continue to work on the Communications MB to complete it with a troop 24 counselor.

Friday’s Disability Awareness Merit Badge events will be held at the Oak Lawn Park District, 9401 S. OAK PARK AVE, OAK LAWN.  This is a different location than previously posted.  The activities start at 7:00 pm followed by pizza (bring $5).  Please sign up on the Troop 24 web site.

On September 29th and 30th, our scouts have a great opportunity to participate in a disability awareness event and earn the Disability Awareness merit badge. Scouts may participate in this program just for fun if they have previously earned the merit badge.

Scouts will discuss the merit badge requirements at our regular troop meeting on Thursday, September 29th.

The following evening, the Lincolnway Special Recreation Association will be coming with wheelchairs and other interactive devices to teach the scouts what it feels like to have a disability. This event will be held in the Oak Lawn Park District gym at 9401 S Oak Park Avenue, Oak Lawn, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 30. Following wheelchair basketball games, we pizza and pop will be served (please bring $5 to cover the cost).

We would like to know in advance how many scouts plan to attend. Please sign up here:
Disability Merit Badge Sign Up

Disabilities Awareness merit badge requirements:

1. Discuss with your counselor proper disability etiquette and person first language. Explain why these are important.

2. Visit an agency that works with people with physical, mental, emotional, or educational disabilities. Collect and read information about the agency’s activities. Learn about opportunities its members have for training, employment, and education. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor

3. Do TWO of the following:
a. Talk to a Scout who has a disability and learn about his experiences taking part in Scouting activities and earning different merit badges. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor
b. Talk to an individual who has a disability and learn about this person’s experiences and the activities in which this person likes to participate. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor
c. Learn how people with disabilities take part in a particular adaptive sport or recreational activity. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor.
d. Learn about independent living aids such as service animals, canes, and augmentative communication devices such as teletypewriters (TTYs). Discuss with your counselor how people use such aids.

4. Visit TWO of the following locations and take notes about the accessibility to people with disabilities. In your notes, give examples of five things that could be done to improve upon the site and five things about the site that make it friendly to people with disabilities. Discuss your observations with your counselor.
a. Your school
b. Your place of worship
c. Your Scout camping site
d. A public exhibit or attraction (such as a theater, museum, or park)

5. Explain what advocacy is. Do ONE of the following advocacy activities:
a. Present a counselor approved disabilities awareness program to a Cub Scout pack or other group. During your presentation, explain and use person first language.
b. Find out about disability awareness education programs in your school or school system, or contact a disability advocacy agency. Volunteer with a program or agency for eight hours.
c. Using resources such as disability advocacy agencies, government agencies, the Internet (with your parent’s permission), and news magazines, learn about myths and misconceptions that influence the general public’s understanding of people with disabilities. List 10 myths and misconceptions about people with disabilities and learn the facts about each myth. Share your list with your counselor, then use it to make a presentation to a Cub Scout pack or other group.

6. Make a commitment to your merit badge counselor describing what you will do to show a positive attitude about people with disabilities and to encourage positive attitudes among others. Discuss how your awareness has changed as a result of what you have learned.

7. Name five professions that provide services to people with disabilities. Pick one that interests you and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss what you learn with your counselor, and tell why this profession interests you.

Reminder to all scouts already working on their personal fitness merit badge, we are meeting this Saturday, July 16 at 8am at RPC.

• This session is only for scouts that have already begun their requirements.  If your scout hasn’t started, this is not the session for him, but we will plan more in the future.
• Scouts should come prepared for the timed one-mile run and strength assessments.  The weather is warm so bring water in addition to running shoes and comfortable shorts.  No need to come in uniform.
• Parents should sign the exercise log to confirm accuracy.  Scouts should also have their worksheets completed; bring both the log and worksheet to the session.
• We will provide blue cards for scouts at this event.

See you there!

If your scout has been working on his personal fitness merit badge requirements, please mark your calendars for Saturday, July 16 at 8am.  We will have a meeting at Riverside Presbyterian Church  to have a final assessment of each scouts’ fitness which includes the timed mile run, flexibility, strength and BMI.  The merit badge requires improvement on each of these measurements, and we will compare from the results we measured at troop meetings over the spring.  Other requirements to be completed include the following:

• The scout’s 90 day exercise log.  Scouts should record all physical activity including sports practices & games, individual conditioning plans, and of course any hikes or biking / kayaking / canoeing a scout has participated in with the troop.
• A completed merit badge worksheet.  The scouts will work through the non-exercise requirements with the merit badge counselors during this meeting.  Note that one of the requirements is to have a scout have a physical exam from a physician, and all scouts going to Tesomas must complete this by July 1.

We expect the meeting will last until 11:00am.  If your scout cannot make this meeting, we will look to schedule another meeting in August before the start of school.  We will bring BSA blue cards to this meeting, so your scout does not need to obtain one in advance.  Please email , stlanken@yahoo.com, jiminov@hotmail.com, or hdrubio@gmail.com with any questions.

We will continue working with the older scouts on the personal fitness merit badge at the troop meeting this evening.  Scouts should prepare by bringing:

• Running shoes & athletic clothes for the timed mile run
• Merit badge worksheet and their updated exercise log

See you tonight.

Scouts already working on the personal fitness merit badge should continue to do so by recording all exercise in their weekly logs.  Scouts can also begin completing the rest of the worksheet, if you haven’t downloaded it; here is a link:  http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/worksheets/Personal-Fitness.pdf

Note that part of the worksheet requires scouts to describe a medical examination.  This exam is also part of the requirements for medical form for camp Tesomas, so why not get two things done at once.

We will not have a scheduled MB session during the troop meetings on May 12 or May 19, but we will ask all scouts to complete a timed mile run, sit-ups and push-ups on their own.  We will plan a few additional merit badge sessions during June, so stay tuned for specific dates & times.

Scouts working on the personal fitness MB should come prepared to complete a timed mile run and strength tests at our Troop meeting on April 28.  In the second half of the meeting, scouts will review their exercise logs with leaders and parents and go over any questions they have on the worksheet.  So bring the following:

• Running shoes & weather appropriate clothes for outside running
• Class A uniform shirt to put on after the run
• Personal fitness worksheet & exercise log.

The scouts that have scheduled a scoutmaster conference or board of review will complete their fitness tests at the meeting next week.

Scouts working on the personal fitness MB should continue with their personal exercise programs.  Scouts should log all their activities including any organized sports practices or major bike rides, walks or hikes.

We will check on scout progress  on this merit badge during our Thursday April 28 meeting, when scouts will complete a timed run of one mile and also test sit-ups and push-ups.

In the interim, please email hdrubio@gmail.com or jiminov@hotmail.com with any questions.