.
I was
jesting in an earlier post about the Boy Scout "history plunderers badge" but an observant reader has sent me
this link (with the comment "the yanks never disappoint"). It's happening folks. "Minelab Ron" says:
Hubby and I are working to see about getting approval for a metal detecting badge for the Boy Scouts. The kids in our troop love doing it! [...] We are working on a simple design (which will most likely be a metal detector :)) and gathering the paperwork to get the badge approved. I am hoping, also, with the metal detecting we are doing at Pipsico...we will get the blessings of BSA through our Cape Henry District and Tidwater Council and up the chain of command. Would any of you be willing to give a lecture on metal detecting, various types of hunting (as some are just civil war, others beach, while others like indian relics, etc...)....and it would be for a troop in your area or if you will be in an area that would be doing such. I would like to see this happen and maybe at our next camporee (Nov 2008)...we can have a merit badge for metal detecting!!!! Just a thought and keep your fingers crossed we can get this approved... step aside ARCHIES...the Boy Scout Metal Detecting Club is Approaching!!!!!!!
According to one member of the forum, "if you go to the FMDAC web site they have gotten some scout troops to give badges for metal detecting. Maybe someone on there can help...". They also have a coin-collecting badge too, I believe.
I was jesting in an earlier post about the Boy Scout "history plunderers badge" but an observant reader has sent me this link (with the comment "the yanks never disappoint"). It's happening folks. "Minelab Ron" says: 
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2 comments:
Maybe not such a bad idea if it teaches them the responsibility of what they are doing. I was a boy scout and got badges for all manner of activities that have served well in life. Whilst my friends were smoking fags and drinking cider illicitly, I was learning to tie knots, read an OS map,spot birds and learn fieldcraft. A far better alternative.
Well, this is in the USA, so no PAS, no national mutually agreed "Code", so I am not sure how you see "responsibility" being inculcated or measured. Certainly my feeling is that somebody who follows "step aside archies" with so many exclamation marks is not particularly interested in our type of "responsible detecting"...
Still another reason for the ACCG to be pressing for a US PAS to be set up before they try to impose it on the rest of the world.
But of course it is not "metal detecting" but artefact hunting that is in question, and treating archaeological sites (such as of the Civil War - mentioned in the post) merely as "mines" for collectables is neither a "responsible" nor sustainable way to treat ("manage") the resource, is it? I'd far rather see Boy Scouts learning "responsibilities" towards the heritage with a "protect ancient monuments" badge rather than a "dig up collectables on ancient monuments" one.
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