Home

Requirements April 1999 until January 2004

1. Develop a plan to teach a skill. Have your merit badge counselor approve the plan. Make teaching aids. Carry out your plan. With the counselor, check to see if the learner has learned.

2. Choose a product or service. Build a sales plan based on its good points. Try to "sell" the counselor on buying it from you. Talk with him about how well you did in telling him about product or service and convincing the counselor to buy it.

3. Do the Following:

(a) Show how you would make a telephone call inviting an expert in the field of your choice to give a demonstration to your unit on that person’s area of expertise.
(b) Show how to create an effective recorded message and how to leave a voice-mail message.

4. Do the following:

(a) Write a five-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a group.
(b) Show how to introduce a guest speaker.

5. Attend a town meeting where two or three points of view are being given. Listen and take notes. Make a report from your notes. Tell your troop or patrol what you think you heard.

6. Do ONE of the following:

(a) Write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to express your opinion or share information (on any subject you choose). Or, write to an individual or organization to request information (on any subject). Send your message by fax or electronic mail, if possible. Otherwise, mail a traditional letter.
(b) Create a page on the World Wide Web for yourself or to give information about your Scout troop, school, or other organization. Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration.
(c) Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier, or other printed material for your Scout troop, school, chartered organization, or other group. Include at least one photograph or illustration.

7. Plan a troop court of honor or campfire program. Have the patrol leaders' council approve it. Write the script. Prepare the program for reproduction. Act as master of ceremonies.

8. Prepare an autobiographical resume that you would use in applying for a job.

9. Check careers in the field of communications. Prepare a statement on the one you like. Talk it over with your counselor.

Requirements January 2004 until January 2010

1. Do the following:

(a) For one day, keep a log in which you describe your communication activities. Keep track of the time and different ways you spend communicating, such as talking, person-to-person, listening to teachers or to the radio, watching television, reading books and other media, and communicating online. Discuss with your counselor what your log reveals about the importance of communication in your life. Think of ways to improve your communication skills.
(b) For three days, keep a journal of your listening experiences. Identify one example of each of the following, and discuss with your counselor when you have listened to:

(1) Obtain information
(2) A persuasive argument
(3) Appreciate or enjoy something
(4) Understand someone’s feelings

(c) In a small-group setting, meet with other Scouts or with friends. Have them share personal stories about significant events in their lives that affected them in some way. Take note of how each Scout participates in the group discussion and how effective each one is in telling his story. Report what you have learned to your counselor about the differences you observed in effective communication.
(d) List as many ways as you can think of to communicate with others (face-to-face, by telephone, letter, e-mail, fax). For each type of communication, discuss with your counselor an instance when that method might not be appropriate or effective.

2. Do ONE of the following:

(a) Think of a creative way to describe yourself using, for example, college, short story or autobiography, drawing or series of photographs, or a song or skit. Using the aid you created, make a presentation to your counselor about yourself.
(b) Choose a concept, product, or service in which you have great confidence. Build a sales plan based on its good points. Try to persuade the counselor to agree with, use, or buy your concept, product, or service. After your sales talk, discuss with your counselor how persuasive you were.

3. Write a five-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a group.

4. Interview someone you know fairly well, like, or respect because of his or her position, talent, career, or life experiences. Listen actively to learn as much as you can about the person. Then prepare and deliver to your counselor an introduction of the person as though this person were to be a guest speaker, and include reasons why the audience would want to hear this person speak. Show how you would call to invite this person to speak.

5. Attend a public meeting (city council, school board, debate) approved by your counselor where several points of view are given on a single issue. Practice active listening skills and take careful notes of each point of view. Present an objective report that includes all points of view that were expressed, and share this with your counselor.

6. With your counselor’s approval, develop a plan to teach a skill or inform someone about something. Prepare teaching aids for your plan. Carry out your plan. With your counselor, determine whether the person has learned what you intended.

7. Don ONE of the following:

(a) Write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to express your opinion or share information on any subject you choose. Send your message by fax, e-mail, or regular mail.
(b) Create a Web page for your Scout troop, school, or other organization. Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration, and one link to some other Web page that would be helpful to someone who visits the Web page you have created. It is not necessary to post Web page to the Internet, but if you decide to do so, you must first share it with your parents and counselor and get their permission.
(c) Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier, or other printed material for your Scout troop, class at school, or other group. Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration.

8.Plan a troop court of honor or campfire program. Have the patrol leader’s council approve it, the write the script and prepare the program. Serve as master of ceremonies.

9. Learn about opportunities in the field of communications. Choose one career in which you are interested and discuss with your counselor the major responsibilities of that position and the qualifications. Education, and preparation it requires.