Apr 28 2010Boy Scouts Now Offer Merit Badge In Gaming
Forget starting a fire or setting up a tent, that's what matches and motels were made for, amirite? Now video games, that's what the Boy Scouts are all about. Except you can't actually earn a merit badge in video games, only a belt loop and pin. FLAIR I NEED MORE FLAIR.
BELT LOOP
Complete these three requirements:
1. Explain why it is important to have a rating system for video games. Check your video games to be sure they are right for your age.
2. With an adult, create a schedule for you to do things that includes your chores, homework, and video gaming. Do your best to follow this schedule.
3. Learn to play a new video game that is approved by your parent, guardian, or teacher.
ACADEMICS PIN
Earn the Video Games belt loop and complete five of the following requirements:
1. With your parents, create a plan to buy a video game that is right for your age group.
2. Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on). Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system.
3. Play a video game with family members in a family tournament.
4. Teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game.
5. List at least five tips that would help someone who was learning how to play your favorite video game.
6. Play an appropriate video game with a friend for one hour.
7. Play a video game that will help you practice your math, spelling, or another skill that helps you in your schoolwork.
8. Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer's warranty.
9. With an adult's supervision, install a gaming system.
What. the. f***? Did you read that? Organize a family video game tournament? Play a game that will help you practice your schoolwork? The Boy Scouts sure have gone down hill since I was a Webelos. Next thing you know they're gonna start selling cookies. Which, I admit, would actually be awesome (I'll take four boxes of pot brownies).
Boy Scouts of America
via
Boy Scouts introduce videogame badge, other badges ask 'Really?' [engadget]
Thanks to Zach and ellis, who just earned Geekologie merit badges in awesome, congratulations. Now hold still, I get to staple them to you.
Reader Comments
1. jigga - April 28, 2010 3:44 PM
boy scouts? seriously?
2. RazorJack - April 28, 2010 3:59 PM
Those will be some pretty fat-ass boy scouts...
3. Pastor Al - April 28, 2010 4:03 PM
With your "i was more in the 80s than you even though I wasn't born yet because I read all about it on the internets" nonsense.
Next month they plan to relase merit badges for you in these categories:
Disposable t-shirt sales
Forum pwning
Firsting
Celebrity worship/stalking
and what you really want to prove that obsessing over it online is more relevant than living through it:
Nintendo Trivia
4. Mike - April 28, 2010 4:03 PM
CORRECTION: This is Cub Scouts, Not Boy Scouts. Boy scouts do merit badges, Cub Scouts have belt loops and pins.
5. Dishy - April 28, 2010 4:05 PM
I'm working on my "Being Retarded" belt loop.
My 217th actually. It's a gift.
6. Mike - April 28, 2010 4:06 PM
Keep this is perspective, Cub Scouts is for kids under 11. They do things like Pinewood Derby, so a video game belt loop is not really too crazy. Notice how they conveniently don't talk about some of the other ridiculous belt loops and pins they offer
7. mb1350 - April 28, 2010 4:24 PM
I'm glad people realize this is cub scouts. Boy Scouts is all about burning shit and cutting things with axes and saws.
8. Ollie Williams - April 28, 2010 4:32 PM
@7
And anal rape.
9. one minute slow - April 28, 2010 4:32 PM
Not to be the only one in the topless party with a collared shirt, but every blog is getting this wrong. It's for Cub Scouts. Like, the second-grade, pocket-knifeless, happymeal version of Boy Scouts.
OH WAIT, look, other commenters pointed it out after all. Collared shirt party!
10. joeblgo - April 28, 2010 4:34 PM
A school to learn to kill, the killer win a gift for murder. wow very bad idea...
11. CrispLettuce - April 28, 2010 4:59 PM
@10
Works for the army. The gift being a paycheck and benefits.
12. Dangerous - April 28, 2010 5:00 PM
Honestly, I think this is kind of a good thing, granted it's for Cub Scots. The video game industry gets blasted all the time for turning kids into mindless numb skulls who go on to do heinous things, but really, parent child relations and environment upbringing is often overlooked.
This seems like a good way to get young kids to start thinking critically, teach the value of priority, spur parents to get involved with their childrens' interests, and having fun.
13. Tony Diel - April 28, 2010 6:23 PM
That's Mag...
It should be a trophy....
14. mindless numb skull - April 28, 2010 7:22 PM
im gonna do something heinous
to uranus
15. J - April 28, 2010 8:56 PM
Scouts in online 1PS online gaming?......great, just what we need, more campers.
16. Beastman AIDS - April 28, 2010 10:21 PM
That screenshot reminded me: I'm a PC gamer and I really want to get a good multiplayer FPS to play online. I have CS:Source but the appeal is starting to wear thin with pretty much everyone playing custom gun game maps and stuff.
Anyone able to suggest a good atmospheric war FPS that has plenty of players online? Seems like consoles have plenty of them but not sure about PC...
17. Bob - April 28, 2010 11:47 PM
This shit is for cubscouts, get your facts.
18. Will - April 29, 2010 1:06 AM
i like this idea. it teahces kids to think critically about the media they are consuming. scouts at least knows that video games are not going anywhere and kids will paly them. so why not teach them how to think about them and get parents involved as well.
19. Mayo - April 29, 2010 3:27 AM
@ 7 and 8, and knots. Sooooo many knots.
20. g floppity money uppity - April 29, 2010 8:38 AM
about time. What took them so long?
21. komodo30000 - April 29, 2010 9:25 AM
this is for CUBSCOUTS, not boyscouts. these is no merit badge for videogames.
.....i got my hopes too high. :/
22. nye - April 29, 2010 10:38 AM
Oh god, step 6 is a killer, please don't make me play video games for 1 hour, it's too hard I can't do it! It should be: "play world of warcraft for 48 hours straight eating nothing but pizza and drinking mt. dew and see if you can survive."
23. lol123 - April 29, 2010 12:32 PM
@16 Go BF BC2 (COD4,CODMW2) there you go
24. dparks - April 29, 2010 12:45 PM
First!!
And this is for CUB Scouts NOT BOY Scouts, GOSH!!
25. DJ T.H.I. - April 30, 2010 6:16 AM
I got pins in Boy Scouts too...... not just Cub Scouts. But the belt loop does sound like cub scouts. Sad to see a respectable after school activity turn into a complete pile of shite.
26. ScouterMom - May 6, 2010 2:22 PM
The Video Games award program you are referring to is NOT a merit badge nor is it for Boy Scouts.
It is part of the CUB SCOUT Academics and Sports program. This is a supplemental program for Cub Scouts (who are younger than Boy Scouts) and is not part of the Cub Scout advancement program. As part of this program, Cub Scouts can earn little pins and belt loops to show they have explored an area of interest to them.
This program can use the scouts enthusiasm about video games to provide a "teachable moment" about the importance of balancing responsibilities and leisure activities. That is the purpose of requirement 2 for the belt loop:
To learn more about the Cub Scout Academic and Sports program and how it is different from the Boy Scout merit badge program, you can visit my website at http://www.scoutermom.com