Boy Scouts 'Video Game' Badge Introduced (PICTURE)

Boy Scouts of America seems to have come to terms with just how important video games are to some of today's young men.

The Scouts have added a "Video Games" belt loop and pin to the organization's list of awards.

Only Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts are eligible for the "Video Games" award, which they can earn if they "teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game" and play a video game for an hour, among other tasks.

To receive a "Video Games belt loop," they must do the following:

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.

Earning the "Academics Pin" takes a bit more. Scouts need to have acquired the "belt loop," as well as completed the following:

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.

Check out the full list of requirements for obtaining the "Video Games" award below (from the Boy Scouts website).

Comments

[TheGripester]

03:14 PM on 04/30/2010

"We must all learn that some things that are not regarded as morally wrong [still] cost us too much. One cannot be mentally healthy nor 'mentally alert' if he wastes time, if he picks poor associates, if he reads trashy stories, in short if he does anything which he has learned from experience damages his understanding or his happiness or his efficiency." - 1936 Boy Scouts of America Manual.

Video games encourage addictive, compulsive behavior. Old-fashioned as that old BSA book may be, it still has this right. I have worked closely with hundreds of teens in my career, and I see a direct correlation between lack of focus and insecurity with too much saturation in video games and television. I respect that BSA has attached some guidelines to their badge that encourage socialization, thrift, and parental communication. But when all is said and done, it is a private, self-sealed environment, and not in line with the goals of scouting to help boys build their lives towards being healthy, responsible, and outgoing adults.

[KIVPossum]

09:04 AM on 04/30/2010

How bout HP you try for just a tiny bit of accuracy when you write headlines? I know it'll be different and new for you, and it will take some adjustment, just try it. O K

This is a CUB SCOUT ACTIVITY BADGE, not a BSA merit badge.

[GregARK]

10:36 AM on 04/30/2010

I agree with KIVPossum. The headline here is not accurate, it even contradicts the details in the story. The belt loops and pins are in Cub Scouting. To state that a BOY scout can earn a video game BADGE is false. Badges take quite some time and effort, usually reporting to one or two adult counselors. Some merit badges are not simple to earn and take a substantial amount of time and energy.

The belt loops for cub scouts are a different matter. I believe there are belt loops and pins for bowling, baseball, frisbee and even marbles. The CUB Scout has to show knowledge and ability and the willingness to communicate that knowledge with someone else. It maybe worth a joke or two but these little acknowledgement awards gets young boys motivated.

But to infer that a Boy Scout can earn a badge in video games is false and almost offensive.

[KIVPossum]

10:59 AM on 04/30/2010

HP has a 'thing' for BSA. One of the editors couldn't get past Tenderfoot, or something.

This badge is actually formed to begin a family discussion on games - what is acceptable, time limits, priorities.

[TheGripester]

09:12 PM on 04/29/2010

Okay, so there is a lot of kidding here in the comments page about this (including myself). And there are some defenders of the story and the BSA. Typically, there are criticisms that are way over-the-top or off-topic, and there are defenses that are actually somewhat hateful (and not the tone I would accept from scoutmasters who might lead my son). Most of this is skating around the real issue - is the BSA rewarding anti-social behavior in an attempt to remain relevant?

A badge for other solitary activities like reading a book or playing music makes sense because these activities are life-building. The large majority of video games, however, do not encourage social behaviors like creative play, teamwork, responsibility, confidence, and friendship. Most involve killing something with a weapon and avoiding danger, or operating a vehicle, or trying to interact within sharply defined parameters set by a company trying to make a profit. The guidelines that I see above do not delineate a specific type of game in which the paramount goals of child education, not to mention scouting, are upheld (except for #7 which is really just a soppish afterthought).

What's worse, acknowledging this behavior with a badge elevates it into the arena of other, much more worthwhile behaviors. Do we really want to put hundreds of hours spent motionless in front of a screen on par with helping the elderly, reading to blind children, or cleaning up a nature preserve?

[Forester]

12:43 AM on 04/30/2010

Again Griper - did you read and understand the article? Your comments indicate that you A. Do not have kids in scouting; B do not have kids who are gamers; and C do not understand that ignoring the fact that kids waste hundreds of hours a month gaming is reality. I have two teenage sons and I also know many of their friends. This badge is clearly a positive approach to dealing with this epidemic of sedentary and often violence-based entetainment. You can choose to ignore it or address it in a positive manner. You seem to think it is a joke, which again, suggests a limited understanding of the issue in particular, and scouting programs in general. I encourage you to volunteer with the scouts and get involved so you will understand why so many feel compelled to defend a battered institution. The focus must remain of the kids, not on angry and uninformed "adults".

[TheGripester]

01:01 AM on 04/30/2010

"Most people know that the nothing-to-do time can make or break any fellow. Some boys have checked up on their own time and were surprised to find that they had six to eight hours of available time daily, awaiting wise use." - 1936 Boy Scouts of America Manual

Wise use, Forester. Not thumbing a joystick. And I've spent decades training and mentoring teens and adolescents. I don't need to be lectured.

[TheGripester]

01:16 AM on 04/30/2010

Here's some more quotes: "When he speaks of anyone, he tries to speak well of him." Or "Everywhere he goes, he will meet other people and have to deal with them. In a very large measure, his own success in life will hinge upon his ability to get along with people." Or how about "A scout is courteous - he is polite to all."

Here's some quotes from another source: "[Reading the article is] way too much work for someone self-named "griper". [sic] Much easier (or should I say lazier?) to just spew." Or "...that issue is not an issue in out troop. Try and get your hating head around that...we'll be sure to pass your house since you clearly fear us."

If you can characterize me as uninformed, my comment above as "think[ing] it is a joke...", and me as lazy and a "griper" (by the way, it's spelled "Gripester" - what gentleman would use someone's name against them as a joke?), then go ahead and break your oath.

[Andy314]

12:21 PM on 04/30/2010

It sounds like you're still clinging on to past ideals TheGripester. If you try to teach with an outdated model that ignores the current state of things you won't make an impact. You talk about encouraging good social behaviors but how many of these actually aid in a real life social situation, like in a public school (where the kid will spend most of their social time).

By avoiding the subject of video games you would be setting many kids up for a challenge they might not be prepared to handle. I learned a lot of great things that have stuck with me from scouts. Had I done this activity as a scout or more importantly done this activity with my parents, I might have avoided some poor decisions in my past.

Also, I must have missed the part in the badge requirements that encourages hundreds of hours in front of a screen. Where was that again?

[TheGripester]

02:07 PM on 04/30/2010

Sorry, those are not "past ideals." Those are simply the common behaviors of humanity when it is acting in a positive way. I didn't have video games or even much television as a child, I read a lot of books instead and was perfectly fine with it.

Hundreds of hours in front of a screen is a conservative estimate. For the average player of a complex game, it can easily pass 1,000 hours.

[TheGripester]

02:18 PM on 04/30/2010

Also, I missed the part of my comment where I said that the badge "that encourages hundreds of hours in front of a screen." Where was that again? There's far too many replies like this on HuffPost, Andy. Please rebut me in context.

[Cheapthrills]

01:22 PM on 04/29/2010

Can the scouts earn the HP badges?

[Krek]

01:10 AM on 04/30/2010

Yeah, for knocking down skittles, disco-dancing in a 70's outfit, and leaping out a 10th story window wearing a cape.

[Jack Davies]

12:19 PM on 04/29/2010

Aw come on. Ever look int a scout handbook? There's a lots of things in there that aren't about saving lives and surviving the wild. Boy Scouts is about being prepared for ANYTHING, not just camping.

Meanwhile, as a homeschooling parent, I utilize video games frequently to teach my kids and the scout book's assignment does put emphasis on that aspect of gaming. It has it's definite pros, and all of the cons can be removed from the equation by involved parents. So what's the huff about?

[TheGripester]

01:38 AM on 04/30/2010

I've got my dad's 1936 handbook, which I treasure. It says a lot about the value of simple pleasures like hiking and conservation, and the importance of social interaction.

There are good games and bad games, but the ones most teen boys want to play are very violent. I respectfully submit that BSA should have been more specific in its guidelines. The way they stand now, credit could be given for playing Grand Theft Auto, which exalts every behavior that scouting is opposed to.

[BryanG]

12:00 PM on 04/30/2010

requirement 2 is to learn and explain the Rating System. This award is for boys 6 - 11 only. If they complete the requirement that tells them to learn and understand the rating system, they will know that Grand Theft Auto is an inappropriate game for them to play, and they should be explaining that to their parents. So no, they should not get credit for playing TEEN games.
Where society breaks down is the parent that does not care and plays grand theft auto with their child. I believe this award is here not so much for the boys, but to open the eyes of parents.
Take for example the Tiger rank, one of their requirements to achieve the rank of Tiger is to Engage in conversation with your family at Dinner. How crazy is it to think that there needs to be a requirements that tells parents they need to eat with and talk to their children.
One last thing, drop your 1936 boy scout manual and pick up any of the 4 books for cub scouts. you are reading an outdated book that is targeting a completely different audience. That book is a great reference for how far society has progressed, there is a ton of stuff in there that is unacceptable by todays standards.

[chipchuck]

11:25 AM on 04/29/2010

I'll admit my bias. I'm an Eagle Scout and volunteer Scout Leader. Now with that out of the way, I kind of resent the tone of the article. I think that the belt loop and pin for video games is long overdue. The intent is to initiate a dialog between the Cub Scouts (grades 1-5) and their parent on the subject of video games and how to responsibly enjoy them. The article headlines it as, earn it by playing a game. In our twitter-sphere, a portion of readers will leave off there quite misinformed. With further reading you'll see the lion's share of requirements revolve around discussing rating categories, scheduling time, and cost analysis. Like it or not, kids play video games, and many times parents would do well to have those conversations. We focus too much on the more mature titles, but let's not forget there are educational games too. The next article should let the readers know that Scouts also use GPS systems, after the master map and compass.

[KIVPossum]

09:11 AM on 04/30/2010

Thank you chipchuck. You actually read it and understand it.

[NMGreenChile]

10:37 AM on 04/29/2010

No joking, this is a superb idea. These kids will be America's next Drone Pilots.

[stevemarvin]

08:28 AM on 04/29/2010

"Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!"

[Forester]

05:19 PM on 04/28/2010

Glad to see so many experts commenting on the scouting program.

I am a progressive with two sons on their way to Eagle, and we all discuss the disconnect between Texas central and our troop of committed and diverse kids. There are certainly problems with the BSA, but my personal experience has been very positive, and I am proud of the growth and commitment I see in our scouts. We have decided to take whats good and leave the rest, and that has worked fine. I have watched some real "losers" gain confidence, friendship and knowledge during a very difficult time as teenagers.

hate away!

[rlw7805]

06:21 PM on 04/28/2010

When did the BSA start letting homosexuals join? Oh wait, your troop isn't THAT diverse. Nice that you refer to them as losers though... hate away!

[Forester]

07:29 PM on 04/28/2010

As a matter of fact that issue is not an issue in out troop. Try and get your hating head around that. Unless and until you actually perform some teaching, coaching or scout leadership you can't possibly understand this subject. If you don't want your son to take advantage of the scouting program, then don't, but ignorant comments only diminish your credibility. Next time we come by to collect food for the homeless, we'll be sure to pass your house since you clearly fear us.

[Emucratic]

11:55 PM on 04/28/2010

No friends?

[John William Ross]

08:17 PM on 04/28/2010

I was an Eagle Scout. This article brought back a lot of great memories about my scouting days. Of course I was saddened when I heard about the discrimination, but I think that if you go troop by troop, you'll find that scouts are more open-minded than you think. We had an atheist in our troop. If there had been a gay scout in the troop, I doubt any of us would have cared. Like Forester said, a lot of kids who join scouts are kind of outcasts to begin with--and I think that's why our camaraderie was so strong. All in all it was a great adventure and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

The video game badge cracked me up. Oh, but to be back in scouts. Look, boys love video games. Why fight it? Might as well encourage them to manage their time, understand ratings, get their families involved, etc. And anyway, this one's just for younger scouts.

[cowboyx]

10:30 AM on 04/29/2010

I'm sort of on the fence here. The question you asked (why fight it?) is where I get stuck.

Videogames seem to be the antithesis of scouting. Do the scouts owe it to their members to fight it?

Maybe. I don't know.

[jeffp26]

05:15 PM on 04/28/2010

I have always argued that the boy scouts should also give out badges for masturbation. Indeed, that is a more useful skill than video-gaming.

[OceanSize]

03:32 PM on 04/29/2010

That is a very ignorant comment, coming from a moderator. I suppose it could be argued that both promote good hand-eye coordination. But between the two, only video games promote problem-solving, critical thinking, goal-setting, and increasingly, teamwork.

[Marcospinelli]

05:09 PM on 04/28/2010

From the description of what it takes to earn this badge, it seems it's really for honing consumer skills.

[chipchuck]

12:03 PM on 04/29/2010

In part they are. A Scout is Thrifty. It's important to understand what you're getting for your money.

[Jesse Astle]

04:51 PM on 04/28/2010

I actually think this is a good bag for the boy scouts to have. They're asked to explain why a ratings system is important, to come up with a schedule to include homework, chores, and video games, and to include your family in your video gaming sessions. All of which is important for a kid to learn early on. It's not like they're asking kids to 'pwn 10 n00bs'; they're asking kids to develop smart purchasing habits and to purchase responsibly. All of which is far more important than teaching kids to hate gays.

[OceanSize]

03:35 PM on 04/29/2010

Perfectly said. Fanned!

[publanski]

04:35 PM on 04/28/2010

Is this an article from the Onion? If not, it should be.

[OceanSize]

03:41 PM on 04/29/2010

Until today I had some expectation that comments from "Huffpost Community Moderators" would be a little more mature than the average. But between this one and jeffp26's above, I'm wondering if I should come to expect just a bunch of cynical, unhelpful, and a tad ignorant comments from these guys. Why an effort to help teach kids learn responsible habits regarding the selection, purchase, and time-management of a medium that is hugely popular and only becoming moreso is beyond me.

[Bill Mynatt]

04:30 PM on 04/28/2010

Boy Scouts of America is not just homophobic organization but an organization founded on the principal that homosexuality is evil and wrong. Go read BSA v. Dale, their leaders swear to this purpose under oath.

Shame on you for letting your children be involved.

[Jesse Astle]

04:37 PM on 04/28/2010

I don't count myself as an expert on the history of the Boy Scouts of America, but I seem to remember that the BSA changed its oath and many of its principles fairly recently and that originally it had nothing to do with Christianity.

[Rrhain]

06:08 PM on 04/28/2010

No, the Oath is still the same as always. And the BSA has always been a religious organization. It's just that in previous eras, there weren't that many who would be vocal about how atypical they were. And now that the BSA has become as overtly homophobic as they have, it has bled over into other areas.

For example, the BSA has always had religious badges and they covered the gamut of the biggies: Catholicism, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, etc. The BSA does not insist you be Christian. However, they started making trouble for sects that did not discriminate against gay people such as Unitarians and Quakers. There didn't used to be a problem with these sects, but that's because gay rights wasn't a big deal until recent. When the UUs and Quakers came out to say that they welcomed and accepted gay people, the BSA reacted by denigrating them.

Being an atheist, though, has always been right out.

[Jesse Astle]

04:46 PM on 04/28/2010

"Rule 1: You do not undertake to instruct Scouts, in any formalized manner, in the matter of sex and family life" - Scout Masters Hanbook, 1972

And it's actually in BSA v. Dale. Just search for rule number 1 in the document and you'll find it.

[jfair80]

04:25 PM on 04/28/2010

What does an elite paramilitary group have to do with video games?

[Forester]

05:30 PM on 04/28/2010

Wow, my two sons are in an "elite military group"?

I'd better tell the wife, she won't be happy about this.

[floodberg]

02:18 AM on 04/29/2010

He must be as old as me, he's quoting from 'Red Dawn', 1984, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, and the inimitable Harry Dean Stanton.

[chipchuck]

12:07 PM on 04/29/2010

Radio Controlled Drones. (That's a JOKE everyone!)