A very large number of the Scouts in the Troop have not yet earned their Personal Fitness merit badge. For those unaware, Personal Fitness is one of the Eagle required merit badges.
On Saturday, April 13, we will have the first of two Personal Fitness
merit badge classes at the Troop 129 Scout Hut. As explained below, the second class needs to occur at least 12 weeks after April 13 (that is, a date in late July or August, 2024; specific date to be determined).
We need to get a list of interested Scouts as soon as possible. Please sign-up using the link below.
[Sign-up for Personal Fitness MB Class]
Everything else you need to know about this class has been detailed out below. Please take a moment to read through each section.
Parents Should Please Do the Following Before April 13:
- Make sure that your son is up to date on having a recent physical examination by your family’s health care provider. Likewise he should be up to date with his recent dental care exam. These are prerequisites for this merit badge.
- Sign up your Scout on the Troop website so that we know how many participants to expect.
- Mr. Jim Carey will lead this event; however, we need at least four more adult volunteers to assist (more if we have a big group of Scouts sign up). Preferably these adults will include people who have assisted Mr. Carey with this merit badge in the past, as well as some new Scout parents. If you can help, please contract Mr. Carey during one of the Tuesday Troop meetings. Many, many thanks!
- Make sure that your son studies and is fully prepared to answer all the discussion requirements for this merit badge BEFORE he arrives to class on April 13. Requirements and a worksheet are available online here: [Personal Fitness Merit Badge (usscouts.org)]. If desired, merit badge pamphlets can be purchased here: [Results for personal fitness merit badge pamphlet (scoutshop.org)] (available in English and Spanish paper versions, as well as an online e-book edition).
Schedule on April 13:
- Scouts should arrive at the Troop Scout Hut between 8:00 AM and 8:10 AM on April 13. Please do not be late — that will delay the class for everybody! After each Scout completes his merit badge “blue card,” we will begin the class promptly at 8:30 AM.
- Parents should come back to the Hut no later than 12:00 noon to pick up their sons.
- During class we will organize the participating Scouts into subgroups. At least two adults will work with each group to cover all the discussion requirements (#1 through 5, and 9). Meanwhile, at least two other adults will supervise completion of the baseline physical fitness requirements (#6 and 7, and explain to the Scouts what they need to do for #8). Then we will switch groups. This organization plan will ensure that all Scouts efficiently finish everything we need to accomplish that morning.
- We will be running the discussion requirement and many of the physical fitness baseline groups inside the Hut. We will need to complete some of the physical fitness requirements outside in the athletic field next door to the Hut property. Scouts (and adult helpers) should be prepared for outdoor weather conditions on that day.
What Scouts Should Bring on April 13:
- Eat breakfast before the class. We are not providing any food during this event.
- Wear sneakers and clothing appropriate for doing physical exercises.
- A large and full water bottle. We do NOT want anyone to become dehydrated.
- A genuine commitment to work on this merit badge. We will have many requirements to finish on April 13. Moreover, each boy must be motivated to finish his subsequent 12 week personal fitness and healthy eating plan, and record his progress in his log.
What Happens After the April 13 Class:
- As part of requirements #6, 7, and 8, each Scout will create their own personal plan for improving their physical fitness and healthy eating. Each boy will implement his plan for at least 12 weeks, and record his progress in a log. This log can be on paper or in a computer spreadsheet (for example, in an Excel file).
- Towards the end of July or August 2024, we will identify a date for a second class at the Hut. During the second class, we will re-do the baseline physical fitness measurements. We also will examine each Scout’s 12 week personal fitness and healthy eating log. Finally, we will discuss how things went for each boy and compare his “before” versus “after” personal fitness and healthy eating improvement plan.
