Boy Scouts of America Purple Martin Merit Badge

[LarryMelcher/KY]

Bad Trick, but you looked....

This is what we need. I have found that this can only be accomplished at the national level. Does anyone have any connections??

Have I already read that someone is trying to connect with the Boy Scouts?

[Louise Chambers]

Larry,

Lots of Eagle Scout projects involve building martin houses, some with good results, some simply ending there, which may not be so good - if houses produce house sparrows and/or starlings.

Recently FL landlords John & Nancy McCarthy hosted visits by several local Girl Scout troops at their colony and it was a big success with the scouts and their troop leaders.

The Portage Lakes Ohio martin group gets help from boy scouts every fall when it's time to clean out all their gourds, a nice way to let the kids help while they learn.

The botanical gardens in Corpus Christi has numerous improvement projects built by Eagle Scouts, including walkways & viewing platforms. I talked with local scout leader about supplying them with plans for nest boxes, including chimney swift towers, owl and woodpecker boxes, bluebird boxes, that could enhance the gardens. We got 2 pairs of martins there last year and were able to show the eggs and nestlings to kids attending summer camp.

An official martin badge is a great idea and could probably help prevent projects where houses are built, put up, and that's it. We'll be glad to work on a scout badge with anyone who wants to see what's involved.

[Gobbler T]

Larry/Louise

I am currently in TX for thanksgiving. My brother in law and his family are big into scouting. I talked to him about this idea, and he gave me the following information. The headquarters for the boy scouts is in TX (may be common knowledge just not to me ) He didn't know the name of the specific person to talk to but he gave me this address:

The National Advancement Committee
S209,Boy Scouts of America, 1325 West Walnut Hill Lane
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079

He said that their 100th year celebration has just ended so they should get back to you pretty quickly since their plate wasn't so full right now!

He said that a merit badge requires a small hand book pertaining to the subject, a list of requirements to be learned and/or preformed. He said that there is a requirement to have a qualified instructor on the subject to guide and oversee the scouts involved. So, How many active landlords do we have scattered across the country that are willing to be involved as an instructor in their state or local area?

[Virgil McCoy]

As a former Scout Master I'm only aware of the "Bird Watching" Merit badge and nothing specific to Purple Martins.

[Virgil McCoy]

It sure would be great but I would be shocked if the BSA adopted a merit badge targeting a specific species of bird such as the Purple Martin.

[Gobbler T]

The hand book he showed me had a section called Birding. The requirements were observation and study, being able to identify at least 20 species, listing habitat, range, habits, etc...

Projects to include building a bird sanctuary, feeder, and one or two more, but nothing about housing!

Ole Brother-n-law seemed to think that if nothing else, they might be convinced to incorporate it into the existing birding merit badge.

Of course there is no way to interest all scouts, but if you only got one boy out of every five or so troops, just think of how many future landlords that would be!

If someone were to pull it off, what a great pioneering step for the future of the purple martin that would be!

[LarryMelcher/KY]

Tony,
Thanks so much, for thinking martins on turkey day !!
One of my contacts at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest ( www.bernheim.org ) is the Education Director and I will see if he can assemble a professional "request letter" for me.
We will see how this goes... We all may have to team up and flood the BSA with letters to prove there are landlords all accoss.... well, east of the Rocky Mtns anyway... that would provide local leadership to helping teach a group of boys the fun in a purple martin hobby while also teaching the importance of providing this unique bird that depends on man for nest sites.

Not just you, Tony, but anyone else reading this post.... Would you be willing to share your landlord experience 2 or 3 times a year at the local Boy Scout meeting??
Just in the thinking stages right now... but what a great way to get the younger generation into becoming landlords.

[pillow]

Larry,
I would be willing to do presentations here in Arkansas if anything ever develops. We have a public colony site here that would be easy to use for that purpose and I would love to help out.

Greg

[Gobbler T]

[Not just you, Tony, but anyone else reading this post.... Would you be willing to share your landlord experience 2 or 3 times a year at the local Boy Scout meeting??]


I would love to share my colony with the boy scouts.

(IF I HAD ONE!!!)

Maybe by the time we get this off the ground (fingers crossed), I will have a bird or two to share.

[LarryMelcher/KY]

Greg/Tony,
The more I think about writing a letter to the TOP people at the Boy Scouts of America, this is what it would take.... A entire community of Purple Martin Landlords that would ... say, sign a petition, "I, Larry Melcher, have a martin colony at Shepherdsville, KY will be available to share my experience with the local Boy Scout Troop."

Look how powerful that would be if we were to .... obtainable goal here... get just one landlord from each of the states east of the Rockies to send a letter stating, "I will be happy to show my local Boy Scouts my Purple Martin Colony".

[Guest]

Larry, Count me in as a possible Purple Martin Merit Badge consular in central Alabama as soon as the Boy Scout Organization approves Purple Martin Merit Badge. I have experience as a Safety Merit Badge consular and will be happy to attempt to qualify as such in the Purple Martin area.

[LarryMelcher/KY]

Bill,
Great. Thanks alot.
What I have so far is an address to send a request to. The Education Director at Bernheim Forest is a very talented writer, and has made a first copy of what we want to present to the BSA. I have lots of input from "high places" in the purple martin community, and we will all agree on the request and how it will be presented before we approach the BSA.

I've recently been thinking about making a dozen or so "starter merit badges" to "fall out of the envelope" when the BSA official opens our letter. There is a guy at the local flea market that has one of those computer embroder machines and could make me something pretty reasonable.

So far, my goal is to get lots of good ideas and input, so that when "our envelope" lands on the desk of the BSA, there will be no mistake that we are serious, and are prepared to "make it happen". All they will have to do is guide us as to what has to be done.

Everyone reading.... please be ready to do something as simple as invite a group of Boy Scouts over to see some purple martins up close.

THANKS !!

[Guest]

My hubby is a scout master and I will ask him about the badges applying to birding and see what the deal is. I do know that 2 Eagle Scout projects were done on building housing in out areas. I think this is a wonderful idea for the conservation of a species. We r planning on having the scouts out to our place this summer and letting them see the birds and eggs.

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Larry:

Just a suggestion regarding your attempt to get a scouting merit badge. I am working with the Education Director of the Arkansas Audubon Society on a martin related project. I would think each state has a Audubon "Education Director" on their payroll. Have you considered contacting the national Audubon Society to see if they would be intersted in joining you in your attempt to get a scouting merit badge. I would think their backing would carry a lot of weight.

Tim

[LarryMelcher/KY]

Shannon,
Fantastic! Thanks for looking into anything. One person won't be able to do this alone. If I can just start the spark, and get some more "over the top martin landlords" like me (thanks John) to see what we can do to get a purple martin merit badge going... this is looking good.

Tim,
Could I ask you to do some digging on purple martins behalf? If you already have contact with the Education Director of the Arkansas Audubon Society, see what you can find out for this "merit badge dream" and share with us. I hear some scary stuff like this will be very tough to get the Boy Scouts to change, but I am very optimistic. I have a lot of support from Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest ( www.bernheim.org ) They are with me 100% on this effort. But, I believe that once I get all my ducks in a row and approach the Boy Scouts at the National level, they need to be assured that this is not just " some guy from Kentucky". I intend to have several "over the top landlords" in the US, back my request for a purple martin merit badge from several states.

Thanks for everyones input. Let's make this happen. I will keep posting updates. I don't see me actually contacting the BSA until after the holidays.

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Larry:

I have sent a message to my contact with the Arkansas Audubon Society. When I receive a reply, I will let you know.

Tim

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Larry:

I just heard back from my Arkansas Audubon contact. Here is her response:

"This is a great idea. I have several ideas for a badge. Monitoring a house. Keeping a Excel file on their numbers, dates of arrival, predators, etc."

She said on a national level, she would be the contact. She stated she was going to contact the VP of Science at the national level of Audubon.

I am sending you a "private message" with her contact information. Don't want two people going in the same or different direction on your endeavor.

Tim

[LarryMelcher/KY]

Thank You Tim Mangan !! I will contact her.

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Larry:

I don't know if you have had a chance to speak with the Arkansas Audubon person or not. I just received a message from her and she said she had received approval from the VP Audubon to support a martin merit badge for the BSA.

Tim

[LarryMelcher/KY]

Tim .... THANKS !!!!

It was late in the afternoon and I noticed that you had contacted her early in the day. I WILL call her in the morning tomorrow. (Friday)