Okay, first off, "Badges? We don't need no steenking badges!"
Seriously, congrats to the boy/man who's 18 now, but that's not the point. One might as well be dedicated to something. I never was a scout or a cadet or anything that required formations. If I could get a merit badge for blogging, maybe I'd also stitch it to a sash. My concerns lie more in some of the 121 subjects that these badges are based on.
- American Business (updated in 2003) - Already obsolete. See "recession" or go back to pamphlets from the early 1930's.
- Aviation (initiated 1911) - read: How to drum up pilots to fight the Kaiser.
- Basketry - really!?!
- Cinematography - And so we find what all those Steven Spielberg donations were really all about before he resigned in 2001.
- Collections - I guess it's deconstructionist to just claim one is collecting badges.
- Computers - That this was initiated in 1967 is a bit scary... Boy Scouts or Bilderberg!?!
- Fingerprinting - what was the motto again, To Serve and Protect?
- Golf - What!?! ...is that a Titleist?
- Graphic Arts - Teaching Scouts to Photoshop their first crush's face onto celebrity bodies.
- Indian Lore - I'm sure the folks in New Delhi will be thrilled.
- Journalism - Not a bad idea, but I'm at a loss as to who might be qualified to teach journalism these days.
- Mammal Study - read: Sex Ed.
- Motorboating - Getting ready for your future in the Hamptons.
- Railroading - Am I just cynical or isn't this the same as American Business?
- Rifle Shooting AND Shotgun Shooting - Two different badges. I suppose if you're bad enough at Rifle Shooting they just give you a Shotgun to spray your prey into tenderized little bits.
- Stamp Collecting - Soon to become Domain Squatting.
Like I said, I applaud the young man for enduring what must have been some torturous endeavors to attain all 121 badges. I'm curious as to whether, under the multiple Citizenship badges, Scouts are required to learn tolerance for sexual orientation as well considering the leadership fought like hell to remove Scoutmasters for being gay in 2000.
Then again the Scout Oath calls for all Scouts to be "morally straight".
