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Bear Scout

Elective Adventures

A Bear Goes Fishing

A Bear Goes Fishing Elective Adventure Loop

Complete at least three of the following.

  1. Discover and learn about three types of fish in your area. Draw a color picture of each fish, record what each one likes to eat, and describe what sort of habitat each one likes.
  2. Learn about your local fishing regulations with your den leader or a parent or guardian. List three of the regulations you learn about and one reason each regulation exists.
  3. Learn about fishing equipment, and make a simple fishing pole. Practice casting at a target.
  4. Go on a fishing adventure, and spend a minimum of one hour trying to catch a fish. Put into practice the things you have learned about fish and fishing equipment.

Bear Picnic Basket

A Bear Picnic Basket Elective Adventure Loop

Complete at least three of the following.

  1. Create your own Bear cookbook using at least five recipes you might cook or prepare either on your own or with some adult help. Include at least one recipe each for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a nutritious snack.
  2. With a family member or den leader, prepare for cooking by explaining the importance of planning, tool selection, sanitation, and cooking safety.
  3. Select and prepare two nutritious snacks for yourself, your family, or your den.
  4. With the help of an adult, select a recipe to prepare in a kitchen for your den or your family. Help to select the needed ingredients, perhaps from a garden, grocery store, or farmers’ market. Cook and serve your planned meal. Clean up after the preparation and cooking.
  5. With the help of an adult, select a recipe to prepare in the outdoors for your family or den. Help to select the needed ingredients, perhaps from a garden, grocery store, or farmers’ market. Cook and serve your planned meal. Clean up after the preparation and cooking.

Critter Care

Critter Care Bear Elective Adventure Loop

Complete all of the following.

  1. Do one of the following:
    1. If you have a pet, make a list of tasks that you did to take care of the pet for two weeks.
    2. If you do not have a pet, research one that you would like to have and prepare a report about the care it needs.
  2. Complete one of the following:
    1. Make a poster or a PowerPoint presentation about your pet or a pet you would like to have. Share the poster or presentation with your den, pack, or family.
    2. Make a poster or PowerPoint presentation explaining three ways that animals can help people. Share the poster or presentation with your den, pack, or family.
  3. Complete at least one of the following and share with your den, pack, or family:
    1. Visit with a local veterinarian or an animal shelter caretaker. Find out what types of animals he or she might see on a regular basis and the types of care he or she gives to them.
    2. Learn about careers that involve the care of animals. What education, training, and experience are required?

Forensics

Bear Elective Adventure Loop: Forensics

Complete all of the following.

  1. Talk with your family or den about forensics and how it is used to help solve crimes.
  2. Take your fingerprints and learn how to analyze them.
  3. Complete one of the following:
    1. Learn about chromatography and how it is used in solving crimes. Do an investigation using different types of black, felt-tip markers. Share your results with your den.
    2. Do an analysis of four different substances: salt, sugar, baking soda, and cornstarch.
  4. Complete one of the following:
    1. Visit the sheriff’s office or police station in your town. Find out how officers collect evidence.*
    2. Learn about the different jobs available in forensic science. Choose two, and find out what is required to work in those jobs. Share what you learn with your den.
    3. Learn how animals are used to gather important evidence. Talk about your findings with your den.

* Note that this may be done during the same visit as “Paws for Action” requirement 3A.

Grin and Bear It

Grin and Bear It Bear Elective Adventure Loop

Complete at least four of the following.

  1. Play a challenge game or initiative game with the members of your den. Take part in a reflection after the game.
  2. Working with the members of your den, organize a Cub Scout carnival and lead it at a special event.
  3. Help younger Cub Scouts take part in one of the events at the Cub Scout carnival.
  4. After the Cub Scout carnival, discuss with the members of your den and your den leader what went well, what could be done better, and how everyone worked together to make the event a success.
  5. With your den, develop a thank-you cheer to recognize those who helped organize the Cub Scout carnival.

Marble Madness

Marble Madness Bear Elective Adventure Loop

Complete requirements 1-4. Requirement 5 is optional.

  1. Discuss with your family or den the history of marbles, such as where and when the game began. Talk about the different sizes of marbles and what they are made of and used for.
  2. Learn about three different marble games, and learn to play one of them. Learn how to keep score. Learn and follow the rules of the game. Play the game with your family, friends, or your den.
  3. Learn four or five words that are used when talking about marbles. Tell what each of the words means and how it relates to playing marbles. Share this information with your den.
  4. Complete one of the following:
    1. With your den or family, make a marble obstacle course or marble golf course. Share what you create. Invite everyone to go through your course.
    2. Create your own game using marbles, and design rules for playing the game. Share the game you created with your den, family, or friends. Explain the rules and how to play the game.
    3. With your den or family, create a marble race track. Have at least two lanes so you can race your favorite marbles against each other.
    4. Make a marble maze.
  5. With the help of an adult, make a marble bag to hold marbles.

Roaring Laughter

Roaring Laughter Bear Elective Adventure Loop

Complete at least four of the following.

  1. Think about what makes you laugh. Write down three things that make you laugh.
  2. Practice reading tongue twisters.
  3. Create your own short story. Remove some nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs from the story, leaving blanks. Without telling the story, have a friend insert his or her own nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in the story you created.
  4. With a partner, play a game that makes you laugh.
  5. Share at least two jokes with members of your den to make them laugh.
  6. Practice at least two run-ons with your den, and perform them at a pack meeting or campfire program.

Salmon Run

Salmon Run Bear Elective Adventure Loop

Complete requirements 1-4 plus two others.

  1. Explain the importance of response personnel or lifeguards in a swimming area. Tell how the buddy system works and why it is important.
  2. Visit a local pool or swimming area with your den or family. Go swimming or take a swimming lesson.
  3. Explain the safety rules that you need to follow before participating in boating.
  4. Identify the safety equipment needed when going boating.
  5. Demonstrate correct rowing or paddling form. Explain how rowing and canoeing are good exercise.
  6. Show how to do both a reach rescue and a throw rescue.
  7. Demonstrate the front crawl swim stroke to your den or family.
  8. Name the three swimming ability groups for the Boy Scouts of America.
  9. Earn the BSA beginner swim classification.

Super Science

Super Science Bear Elective Adventure Loop

Complete at least four of the following.

  1. Make static electricity by rubbing a balloon or a plastic or rubber comb against another material, such as a fleece blanket or wool sweater. Explain what you learned.
  2. Conduct one other static electricity investigation. Explain what you learned.
  3. Do a sink-or-float investigation. Explain what you learned.
  4. Do a color-morphing investigation. Explain what you learned.
  5. Do a color-layering investigation. Explain what you learned.

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How to verify an out of Council Merit Badge Counselor.

First, try to connect the Scout and counselor in Scoutbook. If that is successful, the counselor is registered and qualified. If unsuccessful, go to the counselor’s home council and search for their Advancement Administrators. Most will have an email address for either the Council Advancement Committee or Professional Advisor. Send an email asking if the counselor has been registered and qualified for the merit badge(s) in question and the status of their Youth Protection Training. Ask California councils if the counselor has completed AB506 training and LiveScan. The unit leader’s “blue card” signature verifies their counselor credentials verification.

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