MeritBadge.Net

Most of Requirement 1 for the Reading Merit Badge happens in a libary. Shouldn't there be a requirement that a Scout have or obtain a library card?

I think that all kids should have a library card anyway.

Not necassarily. My son has never held a library card, and I have not held one for over 25 years. I do, however, own in excess of 700 books many of which my son is more than welcome to borrow from me. I buy them from goodwill and yard sales. When the boys were younger (my books above thier reading level) they could check books out from the school library.

Nah. I don't see the need.

Over CHristmas my son decided it ws time to shelve the books we had all over the house.Our basment TV room now has shelves from the Floor to the ceiling on all four walls. I have no need for a library card. My son is an adult getting his Eagle in 1995 and still active in the scouting program.

Really? I'm suprprised by the responses.

Me too. I've had a library card since I've lived in TX (16 years). Our county public libraries are pretty good. I can go online to find a book I want that might be at any of 25 or so branch libraries in the county and reserve it. It will be at my local branch (right next to our troop's meeting place) within three days. Of course if it's there already it will be at the front desk before I get there.

My kids have had library cards since they were Tigers. We own plenty of books, but the library lets them borrow books of their choosing that we don't own.

Our local Library is small but has a great variety of books. My son and daughter both had cards growing up and learned to use the library as a resource. They went to classes there offered by the library and took out untold numbers of books. I think it is important to learn that it is there and you can use it. ALl schools have a library and the kids use them.

I've always had a library card. I had one when I was small, and everytime I moved I would get a new one.

The requirement to have a library card dropped off sometime after the 1972 MB book that I have. The requirement shows in the 1935, 42, 48, 52, 58 HBs and the 67 and 69 BSA reqmts books I have in "my library".

I have had a library card for decades, too. But I haven't been to the library in over 5 years!

Ed...why do you need to go to a library? You can get all the fiction and non-fiction you need right here!

Also you can get Shakespeare on the "other forum" by reading the "Midsummer45's Night Dream"

Yeah!

And I love the fiction that is thought to be non-fiction!

I've already stated that I have a library card, but I can understand why the requirement might have changed. Though I have one, and my troop meets right next to a modern branch of one, perhaps not all scouts (rural?) live in an area where there's a public library within a reasonable distance. Since you can't change the requirements of a MB, that would preclude a scout from earning this badge no matter how avid a reader he may be.

The 1935 handbook specifically says you must have a library card. Some of the later books I refer to say a Library card or "other evidence" on how you obtained the books you read.

Remember back then Scouting was a lot more rural than now. All scouts had to walk 10 miles up hill each way to school.

Plus a lot of libraries have closed or reduced hours.

Don't they have book mobiles any more? Or did those succumb to budget cuts, too?

Even if you live in a rural area, don't you still have to go to Wal-Mart or Target or something for groceries? There should be libraries near those places.