Merit Badge Heaven

The Common Household Son is leaving tomorrow for scout summer camp.  Today has been devoted to packing. He has used up all the household’s gallon-sized Ziploc bags. Ain’t no way his stuff is going to get wet.

My husband asked him if he had packed any games. He had just packed some card games, because, he said, the only free time is for one hour after lunch.  No time for chess, Risk, or Settlers of Catan.  He will be spending time earning merit badges, despite the fact that he has completed all his merit badge requirements to reach Eagle Scout rank.  This time around he’ll be going for Shotgun Shooting, Rifle Shooting, and Electricity.  Those should provide plenty of excitement for the week.

As parents we often find ourselves wishing that there were some additional merit badges offered.  The most obvious one, to any Mother of a Scout, is the Sewing merit badge, starting with these requirements:

Requirement #1:  Sew all your insignia onto your uniform yourself;

Requirement #2: Sew your merit badges onto your sash yourself; 

Requirement #3: Do not beg your mother to sew on even one more badge, especially not 30 minutes before the Court of Honor;

Etc.

My husband wants him to take the Cleaning the Refrigerator Coils merit badge and the Replacing Rotten Wooden Planks On the Deck merit badge.  I am also hoping for the Caulking the Shower merit badge.  (Guess what projects we have on our slate for this summer.) 

Maybe I should just settle for the Putting your Own Dirty Dishes in the Dishwasher badge, although why that would be meritorious enough for a badge I don’t know.  He did take the very useful Plumbing merit badge last year, which came in handy when the kitchen sink pipe got clogged at Thanksgiving with too many potato peels. 

What merit badges would you want your local scout to earn?  What games do you like to take on vacation?