Scouts developing new skills

More than 80 Boy Scouts from from Havre to Malta gathered at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Saturday morning to get merit badges in some unique subjects.

The program was the third annual Hi-Line Merit Badge College.

Scouts had a chance to learn about a variety of topics - ranging from sustainability and environmental projects to welding, safety and game design, said Bill Lanier, Hi-Line Advancement chair for the Boy Scouts of America.

Students were taken to Montana State University-Northern to learn about welding and electricity.

There was interest from the Scouts in a variety of the topics.

Seventeen signed up for the class in game design, although, Lanier said laughing, "they probably thought it was about video games."

Instead the students learned about how to design a board game that they can play with their families.

The game designers will be back in two weeks to finalize their games and explain how it has worked, he said.

Students who attended the sustainability class learned how to do little things that can help preserve the environment.

For instance, paper cups used for the Scouts' beverages were made from recyclable materials, he said.  

Leaders in Havre's environmental community were on hand to talk to students.

This kind of knowledge will be invaluable to students when they become adults, Lanier said. Preserving the environment will be helpful to students when they reach adulthood

Just down the hallway, students were learning how to be safer in their homes and their communities.

Scouts in this class are required to do a safety check of their home or apartment.

The electricity course was taught by Northern professor Trygve "Spike" Magelssen, who began the course with a discussion on safety.

Andrew Johnson, a Northern welding professor, taught the welding class, as he has done ever since the Scouts have had the merit badge college.

The events are fun-filled but very educational, Lanier said.

Lanier said the Scout uniform is "the great equalizer."

"Once you put on the Scout uniform," he said, "it doesn't matter if your family makes $200,00 a year or if you are on welfare," he said.

There is an increase in the number of Scouts from single-parent families, he said.

Single parents are so busy they often can't take their children on family trips, he said, so Scouting provides an opportunity for kids to visit places they wouldn't normally be able to visit.

The merit badge program is one part of Scouting, he said.

Scouts are involved in all kinds of civic projects throughout the year, teaching the importance of community service. This year, the Scouts operated a Christmastime effort to raise food for the Havre Food Bank.

But Scouts are involved in all kinds of other projects, ranging from riding the rapids at Glacier National Park to camping at several Scouts camps around the state.

Scouts are dogged by the phrase "Scouting isn't cool," Lanier said.

"Maybe Scouting isn't cool," he said, "but Scouts sure do cool things."