I earned my Arrow of Light as a Cub Scout (the highest rank bestowed upon a little cub), became a Boy Scout and achieved the highest rank of Eagle Scout, and even joined the ranks of the Order of the Arrow.  I participated in a lot of really cool activities, but never once did I get to play Video Games and earn awards at the same time!  The BSA has introduced two awards for Cub Scouts to earn: The Video Games Belt Loop and the Video Games Pin.

Starting fires, learning to fish, playing with baking soda, and building wooden cars are cool and all, but when are you ever going to use that stuff? (Some sarcasm implied) These Video Game awards on the other hand are really quite ingenious and, I feel, are bringing the Scouting program into this century by introducing kids and their parents to a growing pass-time. As Graev says, perhaps they’ve just given up fighting it.  Video games are growing in popularity and if you can’t beat’em, join’em.

The requirements to earn these awards facilitate educating children and their parents as well as having them go through the motions of skills and know-how which I think are excellent.

Some of the requirements include:

“Play a video game with family members in a family tournament.”
The days of begging my parents to let me woop them at video games… how I wish I could have said “Dad, I need to beat you at Mario for a Scouting Pin!”

“Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer’s warranty.”
Consumer education! Heck yeah. How cool is this?! I can totally see myself browsing Amazon, Bestbuy, Gamestop, and STEAM and helping them to understand the ins and outs of buying games and getting the best price. There’s more depth here than I think the BSA is even aware of since the whole digital download option has become widely available.

“With an adult’s supervision, install a gaming system.”
This used to be the biggest pain ever. Graev always understood the basics of getting these things installed, but I remember being a little guy and having to rely on my parents to help me set up my system. I remember taking it to a friends house or to a relatives’ and not knowing how to get it to work.

“Explain why it is important to have a rating system for video games. Check your video games to be sure they are right for your age. ”
Interesting coincidence that this comes right after the Supreme Court decides to hear the case about California and violent video games.  We’ll soon have a decision on whether or not it is constitutional for a state to limit the sale of video games.  Personally, I feel it violates the First Amendment and it’s an egregious error to say that video games are not an art form. There is definitely a rating system out there and it works. Educate yourselves!

And my favorite…

“Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on). Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system. ”
Bringing the Console Wars to the Scouts! I love it. I would pay money to see a little kid explaining to his leader about why the Xbox is better than the Wii.

I applaud the BSA for doing this. It won’t be long before the Boy Scouts program for the older kids offers a merit badge.

Go here to see the original:
Video Games and Scouting