Unicycling Merit Badge?

General
1

I was browsing Boy Scout websites today, and realized that the ‘Cycling’ merit badge is a misnomer, as it only allows for bicyclists to earn the badge (http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/mb039.html). I’m thinking of writing to the BSA suggesting they change the name of the badge to ‘Bicycling’ and also add a new merit badge for unicyclists. (And apparently ‘Cycling’ is on the list of required merit badges for Eagle now… It wasn’t when I got my Eagle rank.)

So, does anyone have any suggestions for requirements for the badge? Would anybody actually be willing to be a counselor? My suggestions for requirements are:

  1. Do the following:
    a. Give general unicycling safety rules and etiquette.
    b. Describe the parts and functions of a unicycle.
    c. Describe the required and recommended safety equipment.
    d. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while unicycling.
  2. Clean and adjust a unicycle. Prepare it for inspection using a unicycle safety checklist.
  3. Show your unicycle to your counselor for inspection. Point out the adjustments made. Do the following:
    a. Show all parts that should be checked regularly to make sure the unicycle is safe to ride.
    b. Show how to adjust seat level and height.
  4. Show how to repair a flat. Use an old bicycle tire.
  5. Explain the differences between standard, trials, freestyle, muni, and touring unicycles.
  6. Demonstrate the following:
    a. Proper mounting, pedaling, stopping, and dismounting.
    b. Making left and right turns by performing a figure-8.
    c. Rolling off a curb or other obstacle.
    d. Idling 10 times.
    e. Hopping 5 times.
  7. Describe your traffic laws for unicycles. Compare them with pedestrian and motor-vehicle laws.
  8. Do one of the following:
    a. Demonstrate advanced maneuvers, including backwards riding, one-footed riding, and wheel-walking.
    b. Wearing proper safety gear, take a muni ride of at least one mile. Demonstrate mounting technique on slopes.
    c. Avoiding major highways, ride 10 miles in one sitting. Report the route you took and interesting things seen.
    d. Participate in a trials competition.
    e. Attend a unicycle convention.

And is anyone else out there an Eagle Scout? (Or earning it soon?)

2

Actually, you have to get either Cycling or swimming I believe; It’s one or the other. (I got swimming)

Yes.

3

Re: Unicycling Merit Badge?

On Fri, 25 Apr 2003 13:50:35 -0500, onefluffybunny
<onefluffybunny.mgg6c@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:

>I was browsing Boy Scout websites today, and realized that the ‘Cycling’
>(etc)
John Hooten should see this post. He leads a troupe of unicycling
scouts. I think you compiled a good list of scouting-worthy
requirements. I only wasn’t sure about that old bicycle tyre, why is
that?

>And is anyone else out there an Eagle Scout? (Or earning it soon?)
I’m not sure what Eagle Scout equates to. I presume it is
"kroonverkenner’ in Dutch. That’s what I became more than 30 years
ago. I have no association anymore with the scouting movement.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict

"Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to? "

4

Re: Unicycling Merit Badge?

The Cycling merit badge has you demonstrate that you can fix a flat tire by demonstrating on an old bike tire. I left it in there because it would seem to make sense to require unicyclists to be able to do the same, although I guess it’s not quite so important. (The skating merit badge doesn’t require you to sharpen your ice skates or rotate your roller blade wheels, for example.) So I’ll take that one off the list when I mail the Scouting people.

5

I am an Eagle Scout (Troop 130, Kapioani District, Aloha Councel, Honolulu, Hawaii)

It would be awesome if there were a unicycling merit badge. I would signup to be a councelor in a second.

Daniel

6

I dont think I would put in the attend a convention or have a competition in the requrements. This could make it quite hard for some people with out access to the means in order to get to a competition or convention. Also there might not be enough riders in their area to hold a trials comp.

I also would add a go on X unicycling trips for 2 miles, Y 5 mile and 1 10 mile treck on a unicycle. There are alot of badges Hiking and Camping come to mind that make you do a min trip like this. You have this as do 1 of the following where as I would compare it more to somthing that should all be done.

It sure sounds better than Rabbit Raising or Truck Transportation.

And yes I too am an Eagle Scout, Troop 115 Crofton MD.

Mike

7

Re: Unicycling Merit Badge?

My only comment is that the standards look quite daunting to a beginner.
This is fine for an advanced level but there would have to be a basic level
too.

Alan (not Rob)

8

I actually tried to set the standards so that a beginner could accomplish them. Boy Scout merit badges typically take a 13-16 year old Scout anywhere from 1-4 months to complete, and really should not take any longer. Some merit badges assume Scouts already have a basic skill set (such as being able to ride a bike), but I don’t feel I can assume that Scouts already know how to unicycle. Thus, the requirements to earn the badge would need to only take 4 months from when the Scout is beginning to ride.

Case in point: I have been riding a unicycle for two months now, and at my current skill level would be able to complete all requirements except for idling and hopping. My brother, who is 13 and currently a Star Scout, has been riding for a month and a half and can already idle, so all he would have left is hopping (which I’m sure he’ll be able to achieve within 2 more months). I feel that the skill set presented is achievable in 2-4 months time, but if you feel it is too difficult, which part of it would you change?

Given a second revision of the requirements, I’d be interested to speak with John Hooten to see if his scouts could pass them. I’m putting together support through a former Boy Scout district commissioner to prepare a cover letter discussing the differences between bicycling and unicycling, requesting the name change for the current badge, giving a history of unicycling, and showing community support for the cause. (Also am looking into safety statistics for unicyclists.)

My aim on the last requirement was to consider the branching factor for unicyclists: with the skating merit badge, for instance, there are three different requirement sets depending if you are earning the badge for roller skates, ice skates, or roller blades; I was trying to have the last requirement be for the different unicycling genres, but I guess I should split it differently.

Checkernuts, that sounds like a lot of work (to me at least) to have X 2-mile trips, Y 5-mile trips, and a 10-mile trip, but as I don’t know how far the rides I’ve taken actually are, I guess I can’t judge properly. What would you suggest?

Also, regarding the convention, many badges require you to visit somewhere, or if you can’t, to research it (like Coin Collecting – you can either visit a mint or a bank OR attend a coin show/club meeting OR give a talk about coin collecting to your troop or school OR make drawings of five colonial US coins). So I’d split that as a separate requirement.

… much time passes …

Ok, I have revised the reqs based on your comments, so please see the following modifications to the requirements (see changes to 1, 2, 8, 9, and 10):

  1. Do the following:
    a. Give general unicycling safety rules and etiquette.
    b. Describe the parts and functions of a unicycle.
    c. Describe the required and recommended safety equipment.
    d. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while unicycling.
  2. Using pictures, present the history of unicycling.
  3. Clean and adjust a unicycle. Prepare it for inspection using a unicycle safety checklist.
  4. Show your unicycle to your counselor for inspection. Do the following:
    a. Show all parts that should be checked regularly to make sure the unicycle is safe to ride.
    b. Show how to adjust seat level and height.
  5. Demonstrate the following:
    a. Proper mounting, pedaling, stopping, and dismounting.
    b. Making left and right turns by performing a figure-8.
    c. Rolling off a curb or other obstacle.
    d. Idling 10 times.
    e. Hopping 5 times.
  6. Explain the differences between standard, trials, freestyle, muni, and touring unicycles.
  7. Describe your traffic laws for unicycles. Compare them with pedestrian and motor-vehicle laws.
  8. Avoiding major highways, plan and take 2 2-mile trips and 1 5-mile trip. Report the route you took and interesting things seen.
  9. Do one of the following:
    a. Demonstrate advanced maneuvers, including backwards riding, one-footed riding, and wheel-walking.
    b. Wearing proper safety gear, take 2 muni rides of at least one mile. Demonstrate mounting technique on slopes.
    c. Compete in a trials event.
    d. Play a sport on a unicycle, such as basketball, hockey, or jousting.
  10. Do one of the following:
    a. Attend a unicycle convention. Tell your counselor about it.
    b. Visit a unicycle club. Tell your counselor about it.
    c. Give a talk and demonstration about unicycling to your troop or school class.

What do people think? Is this better? Do-able?

9

If someone is starting from scratch and doesn’t have any friends to teach him/her, then learning to idle and hop are not reasonable. I know people that have unicyled for years, but never learned to idle. Remember that most people are going to be starting without any idea how to get on the uni, much less practice advanced tricks. I think mastering Skill Level 1 is a more reasonable goal for someone that is working alone without guidance. I can’t imagine trying to learn to hop or idle without having seen someone else do it first.

I make this comment because I am now trying to learn to wheel walk without ever having seen anyone do it. It is really tough doing it alone.

10

I think this one is unreasonable. If you live in any southern state, including Texas, conventions can easily cost hundreds, and maybe thousands of dollars to go to. And they are not very often either.
Also, 10 miles is a LONG way on a unicycle, and unless you have a commuter uni, it would suck pretty bad to do it.

Lastly, I think the skills such as hopping and idling are pretty difficult for someone trying to get the merit badge. Most merit badges only take a week, and Ive even completed ones such as basketry and leatherwork in one day. Excluding merit badges such as Family Life, Personal Fitness, and Personal Manangement that take 3 months to complete, most merit badges take at the most 1 month, and people just learning to uni probably wouldnt like the idea of having to do all these advanced skills.

11

Eagle Scout, Troop 104, Western Los Angeles County Council

If you had a unicycling merit badge you’d have to have a juggling one too.

12

As well, they need to have a juggling merit badge

13

I’m within weeks of getting eagle scout now. Just finished last requirements and i am setting up a counsel to review me. I’ve been riding for 6 years and would love to see a unicycling merit badge. I would have gotten it first. If they get one before i’m 18 (6 months) then i’ll try and get it. That would be so cool. I think the list looks good. But we should in that u have to do a 2 foot drop also.

14

I think the skill things are still too hard. You are assuming that people own their own unicycle, and practice it every day. That’s a pretty reasonable expectation of bikers, but not of people who are beginners at riding unicycles.

Remember a lot of people, almost certainly most people who learn to ride a unicycle, are only using unicycles once a week at a juggling or unicycling club, scout group or similar. Over the sort of timescale you’re describing, you can expect someone to be able to get on (by holding onto something) and ride for say 50 metres. Nothing more. You could put the others in ‘9a)demonstrate an advanced manouvre, such as mounting, idling, riding backwards’

Number 7 is a bad idea, because in many places, the traffic law for unicycles is basically undefined, and there’s no case law about them. Even a lawyer wouldn’t be able to answer this in some states of the US and many countries around the world.

Number 2 is interesting, but very few people actually know anything about this, so it’d be very hard to find out.

10a and b are both very location based. Most people don’t live near a unicycling club or convention.

You could change 10b to visit a unicycling or circus skills club. Because there are likely to be more of those, and they’re surely the most popular place to learn unicycling still.

15

i quit boyscout cause they suck there so corny. i wnet to camp and they were teaching us how to swim and bike and hike. like we didnt already know

16

I’m a star scout now and have 3 more merit badges and a service project left to get my eagle I think a unicycling merit badge would have been awesome, I did most of the cycling merit badge with my 36’er people were so amazed by it, it made me laugh.Anyway here’s the way I would set up the unicycling Merit badge.

17

better idea
boy scouts = for city kids that are ahem weak in manliness

if we get people like that with unicycling we will be required to wear a freaking bullet proof suit (full body) to ride a unicycle, that is lame.

eh
i think the cycling badge should be adapted to work for either a bike or unicycle. thats all…

18

HEY!!! I don’t think that boy scouts are city kids that are weak in manliness, in fact I know quite a few Eagle scouts (and current boy scouts) that could kick your sorry arse… there are a lot of wimpy city kids I know in boy scouts though…

19

yeah i was star
but 8
would be hell for anyon on a 20"
5 miles on a 20"?

O__O

20

Naw, I’ve done about 10 on a 20" way before I got my coker of course, but still I had no problems, and I did it on a Torker CX…