I got asked by a camp director at the local Boy Scout camp to instruct a group for the chess merit badge. Has anyone out there done this before, and what kinds of things did you go over?
I have done this.
You first need to be qualified as a merit badge provider. For this there is some paperwork to be filled out. The Boy Scout people should provide this to you.
There is a booklet that specifies the abilities and tasks to be accomplished to qualify for the merit badge. Once again this is something to get from the Boy Scout people.
I’ve done this. It’s pretty basic. You can find the requirements for the Merit Badge at meritbadge.org.
The slightly difficult part is that you have to become a merit badge counselor. It doesn’t cost anything, but you have to fill out a form or two, submit a background check (BSA pays for it), and complete some youth protection training. (Watch a video and take a quiz at the end. Summary: Never, ever, be alone with any scout that isn’t your kid, and don’t do anything stupid.)
If that is a bit too much, you don’t necessarily have to be the merit badge counselor, although that’s the normal thing. You could work with a Merit Badge counselor. It’s the job of the counselor to know whether or not the boy has completed the work for the badge, and sign off on that fact. If there is a counselor who will take your word for it, you could do the instruction, and he can do the formal signoff.
ETA: Since you were asked to do it at a summer camp, my guess is that the director or other staff member could be the “official” merit badge counselor. You could just know the requirements, teach the boys, and tell him who had completed them, and he can sign off the paperwork. That would save the hassle of background checks, etc.
When I do this at camp, and I did it last week, we have 2 sessions. In the first I go over all the teaching requirements. In the 2nd session we have the on-board work - the forced mate problems and the games to play.
IF there are any requirements that you don’t complete the scout will end up with a partial completion. That is an OK result.
The chess MB is simply an introduction to the game. The scout won’t have much skill.