Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge

Session #1

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Session #1 for Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge will take place on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at 6:00 PM Central Time. You should do all of the "homework" before the session. The homework will probably take about one hour. You will need to watch two videos, and then do some research about two historic sites. If you have the merit badge book, there are some pages you can read before the session. However, I realize that many scouts won't have the merit badge book and won't have any way to get one. So don't worry if you don't have the book. All of the information you need is available online. Get your parent's permission before visiting any Internet sites.

Session 1

Session 1 Preparation "Homework"

We're going to jump right in, and in our first merit badge session, you will complete requirements 1 and 2. But you need to Be Prepared! We're going to talk about what "citizenship in the nation" means. We'll also go over your visits to two historical places. One of these will be a real visit, and one will be a virtual visit. Here's what you need to do before the session:

  1. If you have a copy of the merit badge book, read pages 7-8, which talks about what it means to be a good citizen of this country, and what our rights, duties, and obligations are as citizens. I realize that many scouts will not have a copy of the book and won't be able to get one. Therefore, you can also get this information from the following sources: (Get your parent's permission before visiting any online sources.)

  2. To prepare for requirement 2A, you will need to find a historic site that you have visited recently. This is the only requirement that can't be done virtually. However, fortunately, there are thousands of places that qualify, and it's almost certain that you have visited one recently.

    You can find a listing of sites at the following links. Go through the list for your county or nearby counties, and find one that you have recently visited.



    There are two options for your "visit." As you will see, many of the sites are buildings, and it is impossible to visit them right now. Therefore, you can use a site that you have recently visited. Another option might be available, with your parent's permission. Some of the historic sites are outdoor locations, such as parks, neighborhoods, or bridges. If it is safe, legal, and you have your parent's permission, you can visit one of these outdoor locations. You must follow social distancing guidelines, but you must also use the buddy system. This means that your buddy must be a responsible person in your household.

    After you have found a historic site, use the Internet or other sources to find interesting information about it. If you used one of the Wikipedia lists above, the Wikipedia link for your site should provide most of the information you need.

  3. For requirement 2D, you will also need to make a visit, but this one can be a virtual visit, to a National Monument. You should pick out a National Monument and use the Internet or other sources to learn about it. The easiest way to do this is from the list of National Monuments at Wikipedia. Pick out one that looks interesting, click on its name from the list, and you will be taken to the Wikipedia page for that monument. On that page, find the link for the site's official website, and you will find all of the information you need. There are two National Monuments in Minnesota: Grand Portage National Monument on Lake Superior, and Pipestone National Monument in Southwestern Minnesota. Here's a list of some other National Monuments that you might find particularly interesting:

    • Agate Fossil Beds. This large deposit of fossils is located in Nebraska.

    • Aztec Ruins. These ancient ruins of the Pueblo people of New Mexico date back 900 years.

    • Cabrillo. The first European to set foot on the west coast of the U.S. landed at this spot in California in 1542.

    • Devils Postpile. These eerie basalt columns tower over 60 feet in California.

    • Devils Tower. Made famous in the movie Close Encounters, this stone structure rises hundreds of feet.

    • Effigy Mounds. These ancient mounds in Iowa are considered sacred by many Native Americans.

    • Fort McHenry. An 1814 battle at this Maryland fort inspired Francis Scott Key to write the National Anthem.

    • George Washington Carver. This Missouri site was the boyhood home of the agricultural scientist, educator, and humanitarian.

    • Giant Sequoia. The trees at this California monument tower over 300 feet.

    • Homestead. This Nebraska farm was the first spot settled under the 1862 Homestead Act.

    • Marianas Trench Marine. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers this marine national monument, which includes the world's deepest spot in the ocean.

    • Statue of Liberty. The famous statue in New York Harbor is administered by the National Park Service.

    • Waco Mammoth. This fossilized herd of mammoth is located in Waco, Texas.

    • World War II Valor in the Pacific. This war memorial has sites in California, Alaska, and Hawaii, and includes the U.S.S. Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor.

Please do all of the preparation shown above before our first merit badge session.

Session 1 Call-In Instructions

The first session will take place at 6:00 PM Central Time on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. Plan on the session lasting about 45 minutes. Here are the call-in instructions: Dial 1-712-775-8972. When prompted, enter the conference code 127735. Normal long-distance charges (to Iowa) apply for this call.

We will complete requirements 1 and 2. Be prepared to do the following:

  • We will do requirement 1 as a group. You will need to explain and discuss what it means to be a good citizen, and what your rights, duties, and obligations are. This will be a group discussion, but to get the requirement signed off, everyone needs to talk.

  • We will take turns talking about your historic place and your national monument. For each one, you will tell what you learned about it, what you thought was interesting, and why it is important.

  • We'll talk about next week's requirements and how to get ready for them.

About Your Counselor

Richard P. Clem is a registered merit badge counselor in the BSA Northern Star Council, and an assistant scoutmaster of Troop 461 in Maplewood, Minnesota. He is an attorney and continuing legal education (CLE) provider in Minnesota. He has been in private practice in the Twin Cities for about 30 years. He has a J.D., cum laude, from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul and a B.A. in History from the University of Minnesota. His reported cases include: Asociacion Nacional de Pescadores a Pequena Escala o Artesanales de Colombia v. Dow Quimica de Colombia, 988 F.2d 559, rehearing denied, 5 F.3d 530 (5th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 1041 (1994); LaMott v. Apple Valley Health Care Center, 465 N.W.2d 585 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991); Abo el Ela v. State, 468 N.W.2d 580 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991).

You cane visit his websites at RichardClem.com, w0is.com, and OneTubeRadio.com.

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