Citizenship in the Community
This workbook can help you but you still need to read the merit badge pamphlet (book). No one can add or subtract from the Boy Scout Requirements #33215. Merit Badge Workbooks and much more are below: Online Resources. Workbook developer: craig@craiglincoln.com. Requirements revised: 2005. Workbook updated: November 2008. Scout’s Name: ____________________________________________ Unit: ____________________________ Counselor’s Name: _________________________________________ Counselor’s Ph #: _____________________________ 1. Discuss with your counselor what citizenship in the community means _______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ and what it takes to be a good citizen in your community. ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Discuss the rights, _____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ duties, _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ and obligations of citizenship, ___________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ and explain how you can demonstrate good citizenship in your community, Scouting unit, place of worship, or school. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Do the following: (a) On a map of your community, locate and point out the following: (1) Chief government buildings such as your city hall, county courthouse, and public works/services facility (2) Fire station, police station, and hospital nearest your home (3) Historical or other interesting points (b) Chart the organization of your local or state government. Show the top offices and tell whether they are elected or appointed.

Citizenship in the Community p. 2

Merit Badge Workbook

Scout’s Name: ________________________

3. Do the following: (a) Attend a city or town council or school board meeting, or a municipal, county, or state court session. _____________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (b) Choose one of the issues discussed at the meeting _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ where a difference of opinions was expressed, _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ and explain to your counselor why you agree with one opinion more than you do another one. ______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Citizenship in the Community p. 3

Merit Badge Workbook

Scout’s Name: ________________________

4. Choose an issue that is important to the citizens of your community, _________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ then do the following: (a) Find out which branch of local government is responsible for this issue. ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (b) With your counselor’s and a parent’s approval, interview one person from the branch of government you identified in requirement 4a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ask what is being done about this issue ___________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ and how young people can help. __________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) Share what you have learned with your counselor. ________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. With the approval of your counselor and a parent, watch a movie that shows how the actions of one individual or group of individuals can have a positive effect on a community. _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Discuss with your counselor what you learned from the movie about what it means to be a valuable and concerned member of the community._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. List some of the services (such as the library, recreation center, public transportation, and public safety) your community provides that are funded by taxpayers. Service Tell your counselor why these services are important to your community. ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

Citizenship in the Community p. 4

Merit Badge Workbook

Scout’s Name: ________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Do the following: (a) Choose a charitable organization outside of Scouting that interests you and brings people in your community together to work for the good of your community. ___________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (b) Using a variety of resources (including newspapers, fliers and literature, the Internet, volunteers, and employees of the organization), find out more about this organization. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) With your counselor’s and your parent’s approval, contact the organization and find out what young people can do to help. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

While working on this merit badge, volunteer at least eight hours of your time for the organization. ______________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ After your volunteer experience is over, discuss what you have learned with your counselor. _______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Citizenship in the Community p. 5

Merit Badge Workbook

Scout’s Name: ________________________

8. Develop a public presentation (such as a video, slide show, speech, digital presentation, or photo exhibit) about important and unique aspects of your community. Include information about the history, _________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ cultures, and ethnic groups of your community; ____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ its best features ________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ and popular places where people gather; __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ and the challenges it faces. _____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stage your presentation in front of your merit badge counselor or a group, such as your patrol or a class at school. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Online Resources (Use any Internet resource with caution and only with your parent’s or guardian’s permission.) Boy Scouts of America: ►scouting.org ►Guide to Safe Scouting ►Age-Appropriate Guidelines ►Safe Swim Defense ►Scout ►Tenderfoot ►Second Class ►First Class  Rank Videos ►Safety Afloat Boy Scout Merit Badge Workbooks: usscouts.org -or- meritbadge.org Merit Badge Books: www.scoutstuff.org Guide to Safe Scouting Safe Swim Defense Safety Afloat Blood Borne Pathogens Youth Protection Training

Citizenship in the Community p. 6

Merit Badge Workbook

Scout’s Name: ________________________

Requirement Resources See: http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Citizenship_in_the_Community for these links and much more 1: Citizenship Rights Duties Jury Duty Obligations (Responsibilities) 2a: Google Maps - Make and save a map of your community Sample Google Map Made By A Scout 3a: Find Information about your county's government: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_(United_States) 4: Major daily newspaper websites: http://www.newspaperlinks.com/voyager.cfm 4a: Branches of Government: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branches_of_government#United_States:_three_branches 5: Movies With A Meaning : http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Citizenship_in_the_Community#Movies_With_a_Meaning 7a: IRS definition of a Charitable Organization - Qualified organizations include nonprofit groups that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific, or literary in purpose, or that work to prevent cruelty to children or animals. Charitable Organizations (outside of Scouting) in general may include: Churches, religious organizations, federal, state, and local governments, Salvation Army, Red Cross, CARE, Goodwill Industries, United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, war veteran’s groups, fraternal lodges, and nonprofit schools, hospitals, museums, etc. IRS definition of a Charitable Organization: Qualified organizations include nonprofit groups that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific, or literary in purpose, or that work to prevent cruelty to children or animals. Charitable Organizations (outside of Scouting) in general include: Churches, religious organizations, federal, state, and local governments, Salvation Army, Red Cross, CARE, Goodwill Industries, United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, war veteran’s groups, fraternal lodges, and nonprofit schools, hospitals, museums, etc. IRS online search for charities by name or city GuideStar Direcotry of Non-profit Organizations - find charitable organizations in your area. BBB Wise Giving Alliance - list of charities 8: Photography #4 overlaps this requirement and gives tips. General Resources BBB Wise Giving Alliance: http://www.give.org GovSpot: http://www.govspot.com National Crime Prevention Council: http://www.nationaltcc.org VolunteerMatch: http://www.volunteermatch.org Youth as Resources: http://www.yar.org FirstGov, U.S. Gen. Services Admin.: http://www.firstgov.gov National Constitution Center: http://www.constitutioncenter.org U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov Youth Activism Project: http://www.youthactivism.com Youth Service America: http://www.ysa.org