Boy Scouts: Face Your Fears
Eric Jacovetti
Central Michigan University
(Endangered Bees)
KNOW/DO/BE Integrated Honeybee Biology and Public Speaking Program
Audience:
This program has been designed for use of Boy Scouts from ages ten to thirteen in an informal
education setting. It is important to understand that this program can be adapted to fit in an
informal education setting for Girl Scouts as well.
Length:
This program is meant to be an option at a Boy Scout event that is at least four days in length and
able to dedicate eight hours daily, for a period of at least three of the four days.
Rationale:
The Boy Scout Motto is “Be prepared.” If this program is implemented correctly, that can be
changed to “Bee prepared.” Face Your Fears is a program designed to help alleviate
apprehension related to public speaking and honeybees alike.
The benefits of informal education are visible. In addition to learning the basic curriculums
offered in a majority of school systems, informal education offers students opportunities to
develop critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills in order to succeed. Boy
Scouting, one of the more traditional sects of The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), serves as a
great program for boys ranging ages ten to eighteen. The primary goals of Boy Scouting are to
enable participants to develop character, citizenship, and personal fitness.
This is made possible through a myriad of activities, but for the purpose of this program the
focus is specifically on merit badges. Through a scout earning merit badges, he now has the
opportunity to learn in depth about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers.
There are currently one hundred different merit badges in circulation. The metafocus of this is
the Public Speaking badge. Beginning to develop the skill of public speaking is important for our
youth. Public speaking remains the number one fear of Americans with death as a close second
(Bodie). Although the badge is of particular interest of those involved in Speech and English
programs, public speaking is a powerful communication weapon in anyone’s characteristic
arsenal, universally acclaimed regardless of the diverse career paths the many different Boy
Scouts intend on taking (Scouting).
Where does the honeybee fit into this? The first fear listed was public speaking; it is no shock
that Americans tend to be apiphobic, that is, collectively afraid of bees. All too often, Apis
mellifera (the European honeybee regarded by entomologists as docile in nature) is wrongfully
included in this fear. One of the primary goals of beekeepers, entomologists, and agriculturists is
to reduce this ill-informed fear, just as communication scholars aim to reduce societal public
speaking anxiety.
It is important to understand that a Boy Scout Beekeeping merit badge existed from 1956 until
1995. Currently, the badge that relates closely to it is the Insect Study merit badge, which
suggests observing a hive, raising an insect through the complete metamorphosis (from larval to
adult), explaining the differences of social and solitary insects, describing the role insects play in
the food chain, and discovering information about a career opportunity involved with insects in
great detail. Some elements of the aforementioned would be made available through the
aforementioned three-day program.
This would prove an excellent opportunity for participating Boy Scouts. Hopefully it would
decrease public speaking and bee apprehension alike while aiming to increase general awareness
and respect of the environment and the great effect honeybees have on it through knowledge.
The activities would cater to learners of all types (i.e. tactile, audible, and visual).
Desired Results:
Through successful implementation of the KNOW/DO/BE method (Leader to Leader), it is with
great hope this program reduces participant public speaking and honeybee apprehension alike
while raising environmental awareness. Participants will demonstrate improvements in
willingness to communicate, public speaking, and acute knowledge of honeybees and their
effects on the environment.
Participating scouts will move beyond comprehension and knowledge of public speaking and the
honeybee and open new doorways to learn more about contexts such as speechwriting,
beekeeping, social insect biology, and communication in general. The end all result would be
that the scouts not just meet all the requirements for the Public Speaking merit badge and four of
the requirements of the Insect Study merit badge but apply the program’s insight into their
futures.
Requirements for the Public Speaking merit badge are as follows:
1. Give a three- to five-minute introduction of yourself to an audience such as your troop,
class at school, or some other group.
2. Prepare a three- to five-minute talk on a topic of your choice that incorporates body
language and visual aids.
3. Give an impromptu talk of at least two minutes, either as part of a group discussion or
before your counselor. Use a subject selected by your counselor that is interesting to you
but that is not known to you in advance and for which you do not have time to prepare.
4. Select a topic of interest to your audience. Collect and organize information about this
topic and prepare an outline. Write an eight- to 10-minute speech, practice it, and then
deliver it in the conversational way.
5. Show you know parliamentary procedure by leading a discussion or meeting according to
accepted rules of order; or by answering questions on the rules of order. (Public Speaking
Merit Badge)
Requirements able to be completed for the Insect Study merit badge are as follows:
1. Point out and name the main parts of an insect.
2. Observe a beehive. Tell what you saw.
3. Tell the things that make social insects different from solitary insects.
4. Tell how insects fit in the food chains of other insects, fish, birds, and mammals.
5. Find out about three career opportunities in insect study. Pick one and find out about the
education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your
counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you (Insect Study).
For the purpose of collecting data, it would also be desired that the scouts complete a pre and
post-test Personal Record of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24).
Acceptable Evidence:
Assessment techniques will be used in order to gain a crystallized bank of evidence to
show comprehension and application. The focus of the program is the completion of the merit
badge requirements previously noted and the visible improvements in communication skills
(specifically public speaking) and knowledge of honeybees. Scouts will be given workbooks for
each merit badge that are to be handed in upon completion. The basic tools used for assessment
would be the consent of the program facilitator to the scout completing the requirements. The
topic of the speeches, following the introductory speech, will all be related to the honeybee. The
completed workbook will provide evidence of written and performance proficiencies. The
speeches are to serve as evidence of oral, visual, and performance proficiencies.
Assessment Tools:
The participants will be assessed first through the pre-test PRCA-24.
Directions: This instrument is composed of twenty-four statements concerning feelings about
communicating with other people. Please indicate the degree to which each statement applies to
you by marking whether you (1) strongly agree, (2) agree, (3) are undecided, (4) disagree, or (5)
strongly disagree. Work quickly; record your first impression.
_____ 1. I dislike participating in group discussions.
_____ 2. Generally, I am comfortable while participating in group discussions.
_____ 3. I am tense and nervous while participating in group discussions.
_____ 4. I like to get involved in group discussions.
_____ 5. Engaging in a group discussion with new people makes me tense and nervous.
_____ 6. I am calm and relaxed while participating in group discussions.
_____ 7. Generally, I am nervous when I have to participate in a meeting.
_____ 8. Usually I am calm and relaxed while participating in meetings.
_____ 9. I am very calm and relaxed when I am called upon to express an opinion at a meeting.
_____ 10. I am afraid to express myself at meetings.
_____ 11. Communicating at meetings usually makes me uncomfortable.
_____ 12. I am very relaxed when answering questions at a meeting.
_____ 13. While participating in a conversation with a new acquaintance, I feel very nervous.
_____ 14. I have no fear of speaking up in conversations.
_____ 15. Ordinarily I am very tense and nervous in conversations.
_____ 16. Ordinarily I am very calm and relaxed in conversations.
_____ 17. While conversing with a new acquaintance, I feel very relaxed.
_____ 18. I'm afraid to speak up in conversations.
_____ 19. I have no fear of giving a speech.
_____ 20. Certain parts of my body feel very tense and rigid while giving a speech.
_____ 21. I feel relaxed while giving a speech.
_____ 22. My thoughts become confused and jumbled when I am giving a speech.
_____ 23. I face the prospect of giving a speech with confidence.
_____ 24. While giving a speech, I get so nervous I forget facts I really know.
Use the scoring formula that follows to calculate your PRCA-24. Then, please report your
scores in the table below. Be sure to include your name and date of test.
Student Name:
Date:
Group Discussions
Meetings
Interpersonal Conversations
Public Speaking
TOTAL
Scoring: The PRCA permits computation of one total score and four subscores. The subscores
are related to communication apprehension in each of four common communication contexts:
group discussions, meetings, interpersonal conversations, and public speaking. To compute your
scores merely add or subtract your scores for each item as indicated below.
Subscore
Group discussion
Scoring Formula
18 + scores for items 2, 4, and 6;
- scores for items 1, 3, and 5.
Meetings
18 + scores for items 8, 9, and 12;
- scores for items 7, 10, and 11.
Interpersonal conversations
18 + scores for items 14, 16, and 17;
- scores for items 13, 15, and 18.
Public speaking
18 + scores for items 19, 21, and 23;
- scores for items 20, 22, and 24.
(Reed, 2008)
Program’s Merit Badge Requirements:
1. Has the scout given a three- to five-minute introduction of himself to an audience such as
the troop, class at school, or some other group?
2. Has the scout prepared a three- to five-minute talk on a topic of your choice that
incorporates body language and visual aids?
3. Has the scout given an impromptu talk of at least two minutes, either as part of a group
discussion or before a counselor using a subject selected by your counselor that is
interesting to him but that is not known in advance and yielded no time to prepare?
4. Has the scout selected a topic of interest to the audience and collected and organized
information about this topic to prepare an outline. Has he written an eight- to 10-minute
speech, practiced it, and then delivered it in the conversational way.
5. Has the scout shown knowledge of parliamentary procedure by leading a discussion or
meeting according to accepted rules of order; or by answering questions on the rules of
order? (Public
Speaking Merit Badge)
The aforementioned Public Speaking merit badge requirements would also implement the
previously noted Insect Study merit badge requirements as well thus nearly killing two birds
with one stone. So the facilitator would assess if the scout pointed out and name the main
parts of an insect, observed a beehive and told what he saw, deciphered the difference
between social and solitary insects, explained how insects fit into the food chains of other
insects; fish; birds; and mammals, found out about three career opportunities in insect study;
picked one; and furthered investigation about the education; training; and experience
required for said profession, and finally discussed it with the facilitator, explaining why the
profession might interest him. As stated beforehand, this would all be completed during the
speeches given for the other merit badge.
Following all of this, the PRCA-24 would be given to the participants at the end of the
program, for the purpose of collecting socially scientific data, and hopefully to see reduction
in public speaking anxiety.
Alignment with standards:
Guide to Safe Scouting
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS.aspx
Age Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS.aspx
The Sweet 16 of BSA Safety
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/Resources/sweet16.aspx
All of these are pertinent to take into consideration with any program dealing with supervision
and facilitation of Boy Scouts.
Multimedia:
Online Resources (Use any Internet resource with caution and only with your parent’s or
guardian’s permission.)
Boy Scouts of America:
►Scout
►Tenderfoot
►Second Class
Class
 Rank Videos
►Safety Afloat
►First
Merit Badge Booklet
http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/MBW -or- usscouts.org:
http://www.usscouts.org/mb/worksheets/list.asp
Requirement Resources
These resources and much more are at: http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Public Speaking
1, 2 & 4. Give a three- to five-minute introduction of yourself...

Cub Scout: Communicating Belt Loop & Pin - Webelos: Communicator - Merit Badges:
Public Speaking - Communications

Speeches & Presentations: How to Choose a topic - How to Write a Speech - How to Give
a Speech - Ideas from eHow

Lesson Videos: ExpertVillage: Giving a Speech - Public Speaking Tips - Public Speaking Eye Contact - Hand Gestures - Props
The Citizenship in the Community #8 public presentation...of your community
could be given as a Communications #3 five-minute speech
using the techniques from Photography #4b to produce a picture story
and Art #1 to tell a story with...pictures
which could be developed into the Computers #6e short presentation.
Also see Communications #3. "Write a five-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a group."
3. How to give an Impromtu Speech step-by-step instructions.
Lesson Videos: How to Do an Impromptu Speech: What is an Impromptu Speech? - Delivery Organizing - Staying Focused - Note Cards - Benefits - Disadvantages
5. Wikipedia:Robert's Rules of Order - Quick Reference - Introduction - Robert's Rules of Order
Quick Reference - Robert's Rules of Order - Some Basics - Robert's Rules Made Simple
Robert's Parliamentary Procedure - Parliamentary procedure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Simplified Parliamentary Procedure - Parliamentary Procedure - Quick Reference
Resources for Master of Ceremonies for a Court of Honor or lead a Patrol Leaders' Council
meeting
General Resources
National Speakers Association: http://www.nsaspeaker.org
Toastmasters International: http://www.toastmasters.org
All of this information is redirected from http://www.usscouts.org/mb/mb090.asp
Learning Experiences:
On top of earning the merit badges and strengthening public speaking skills, it is our goal that the
participants would understand the significance of honeybees.
Some facts include bees are pollinators vital to our food chain. One third of the food we eat
would not be available but for bees. The social life of the honeybee colony provides a
controversial start to thinking about the structure of societies. The tools, which have evolved
on the limbs and mouthparts of bees, are neat examples of adaptation and engineering. The
harvest from honeybees of honey, pollen, wax and propolis has nutritional, craft,
manufacturing, and medical applications. Pollination by bees is important for genetic
sustainability. Genes that have evolved in other animals are important to our future, too (What
We Can Learn From Bees).
The participants would KNOW how to improve speech patterns as well harness a ridiculous
amount of knowledge on honeybees. The participants would DO speeches in public and actively
observe hives. Finally, the participants would BE future orators, rhetors, and or beekeepers of
America.
Works Cited
"Endangered Bees." Oracle ThinkQuest Library. Web. 5 Aug. 2010.
<http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/02034/gallery.html>.
Graham D. Bodie - Graham Bodie is in the Department of Communication Studies, The
Louisiana State University DOI: 10.1080/03634520903443849
"Insect Study - MeritBadgeDotOrg." Web. 5 Aug. 2010.
<http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Insect_Study>.
"Leader to Leader - Leader To Leader Journal." Leader to Leader Institute. Web. 5 Aug. 2010.
<http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=126>.
"Public Speaking Merit Badge." U.S. Scouting Service Project. Web. 5 Aug. 2010.
<http://www.usscouts.org/mb/mb090.asp>.
Reed, K. (2008). Social Intelligence and Communication Apprehension among At-risk
Community College Students. Conference Papers -- National Communication
Association, 1. Retrieved from Communication & Mass Media Complete database.
Scouting. Web. 5 Aug. 2010. <http://www.scouting.org/>.
"What We Can Learn from Bees." British Beekeepers' Association. Web. 5 Aug. 2010.
<http://www.britishbee.org.uk/bees4kids/index.php>.