C O MMUNICATI O N - filestore.scouting.org

1 COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATIONBOY SCOUTS OF AMERICAMERIT BADGE SERIES Enhancing our youths competitive edge through merit badges ONE of the following:(a)For one day, keep a log in which you describe your communicationactivities. Keep track of the time and different ways you spend communicating,such as talking person-to-person, listening to teachers, listening to the radio orpodcasts, watching television, using social media, reading books and otherprint media, and using any electronic communication device. Discuss withyour counselor what your log reveals about the importance of communicationin your life. Think of ways to improve your communication skills.(b)For three days, keep a journal of your listening experiences. Identify oneexample of each of the following, and discuss with your counselor when youhave listened to:(1)Obtain information(2)Be persuaded(3)Appreciate or enjoy something(4)Understand someone s feelings(c)In a small-group setting, meet with other Scouts or with friends.

2 Havethem share personal stories about significant events in their lives that affectedthem in some way. Take note of how each Scout participates in the groupdiscussion and how effectively each Scout communicates their story. Reportwhat you have learned to your counselor about the differences you observedin effective communication.(d)List as many ways as you can think of to communicate with others(face-to-face, by telephone, letter, email, text messages, social media, and so on).For each type of communication, discuss with your counselor an instancewhen that method might not be appropriate or ONE of the following:(a)Think of a creative way to describe yourself using, for example, a collage,short story or autobiography, drawing or series of photographs, or a song or the aid you created, make a presentation to your counselor about yourself.

3 (b)Choose a concept, product, or service in which you have great a sales plan based on its good points. Try to persuade the counselor toagree with, use, or buy your concept, product, or service. After your sales talk,discuss with your counselor how persuasive you a five-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a someone you know fairly well, like, or respect because of his or herposition, talent, career, or life experiences. Listen actively to learn as much asyou can about the person. Then prepare and deliver to your counselor anintroduction of the person as though this person were to be a guest speaker,and include reasons why the audience would want to hear this person how you would call to invite this person to a public meeting (city council, school board, debate) approved by yourcounselor where several points of view are given on a single issue.

4 Practiceactive listening skills and take careful notes of each point of view. Prepare anobjective report that includes all points of view that were expressed, and sharethis with your your counselor s approval, develop a plan to teach a skill or informsomeone about something. Prepare teaching aids for your plan. Carry out yourplan. With your counselor, determine whether the person has learned whatyou ONE of the following:(a)Write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to express youropinion or share information on any subject you choose. Send your messageby fax, email, or regular mail.(b)Create a webpage or blog of special interest to you (for instance, yourtroop or crew, a hobby, or a sport). Include at least three articles or entriesand one photograph or illustration, and one link to some other webpage orblog that would be helpful to someone who visits the webpage or blog youhave created.

5 It is not necessary to post your webpage or blog to the internet,but if you decide to do so, you must first share it with your parents andcounselor and get their permission.(c)Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier, or otherprinted material for your troop or crew, class at school, or other at least one article and one photograph or a troop or crew court of honor, campfire program, or interfaith worshipservice. Have the patrol leaders council approve it, then write the script andprepare the program. Serve as master of out about three career opportunities in communication. Pick one andfind out the education, training, and experience required for this this with your counselor, and explain why this profession mightinterest in CommunicationScouting LiteratureCinematography, Journalism, Photography, Public Speaking, Radio, and Theater merit badge pamphletsBooksAlba, Jason.

6 I m on Facebook Now What??? How to Get Personal, Business, and Professional Value from Facebook. Happy About, , Michael A. Blogging Heroes: Interviews With 30 of the World s To p B l o g g e r s . Wiley, , Nadine. How to Make and Keep Friends: Tips for Kids to Overcome 50 Common Social Challenges. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, , Richard. The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One How to Deliver It. Amacom, , Susannah. Blogging for Dummies. For Dummies, , Liz, and Erika Karres. 101 Do s and Don ts and Double Don ts on Texting. YouthLight Inc, , Bob. Oratory, 2nd ed. CDE, , Sandra E. How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything Yo u l l E v e r Wr i t e , 3rd ed. Ten Speed Press, , Christiana. Accept No Substitutes! The History of American Advertising. Lerner, , Steven.

7 Speaking Up, Speaking Out: A Kid s Guide to Making Speeches, Oral Reports and Conversation. Millbrook Press, , Allan, and Barbara Pease. The Definitive Book of Body Language. Bantam, , Bud E. Creating Web Pages for Dummies, 8th ed. For Dummies, Jr., William. The Elements of Style, Tribeca Books, in CommunicationFor more information about Scouting-related resources, visit the BSA s official online retail catalog (with your parent s permission) at COMMUNICATIONR esources in and WebsitesAnimation FactoryWebsite: for Education in Journalism and Mass CommunicationWe b s i t e : h t t p : / / w w w. a e j m c. o rgBroadcast Education AssociationWe b s i t e : h t t p : / / w w w. b e awe b. o rgFreedom Forum First Amendment CenterWebsite: Communication AssociationWe b s i t e : h t t p : / / w w w.

8 N a t c o m . o rgPublic Relations Society of AmericaWe b s i t e : h t t p : / / w w w. p rs a . o rgToastmasters InternationalWe b s i t e : h t t p : / / w w w. t o a s t m a s t e rs. o rgWebmonkeyWe b s i t e : h t t p : / / w w w. we b m o n key. c o mAcknowledgmentsThanks to the author, Scott S. Stuckey, who is a senior editor at the National Geographic Society. Mr. Stuckey is the former editor of Boys Life Boy Scouts of America is grateful to the men and women serving on the Merit Badge Maintenance Task Force for the improvements made in updating this and Illustration cover (video camera, keella/Shutterstock; smartphones, Rashevskyi Viacheslav/Shutterstock; man in suit, Africa Studio/Shutterstock), cover and page 3 (microphone, Sergii Korolko/Shutterstock), cover and page 32 (notebook with pen, Thep Urai/Shutterstock); pages 5 ( BlueSkyImage/Shutterstock), 6 ( Kesu/Shutterstock), 7 ( altafulla/Shutterstock), 8 (maple leaf, Stefanina Hill/Shutterstock; men s room sign, Robert J.)

9 Beyers II/Shutterstock), 8 and 9 (hand, Hakan Kiziltan/Shutterstock), 10 (sign language, Givaga/Shutterstock; keyboard, enciktepstudio/Shutterstock), 12 ( leungchopan/Shutterstock), 14 ( TheFinalMiracle/Shutterstock), 16 ( Kuzma/Shutterstock), 18 ( Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock), 21 ( V i o re l S i m a / S h u t t e rs t o c k ) , 30 ( Alan Bailey/Shuterstock), 35 ( Khakimullin Aleksandr/Shutterstock); 40, 51, and 55 ( Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock); 44 ( Dan Howell/Shutterstock), 46 ( sritangphoto/Shutterstock), 47 ( lightpoet/Shutterstock), 71 ( Goodluz/Shutterstock), 73 (reporters, Picsfive/Shutterstock; cameraman, Ruta Production/Shutterstock), 74 ( Konstantin Chagin/Shutterstock), 75 ( Denis Rozhnovsky/Shutterstock), and 76 ( TatjanaRittner/Shutterstock)