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WILKES-BARRE — More than 300 Boy Scouts from around the state found their way to King’s College Saturday for the 18th annual Merit Badge College.
Scouts gathered at the day-long event from across the region – and beyond – to earn a chance at completing numerous merit badges, as well as getting a taste of collegiate life and meeting new friends.
The Merit Badge College was arranged by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council of the Boy Scouts of America and King’s College.
Merit badges are introductory learning modules, exposing Scouts to a plethora of professions, hobbies and more through experience and education. Scouts who have a First Class rank or higher were eligible to attend the event. Many of the Scouts ranged in age from 12 to 17.
Once registered, the Scouts could choose up to four classes to complete and earn badges. About 30 classes were available.
The classes are taught by volunteer counselors who have industry expertise in the corresponding field.
Dave Srebro was the adviser for the event and has been involved in the Merit Badge College for about 15 years.
“Most of (the boys) are on a quest to become an Eagle scout,” he said of the highest ranking in the Scouts. “It’s not so much about earning to get here, but getting here to gain something later.”
According to the National Eagle Scout Association, one must earn 21 merit badges to become an Eagle Scout.
Throughout the day, Boy Scouts wandered in and out of multiple buildings on campus, either sitting attentively while listening to their instructor or taking a more “hands-on” approach.
In the metalworking class, however, there was very little sitting.
More than dozen scouts were filing, grinding and cutting away at one of four projects they had to complete to earn the badge.
On the front and back walls four poster boards were hung, each depicting a project with instructions. These included creating a metal box, cooking pot, dust pan or dry material scoop.
Nick Moshey, 13 of Troop 281, was preparing to use a metal brake tool to complete his box. Volunteer instructor Larry Kiwak was by his side, helping Moshey line the metal up evenly in the machine.
While Kiwak was helping Moshey complete his box, instructor Bob Pilger, a Troop 281 committee member, was assisting two scouts place handles on their cooking pots. Pilger, who has experience in auto-body work and welding, said many scouts like to choose the metalworking class.
“Somebody may like to take up auto-body or sheet-metal fabrication,” Pilger said. “We also offer plumbing. You never know what someone may want to do.”
Across the hall, about a dozen Scouts were learning about chemical reactions from King’s College chemistry instructor Brian Williams.
“Just so you boys know, unless you want black fingers make sure you use a glove when using silver nitrate,” he warned Scouts eager to see how much chloride was in tap water using the substance.
Down the hall, 13 year-old Ben Heintzelman traveled from Kempton to learn about mining and veterinary medicine.
“Mining in Society holds a lot of key elements that hold useful later in life,” the Scout said as he listened to the instructor.
Heintzelman noted that some merit badges go with one another, such as Mining and Geology, which he’s also working on.
