Scout Merit Badge Clinics: Scout leaders, would you like RAC to conduct a star party or merit badge teaching clinic for your scouts? Please contact scouting coordinator Glenn Holliday to request RAC support.

Announcements will be posted in the RAC News section of the RAC home page, and details of planned clinics and other events will be described here.

RAC is especially active in teaching astronomy to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts. Glenn has conducted many merit badge clinics, and he has developed an extensive curriculum that takes merit badge candidates from the basics to advanced material. James Bingham (540-786-6632) also helps out with Cub Scout affairs. Leigh Gettier, RAC's beginners coordinator also assists Glenn.

Events for scouts are announced in the news section at the top-center of the RAC home page. Scouting astronomy clinics are usually timed to coincide with one of the club's monthly star parties. Scouts attend the clinic during an afternoon of learning and then spend a few hours observing with RAC club members under the stars, putting their new found knowledge to immediate use. Scout groups are also welcome to attend any RAC star party even if a teaching clinic is not in progress.

All of the teaching material on this page was prepared by RAC scouting coordinator, Glenn Holliday. Glenn's children have been Scouts since 1987. He is currently a merit badge counselor for Mattaponi District, National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. You may read more about Glenn here.

Scout groups often ask Rappahannock Astronomy Club to help them learn astronomy or to complete Scouting awards in astronomy. This section contains notes about helping Boy Scouts complete Astronomy activities for the First Class rank and the Astronomy merit badge. Other sections are specialized for Cub Scout and Girl Scout groups.

This reference is for amateur astronomers who wish to help Boy Scout groups. Most of this material assumes you have some knowledge of astronomy. Boy Scout leaders, please see my notes for Boy Scout leaders. I intend for non-experts to use these pages as a reference. I welcome comments and feedback.

Boy Scouts are boys 11 to 18 years old. Their program offers opportunities for learning astronomy and doing astronomy activities:

• First Class requirement #1: "Demonstrate how to find directions during the day and at night without using a compass." The techniques for both day and night use astronomical knowledge.
• The Astronomy merit badge. Working on this badge gives a boy a good introduction to the hobby. It requires at least a month of observing.

In these pages, I have written the resources below. Use your browser's BACK button to return to this page.

• Teaching materials for the Boy Scout Astronomy merit badge
• An observing plan for showing Boy Scouts objects in the sky, as mentioned in their award requirements
• Lesson plan for Astronomy Merit Badge clinic
• An introduction for Boy Scouts
• An introduction for Boy Scout leaders

See also, from the official Boy Scouts of America Web site:

• Requirements for the Boy Scout Astronomy merit badge
• The First Class requirements

Links to other resources

About the author.

Scout groups often ask Rappahannock Astronomy Club to help them learn astronomy or to complete Scouting awards in astronomy. This Web page is notes about helping Girl Scouts complete Astronomy activities.

This reference is for amateur astronomers who wish to help Girl Scout groups. Most of this material assumes you have some knowledge of astronomy. I intend for non-experts to use these pages as a reference. I welcome comments and feedback.

Though I have been a Girl Scout parent since 1987, my youngest daughter graduated out of the Girl Scout program years ago. I am out of date in my personal knowledge, and Girl Scouting does not keep all of its current requirements on line.

I know Girl Scouting offers different awards and opportunities to look at the stars at different age levels. When Girl Scout troops work with Rappahannock Astronomy Club, they ask about constellations. If you are a Girl Scout leader who would like to tailor an astronomy program to your current needs, I will be happy to look at your requirements, help you put together something that fits, and post more specific program aids here.

The information I maintain about working with Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts contains lots of astronomy topics that are fun and helpful with Girl Scouts and other groups.

About the author.

Scout groups often ask Rappahannock Astronomy Club to help them learn astronomy or to complete Scouting awards in astronomy. This Web page is notes about helping Cub Scout groups complete awards that are specific to that organization. I also have some resources for Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups.

This reference is for amateur astronomers who wish to help Cub Scout groups. Most of this material assumes you have some knowledge of astronomy. Cub Scout leaders, please see my notes for Cub Scout leaders. I want to eventually add more background so that non-experts can use these pages as a reference. I welcome comments and feedback.

Cub Scouts are boys 6 to 10 years old. Their program offers three opportunities for learning astronomy and earning advancements for doing astronomy activities. This page contains notes and an observing plan to help present information at a Cub Scout event that will help the boys earn these three recognitions:

• The Astronomy academic belt loop, earned by Cubs at all ages for completing three introductory requirements in astronomy
• The Astronomy academic pin, earned by Cubs at all ages for additional work more advanced than the work already done for the Astronomy belt loop
• The Bear Space electives, earned by Cubs in the year they complete the Bear rank (generally 8 years old)

In addition, the Astronomy belt loop may be used to satisfy one of the requirements of the Scientist activity badge, which is part of the program for the oldest Cub Scouts, the Webelos rank. Although the Astronomy belt loop is available to all Cub Scouts, I often recommend pitching it more to the older boys. The Astronomy belt loop requires learning a good amount of book knowledge about astronomy. In my experience, younger boys don't stick with it unless they have a high interest in astronomy or a leader who spends a lot of time working through the list of terms to learn.

In passing, Cub Scouts include on their own Web pages this image of a Scout doing astronomy. Use your browser's BACK button to return to this page.

• Requirements for the Cub Scout Astronomy academic belt loop
• Requirements for the Cub Scout Astronomy academic pin
• Requirements for the Cub Scout Bear Space electives
• Notes for introducing astronomy at a Cub Scout meeting
• An observing plan for showing Cub Scouts objects in the sky, as mentioned in their award requirements
• Notes for Cub Scout leaders

About the author.