By: Mike Matzinger
Because skills we learn in Scouting—whether through a merit badge or on the Trail to First Class—can forever shape our lives, a story series about “The Merit Badge That Changed My Life” seems appropriate. This month, we consider the impact that the Orienteering Merit Badge had on the author and Kaleen Deatherage (a member of the National Executive Board).
Since 1910, Scouting America has offered hundreds of merit badges—each one a doorway to new skills and life-changing experiences. One of the original merit badges, Pathfinding, focused on developing navigational skills with a map and compass, but was discontinued in 1952 (and briefly revived in 2010 as part of the centennial celebration). Then, in 1974, the Orienteering Merit Badge was introduced. Although Scouts learn how to use a map and compass while earning the Orienteering Merit Badge, it is focused on the international sport of orienteering, and requires Scotus to participate in competitive orienteering courses, design their own course, and teach orienteering skills to others.
In 1982, I earned the Orienteering Merit Badge at Camp Baker (a beautiful camp on Siltcoos Lake along the Southern Oregon Coast). Fast forward to 2018. When the opportunity arose to attend a conference at the Philmont Training Center, the decision was easy: Kaleen and I signed up for the Orienteering, Geocaching, and Finding Your Way program, drawn by memories of the Orienteering Merit Badge I’d earned more than 30 years before. Taught by Brian Coleman, Marc McCauley, Don Winn, and Ralph Courtney, the week at the PTC learning the competitive sport of orienteering was superlative.
When we returned home to Portland, Kaleen signed us up as members of the Columbia River Orienteering Club and we participated in two orienteering courses. The next year, we stepped it up—entering the 2019 CROC Classic Series and competing in six events throughout the spring, summer, and fall. To our surprise (and delight), we finished at the top of the standings in the “intermediate” division.
Since then, we’ve taught the Orienteer Merit Badge to new generations of Scouts at Camp Baker—and at another camp on the Oregon Coast, Camp Meriwether. It is incredibly rewarding to pass on a skill that has brought us both adventure and fun. So in every sense, the Orienteering Merit Badge changed our lives. It sparked a lifelong interest, built lasting friendships, and gave us a compass—both literal and metaphorical—for the journeys ahead.
