By Fred Schroeder
(Editor’s Note: This is the sixth story in the series about “The Merit Badge That Changed My Life.” Since 1910, Scouting America has offered hundreds of merit badges—each one a doorway to new skills and life-changing experiences. In 1964, the Oceanography Merit Badge was created to give Scouts an introduction to marine environments. While earning the Oceanography Merit Badge, Scouts dive into the fundamental principles of marine science through several core academic requirements, engage in hands-on experiments, and conduct research into marine environments. This month’s story is about Fred Schroeder. Although Fred never earned the Oceanography Merit Badge as a Scout, he taught it in 2020 when he was in need of something that would let him make a difference in Scout’s lives.)
I never earned the Oceanography Merit Badge. But I took an oceanography class in college, and that class—along with the professor who taught it—inspired me to major in geology. Later in life, I came to understand that the oceanography class had made a major difference in my life, and that a good merit badge counselor, like a good professor, can inspire young people and help them explore subjects that may ultimately change their lives.
In early 2020, just before COVID, I was asked to serve as a merit badge counselor for my district’s merit badge college. The organizer explained that, in addition to the standard Eagle-required merit badges, they wanted to offer merit badges that Scouts do not often have the opportunity to earn. I agreed to teach the Oceanography Merit Badge.
The merit badge college was scheduled for the last weekend in February 2020 and a follow-up weekend in March. We gathered in person for the February session, and I had a class of six to eight Scouts. It was a fun and engaging experience, and I was excited for the second session in March.
Then the COVID storm rolled in.
As we all know, the pandemic changed life dramatically. The second weekend was cancelled, and the organizer asked the counselors to continue working with their Scouts remotely to help them complete the merit badges online.
That is exactly what we did.
I was impressed by how hard the Scouts worked to complete the requirements despite the challenges presented by COVID. Their determination, resilience, and enthusiasm stood out during a difficult and uncertain time.
My experience teaching the Oceanography Merit Badge through the adversity of the pandemic—and watching the Scouts persevere and still have fun—energized me at a time when it was difficult to stay positive and keep Scouting going. So although the Oceanography Merit Badge may not have changed my life as a youth, it certainly changed my life as an adult.