More than a hundred men in uniforms learned not about survival skills or knot-making but instead about journalism, computers and law at Syracuse University on Saturday.

At the 4th Annual Merit Badge Day, sponsored by SU’s Alpha Phi Omega co-ed service fraternity, Boy Scouts ages 11 to 17 attended various workshops that were conducted by brothers of the fraternity. Each brother taught skills and information that helped the scouts to earn specific merit badges from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Hall of Languages.

“We’re here and we’re ready to teach,” said Adam Ritchie, a senior public relations major and president of APO. “This is another opportunity for scouts to work on certain badges.”

The fraternity brothers compiled a list of various subjects that they would like to teach, and they became merit badge counselors, Ritchie said. Then, the fraternity contacted the local Boy Scout council, the Hiawatha-Seaway Council, to invite scouts from troops in the Syracuse area.

Dean Pease, scoutmaster of St. Mary’s Troop 99 of Freemont and Minoa, said that the merit badge day is a wonderful event.

“This activity is a welcome event in the scouting world,” Pease said. “We’ve had problems finding merit badge counselors in the past, but this fills a void.”

The event consisted of nine different workshops including citizenship in the nation, citizenship in the community, first aid, safety and archaeology. Five of the workshops allowed participants to earn badges that are required for Eagle Scout, the highest rank of Boy Scouts, Ritchie said.

“The kids were into it,” said Danielle Brooks, a freshman political science major, pledge class president of APO and co-counselor of citizenship in the nation workshop. “They were quite responsive.”

Marci Moberg, a junior political science major, pledge of APO and co-counselor of the citizenship in the nation workshop, explained that the scouts do not earn their badge until they visit the capital and write letters to local politicians.

Both pledges said that they taught the workshop because they had interest in the subject and wanted to be involved.

APO sponsored, organized and produced the event as one of their many service projects this semester. The fraternity also holds a similar event for Girl Scouts, Ritchie said.

“This is one of the couple of big projects we do every year, but we usually have projects going on every day,” said Ritchie. “Every brother is required to perform 28 hours of service a semester, so that’s a lot of projects.”

The next major event for the group is the “Relay for Life,” a cure for cancer fund-raiser in April.

Published on March 23, 2003 at 12:00 pm