Archeology Information for Kids

Scouts

Reaching the Next Generation

Marilyn Eisenwine, Education Committee, and Pam Wheat, Executive Director

TAS members have a great opportunity to introduce archeology to youth of today through the BSA merit badge program.  The requirements provide a format to convey scientific perspective, to advocate preservation ethics and to provide leadership for future decision-makers.

When we asked members of the txarch listserv to respond, we learned that the following people have worked with approximately 100 scouts during the past year (2001).

Doug Boyd and Gemma Mehalchick lead Troop 513 from Austin in excavations at Fort Hood.  They were assisted by Stephanie Bandy. Gavin Smith and Nick Trierweiler.  Marvin Glasgow reported that the Tarrant County Archeological Society worked with Troop 265 from Fort Worth at the Eastland Boles Ranch.  Jim Blanton, Mark Cohen, John Yates, Max Ratheal and Brenton Thompson assisted.  Alan Skinner also served as counselor for a troop from Dallas.  Donald Turner has hosted several troops near Waco.  The Fort Bend Archeological Society and the Houston Archeological Society provided field work at the Lamar Homestead for a program initiated by the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  Paul Spana, Mitzi Wheeless, Tommy Nuckols, Dick Greg and others conduct Saturday sessions at least twice a year.  Maureen Brown introduced numerous scouts to lab work at the Fort St. Louis Archeological Project in Victoria. Lenny Voellinger is a counselor in Austin who conducts weekend long merit badge clinics.  Louis Pinky Robertson serves as a counselor in Region 2.  Also, TAS member Gary Moore reports that he serves as a counselor in Lyons, Colorado.

Many thanks to those who have contributed to a better understanding of Texas archeology through the scout merit badge program.  If you have worked with scouts, PLEASE LET US KNOW. (marilyn.eisenwine@angelo.edu) If you haven’t gotten involved, please register with your local scout council as a counselor for the archeology merit badge.

Scouts in Tarrant County - July 2005 by Marvin Glasgow mrglasgow@juno.com

Fourteen Boy Scouts from 12 different troops enjoyed a week of archeology indoctrination at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch, Texas, in order to earn their Archeology Merit Badge.  Marvin Glasgow, Jim Blanton and Glynn Osburn from the Tarrant County Archeological Society (TCAS) were the instructors.  Video presentations, excavation tools, artifact descriptions and displays, flint knapping demonstrations were presented.  Scouts learned about GPS and Topographic Map reading and assisted in setting up a grid layout (outdoors) over the course of the week.

Requirements for the Boy Scout Merit Badge in Archaeology can be found at
http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Archaeology

See what scouts are doing in Fort Bend County.

Texas Archeology Badge Developed for Girl Scouts!

The Tejas Council of Girl Scouts officially adopted a Texas Archeology proficiency badge for Junior Girl Scouts on May 1, 2004.  This badge was developed to encourage girls to learn about the science of archeology as it relates specifically to Texas.  The badge appears as the outline of the state of Texas with a trowel and dart point.  State archeologist, Pat Mercado-Allinger, and Executive Director of TAS, Pam Wheat, reviewed the badge requirements as developed by Jennifer Kirker, Vice President of the Dallas Archeological Society.

The Texas Archeology badge is designed specifically for Junior Girl Scouts.  It requires scouts to complete 6 of 9 possible activities.  One activity requires Scouts to visit the Texas Historical Commission’s website to learn more about state and federal laws designed to protect archeological sites and explain why it is important to protect archeological sites.  A second required activity involves working with a qualified archeologist to either investigate an archeological site or examine artifacts recovered from an archeological site.  Other activities include learning what an archeologist does and the methods they use to investigate the past, identifying different dating methods, visiting historical or archeological sites, and researching prehistoric or historic groups in Texas.

According to Girl Scout procedure, this badge will be available as a proficiency badge to members of the Tejas Council only. Girl Scouts from other councils may earn it as an activity patch, but it cannot be considered a proficiency badge unless their council adopts it as well.  To find more specific details about this badge/patch, first check with your local council's website to see if it has adopted this as a proficiency badge.  If you can't find it there, links to information may be found on the Tejas Council's website http://www.gsnetx.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx, with more specific information on the badge/patch at the http://www.gsnetx.org/Default.aspx?tabid=300#activitypatches.  Look for the Texas Archeology badge; you can download a PDF of the requirements. You may wish to use these details to give a presentation before your local Girl Scout Council encouraging the adoption of the Texas Archeology badge. This is a great opportunity for TAS members to foster protection and conservation of archeological sites by educating Girl Scouts across the state.