There is a certain intended daffiness to this.  There is nothing inherently funny about  badges celebrating  taking the car keys away from Dad,  or buying continence supplies for Mom, or even listening to the story of "the great bowel movement of 05'  "for the tenth time. A sense of humor is required to maintain sanity in this world, and so they become badges of honor for us, while casting no disrespect on our elders.

Sandwich Scouts can be an electronic meeting place. Scouts also may choose to wear a logo shirt, identifying them to other scouts and engage in the real world with the sharing of stories and solutions.  Very loose criteria will be suggested for earning badges, and self reward is on the honor system.  Of course, suggestions  for additional achievement badges are welcomed.  It is our hope that local support groups may form and provide mutual respite.

We can help each other as we seek ways of improving time  and resource management. We can learn ways of better communicating with our elders, as we try to meet their physical and emotional needs, and ultimately end-of-life issues.

Taking on the care of your elders is one of the watershed events in life, just like the first day of school, getting married, or having children. This marks the end of your life as you have known it. Remember life is change and change is good, and swearing at your parents will not change anything.

For those who have gone the journey and have buried their parents, We welcome and honor you as emeritus scouts. Your input and your stories are most valuable. Please feel free to gather all those badges earned while caring for your beloved parents.

While there are many opportunities to get merit badges, the greatest of these is the badge for taking on elder care in your own home. While most of us may never be ready or able to do this, we can still get many important badges for all the things we do. Subsequent pages show merit badges in a variety of categories.