Post by The Jenn on Aug 29, 2009 10:52:57 GMT -5
Ever since acquiring a young charge of his own, His Highness Khushrenada has become increasingly concerned with the state of education in the current age. He takes pride in being a "Renaissance Man" of sorts and values a classical education that emphasizes more than rote schoolbook memorization. Children aren't being equipped with all of the skills and values they need to truly succeed, in his mind.
Yes, he's becoming one of those parents. Arrogant featherhead.
Unlike your average person, who might bitch and complain about the system but doesn't have the time away from work to actually do anything about it, our good King works at the palace for a living. Thus, he works... but it's a very different sort of pace. He has time to pursue his own leisure. With this time, he decided to start an organization that he feels will "help the youth of today reach their fullest potential" with the help of several approved volunteers of adequate moral and social standing, himself included.
Never mind that he keeps a highly intelligent pet Ace locked up in his bedroom. Nobody needs to know much about that, right? It's a quiet, well-mannered pet in public. Keff.
Ehem.
Anyway! Khushrenada has begun an organization that he fondly called "the Sprouts" as a nod to his Avington heritage, as well as the youth of his charges. I'll have much more information available for you later. This is just bare-bones to see who's interested in helping me get things started.
Sprouts can be anywhere from six to twenty years of age. There are other positions and opportunities for older Cards, but I haven't fully fleshed them out yet and they aren't as pertinent in the beginning. Meetings will be in the Capital for maximum accessibility, probably about once a month. He views children living in the city proper to be especially at-risk anyway. The current Sprout-leaders are Khushrenada, King of Diamonds, and Alaster, Ten of Hearts.
To give children incentive to improve themselves, they created and adopted a "merit badge" system of rewards. More information about completing the requirements for each merit badge will come soon. It's a two-fic or fic-and-thread requirement for each, though, and at the youth's own pace. If they don't earn any badges... well, then they don't earn any badges. It's on them to show the initiative, and it's on Khushrenada and other volunteers to encourage them and assist their efforts.
If you think one of your young characters would have gotten the memo about this new organization, either a baby or still under twenty in your head, please respond with their "sign-up" below. Just to start off and see how things work, he's accepting ten youths in the first wave with one spot reserved for his young charge. After things have been underway for a few months, he'll open the doors to whoever wants to join.
No more than two children per dealer to start off, please. <3
Current Sprouts
1. Mirriam (Lucca)
2. Xander (Kari)
3. Ceramidase (Shini)
4. Ohtahara (Shini)
5. Sid (sera)
6. Levi (sera)
7. Silas (Trebias)
8. Khloris (Ku)
9. Orin (Nako)
10. Lilac (Greenie)
11. Marigold (Greenie)
12. Millie (Vyn)
13. Jovan (Vyn)
14. Oriana (Yuiven)
15. Joel (Harps)
Sign-Up Form
Name:
Age: (6-20; in your head, wherever they are when they sign up)
Breed: (all accepted)
Realm: (all accepted)
Suit and Rank: (all accepted)
Parent or Guardian:
Reason for Interest:
How can you distinguish a more senior Sprout from a junior Sprout? Numerically! And not by age.
Members of the Sprouts receive merit badges based on their accomplishments in different areas recognized as important for personal development by the Sprout leaders. They do this by meeting certain requirements for each area and reporting their findings to Sprout leaders.
Fics can be complete catalogs of the Sprout completing one of the requirements, or they can be snippets as a part of that completion. If, for example, a Sprout is workings towards the Camping badge and going camping, you do not have to include all twenty days within the scope of your fic if you don’t want to. You might instead focus on one particular night, reflecting on some of the adventures during previous days or trips.
If there’s some information you don’t know, look it up or ask someone or make it up. What would your Sprout do when presented with this question? If it’s world-specific, feel free to ask, but you may have to end up pulling information from the depths of your creativity.
The names and prompt ideas for Sprout badges were borrowed very heavily from Boy Scout merit badges. They had a good thing going! The badge art is Kari's work. About half of the pompous badge descriptions were done by Xenon.
Art
By earning a badge in Art, a Sprout will have demonstrated his or her ability to express an experience through a variety of visual art forms. Sprouts will also learn about the importance of art in society and the various artistic paths that are avaliable to them, should they decide to one day pursue a career in art.
Prompt options for completing the Art badge’s requirements include:
1. Convey a story through a picture or pictures
2. Portray one subject of your choice in four of these ways: pen and ink, watercolors, pencil, pastels, oil paints, tempera, acrylics, charcoal, ceramics, visual magic
3. Visit a museum, art exhibit, art gallery, artist’s co-op, or artist’s workshop to find out about the art created or displayed there
4. Examine three artistic career opportunities and choose one to explore in depth, learning about the education, training, and experience required for this profession
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
As an option for the Art badge, one of the fics or the thread for prompts 1 or 2 may be replaced with art meeting the requirements. This must be art done by the Sprout, however, and not art of them.
Camping
As a Sprout, young persons are expected to have experience with regards to the proper set-up and management of a campsite. A badge earned in Camping demonstrates that a Sprout is capable of traveling to an unfamiliar area and setting up comfortable and safe outdoor lodgings.
Required prompts for completing the Camping badge include:
1. Describe the features of four types of tents, when and where they could be used, and how to care for tents. Working with another Sprout, pitch a tent. Discuss the importance of camp sanitation and tell why water treatment is essential. Then demonstrate two ways to treat water, with or without magical assistance. Describe the factors to be considered in deciding where to pitch your tent. Discuss the types of sleeping bags and what kind would be suitable for different conditions and different breeds. Explain the proper care of your sleeping bag and how to keep it dry. Make a comfortable ground bed.
2. Camp a total of at least 20 days and 20 nights (does not need to be consecutive). Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched. While camping, two of the following must be done:
- Hike up a mountain
- Backpack for at least 4 miles
- Fly, with provisions, for at least 4 hours
- Travel on or through the water for at least 5 miles or 5 hours
- Plan and carry out an overnight snow camping experience
Both of the above prompts are mandatory for completion of the Camping badge. Either a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Citizenship in the Realms
A sense of pride with regards to Suit is something that many children grow up having, but it is becoming less and less common for a child to have pride in their Region. A Sprout who earns a badge in Citizenship in the Realms has demonstrated knowledge of their own home as well as insight into the cultural differences that exist between Realms.
Prompt options for completing the Citizenship in the Realms badge’s requirements include:
1. Explain what citizenship in the world means to you and what you think it takes to be a good world citizen. Compare and contrast this with what you think it means to be a good citizen of your individual realm. Discuss the similarities and differences between the rights, duties, and obligations of your realm compared to two other realms. If you are of mixed realm, pick one to focus on.
2. Pick a current world event. In relation to this current event, discuss how a realm’s interests and relationship with other realms might affect areas such as its security, its economy, its values, and the health of its citizens.
3. Explain how a regional government differs from a Court government in some realms. Describe the roles of the titled nobility in different Courts and examine the relationships between royalty and the average citizen. What rights and responsibilities are conveyed by each title?
4. Visit with a student or Sprout from another country and discuss the typical values, holidays, ethnic foods, and traditions practiced or enjoyed there. Participate in or attend an inter-realm event in your area, such as an ethnic festival, concert, or play.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Communications
When a Sprout obtains a badge in Communications, it is a clear sign to those with potential interest in the Sprout's education that they have demonstrated exceptional ability with public expression and the written word. Other methods of communication are also explored by Sprouts that hold this badge, providing an opportunity for creativity in expressing their thoughts and ideas.
Prompt options for completing the Communications badge’s requirements include:
1. In a small-group setting, meet with other Sprouts or with friends. Have them share personal stories about significant events in their lives that affected them in some way. Take note of how each person participates in the group discussion and how effective each one is in telling his story. Report what you have learned about the differences you observed in effective communication.
2. Think of a creative way to describe yourself, using, for example, a collage, short story or autobiography, drawing or series of pictures, combining magical elements, or a song or skit. Using the aid you created, make a presentation about yourself.
3. Interview someone you know fairly well, like, or respect because of his or her position, talent, career or life experiences. Listen actively to learn as much as you can about the person. Then prepare and deliver an introduction of the person as though this person were to be a guest speaker, and include reasons why the audience would want to hear this person speak. Show how you would contact this person to invite this person to speak.
4. Examine three career opportunities in the field of communications and choose one to explore in depth, learning about the education, training, and experience required for this profession.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Emergency Preparedness
Life can sometimes be entirely unpredictable and all Sprouts must be prepared to deal with unexpected situations at the drop of a hat. From flooding to unstable magical energies, a Sprout with a badge in Emergency Preparedness will be educated in dealing with a dangerous situation to prevent loss of life or limb.
Prompt options for completing the Emergency Preparedness badge’s requirements include:
1. Make a chart that demonstrates your understanding of preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating and preventing emergency situations with regards to 10 of the situations listed below.
- Home/kitchen fire
- Home basement/storage room/garage/laboratory fire
- Explosion in the home
- Carriage or buggy accident
- Food-borne disease (food poisoning)
- Fire or explosion in a public place
- Stranded in the desert
- Trapped in a blizzard
- Flash flooding
- Mountain or backcountry accident
- Boating accident
- Tornado or hurricane
- Major flood
- Avalanche (snowslide or rockslide)
- Violence in a public place
- Unstable magical field
2. With another person, show a good way to transport an injured person out of a remote and/or rugged area, conserving the energy of rescuers while ensuring the well-being and protection of the injured person.
3. Develop an accident prevention program for five family activities outside the home (such as taking a picnic or seeing a show) that includes an analysis of possible hazards, a proposed plan to correct those hazards, and the reasons for the corrections you propose.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Family Life
Sprouts who successfully earn a badge in Family Life understand the subtleties in the makeup of a family unit and have shown compassion and open-mindeness towards families that may be different from their own. Another key factor to this badge is gaining insight into the importance of their own family members and the role each individual must play.
Prompt options for completing the Family Life badge’s requirements include:
1. Prepare an outline on what a family is and discuss this, taking into account different family situations and types of families. Tell why families are important to individuals and to society. Discuss how the actions of one member can affect other members.
2. List several reasons why you are important to your family and discuss this with your parents or guardians.
3. Prepare a list of your regular home duties or chores (at least five) and do them for 90 days. Keep a record of how often you do each of them.
4. With the approval of your parents or guardians, decide on and carry out a project that you would do around the home that would benefit your family. Submit a report outlining how the project benefited your family.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Law
Laws exist for the betterment of society as a whole, but beyond that, much is up to interpertation. Scouts who earn a badge in Law pursue an inside look into the workings of the various legal systems, providing them with an understanding as to why the various processes that exist are critical to the function of modern society.
Prompt options for completing the Law badge’s requirements include:
1. Define "law." Tell some of its sources. Describe functions it serves.
2. Ask five people (not more than one from your immediate family) about the role of law enforcement officers in our society. Discuss their answers with them. Go to a law enforcement officer in your neighborhood and ask about his or her responsibilities and duties. Report your findings.
3. Make a list of 15 jobs which deal with some aspect of law or legal processes. Tell which you prefer. Why?
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Mutation Awareness
To those with strange-looking or potentially crippling mutations, there is nothing more hurtful than a lack of compassion from the general populace. Sprouts with a badge in Mutation Awareness have demonstrated this critical understanding and have learned how to best care for those who have strange attributes. They have also shown insight into items that could potentially cause a harmful or otherwise unwanted change.
Prompt options for completing the Mutation Awareness badge’s requirements include:
1. Talk to a Sprout who has a mutation and learn about his experiences taking part in Scouting activities and earning different merit badges. Talk to an individual who has a debilitating mutation and learn about this person's experiences and the activities in which this person likes to participate.
2. Make a commitment describing what you will do to show a positive attitude about people with mutations and to encourage positive attitudes among others. Discuss how your awareness has changed as a result of what you have learned.
3. Name five professions that provide services to people with mutations. Pick one that interests you and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss what you learn, and tell why this profession interests you.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Nature
The natural world is composed of numerous examples flora and fauna that a Sprout with the Nature badge can begin to identify. Dangerous animals, edible plants, tracking knowledge and other varied skills are larned as a requirement for this essential badge. Whether they must coexist with or overcome elements of nature, a Sprout is prepared.
Required prompts for completing the Nature badge include:
1. Name three ways in which plants are important to animals. Name a plant that is important to animals that is protected in your region, and explain why it is at risk. Explain the term "food chain." Give an example of a four-step land food chain and a four-step water food chain.
3. Do all the requirements in FOUR of the following fields:
- Birds
a. In the field, identify eight species of birds.
b. Make and set out a birdhouse OR a feeding station OR a birdbath. List what birds used it during a period of one month.
- Mammals
a. In the field, identify three species of wild animals.
b. Make plaster casts of the tracks of a wild animal.
- Reptiles and Amphibians
a. Show that you can recognize the poisonous snakes in your area.
b. In the field, identify three species of reptiles or amphibians.
c. Recognize one species of toad or frog by voice;
OR identify one reptile or amphibian by eggs, den, burrow or other signs.
- Insects and Spiders
a. Collect, mount, and label 10 species of insects or spiders.
b. Hatch an insect from the pupa or cocoon;
OR hatch adults from nymphs;
OR keep larvae until they form pupae or cocoons;
OR keep a colony of ants or bees through one season.
- Fish
a. Catch and identify two species of fish.
b. Collect four kinds of animal food eaten by fish in the wild.
- Mollusks and Crustaceans
a. Identify five species of mollusks and crustaceans.
b. Collect, mount, and label six shells.
- Plants
a. In the field, identify 15 species of wild plants.
b. Collect and label seeds of six plants;
OR the leaves of 12 plants.
- Soils and Rocks
a. Collect and identify soils found in different layers of a soil profile.
b. Collect and identify five different types of rocks from your area.
Both of the above prompts are mandatory for completion of the Nature badge. Either a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Personal Fitness
Knowledge alone cannot sustain an individual. Sprouts with the Personal Fitness badge know this and have explored the fitness requirements of their own bodies and minds. They are aware of what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle, why this is an important goal, and how living a life of personal fitness can help them in their future endeavors.
Prompt options for completing the Personal Fitness badge’s requirements include:
1. Explain to your merit badge counselor verbally or in writing what personal fitness means to you, including components of personal fitness, reasons for being fit in all components, what it means to be mentally healthy, what it means to be physically healthy and fit, what it means to be socially healthy, and what you can do to prevent social, emotional, or mental problems.
2. For your breed, explain the importance of good nutrition, what good nutrition means to you, how good nutrition is related to the other components of physical fitness, and the components of a sound weight control program.
3. Outline a comprehensive 12-week physical fitness program. Be sure your program incorporates endurance, intensity, and warm-up guidelines. Before beginning your exercises, have the program approved by your parents.
4. Find out about three career opportunities in personal fitness. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this professions. Discuss what you learned, and explain why this profession might interest you.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Personal Management
Stresses are an inherent part of life, something that can motivate or cripple an individual. Sprouts who have earned the Personal Management badge posses a greater understanding of personal finance, time management, and goal-setting. This prepares them to manage their adult stresses in a more productive and healthy fashion.
Prompt options for completing the Personal Management badge’s requirements include:
1. Choose an item that your family might want to purchase that is considered a major expense. Write a plan that tells how your family would save money for the purchase. Discuss this plan with your family and how other family needs must be considered in this plan. Develop a written shopping strategy for the purchase. Determine the quality of the item or service and comparison shop.
2. Discuss the emotions you feel when you receive money, your understanding of how the amount of money you have with you affects your spending habits, your thoughts when you buy something new, and your thoughts about the same item three months later. Explain the concept of buyer's remorse. Explain the purpose of charitable giving and your thoughts on it.
3. Demonstrate your understanding of time management. Write a "to do" list of tasks or activities, such as homework assignments, chores, and personal projects, that must be done in the coming week. List these in order of importance to you. Make a seven-day calendar or schedule. Put in your set activities, such as school classes, sports practices or games, jobs or chores, and/or Sprout or club meetings, then plan when you will do all the tasks from your "to do" list between your set activities. Follow the one-week schedule you planned. Keep a daily diary or journal during each of the seven days of this week's activities, writing down when you completed each of the tasks on your "to do" list compared to when you scheduled them.
4. Choose a career you might want to enter. Research the limitations of your anticipated career and discuss what you have learned about qualifications such as education, skills, and experience.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Public Speaking
One of the greatest fears shared by society is standing in front of a crowd and speaking. Sprouts with the Public Speaking badge have faced this common fear and are better able to address audiences in many settings. Whether preparing a presentation, giving an impassioned speech, or hosting a discussion, these Sprouts will have an advantage in their preparation.
Prompt options for completing the Public Speaking badge’s requirements include:
1. Give a three- to five-minute introduction of yourself to an audience such as other Sprouts, a a family gathering, or some other group.
2. Prepare a three- to five-minute talk on a topic of your choice that incorporates body language and visual aids.
3. Give an impromptu talk of at least two minutes, either as part of a group discussion or before your fellow Sprouts. Use a subject selected by someone other than yourself that is interesting to you but that is not known to you in advance and for which you do not have time to prepare.
4. Select a topic of interest to your audience. Collect and organize information about this topic and prepare an outline. Write an eight- to 10-minute speech, practice it, then deliver it in the conversational way.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Scholarship
A well-rounded individual is always learning, regardless of their position in life. Sprouts must be concerned with expanding their minds as well as their bodies, and the Scholarship badge ensures that they have taken the first steps toward a future as a more worldly individual. Academic success is as important to a Sprout's future as any other form of accomplishment and it will better allow them to achieve their future goals.
Prompt options for completing the Scholarship badge’s requirements include:
1. Make a list of educational places located where you live (other than schools). Visit one, and report on how you used the place for self-education.
2. With parental permission, interview two professionals with established careers. Find out where they were educated, what training they received, and how their education and training have helped prepare them for the career they have chosen. Find out how they continue to educate themselves. Discuss what you find out with your counselor.
3. Show that you have taken part in an extracurricular activity, and discuss the benefits of participation and what you learned about the importance of teamwork.
4. Write a report about two careers that interest you and how specific classes and good scholarship in general will help you achieve your career goals.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Sports
One of the most engaging forms of team-building can be found through group games and teamwork. A Sprout with the Sports badge has learned safe ways to approach various physical activities and a healthy mindset with regards to working as part of a greater whole.
Prompt options for completing the Sports badge’s requirements include:
1. Show that you know first aid for and how to prevent injuries or illnesses that could occur while playing sports, including sprains, strains, contusions, abrasions, fractures, blisters, muscle cramps, dehydration, heat and cold reactions, injured teeth or beaks, nausea, and suspected injuries to the head, neck, and back.
2. Discuss the importance of warming up and cooling down, the importance of weight training, the qualities of a good sport, the importance of sportsmanship, and the traits of a good team leader.
3. Take part for at least four months as a competitive individual or member of a sports team for two different sports. Give the rules and etiquette for the two sports you picked. List the equipment for the sports that you chose, and discuss the appropriate protections needed to participate. Draw diagrams of the playing areas for your sports.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Theater
An artistic analogy to everyday life, the theater allows expression for young minds and bodies. Sprouts who pursued a Theater badge have broadened their understanding of cultural activites and their appreciation of a wider variety of art forms. They better understand the projection of emotion as a skill and have gained some form of control over their minds, bodies, and speech.
Prompt options for completing the Sports badge’s requirements include:
1. See or read three full-length plays or scripts. Write a review of each. Comment on the story, acting, and staging.
2. Write a one-act play that will take at least eight minutes to perform. The play must have a main character, conflict, and a climax.
3. Mime or pantomime any ONE of the following:
- You have come into a large room. It is full of pictures, furniture, other things of interest.
- As you are getting on as bus, your books fall into a puddle. By the time you pick them up, the bus has driven off.
- You have failed a school test. You are talking with your teacher who does not buy your story.
- You are at a camp with a new Scout. You try to help him pass a cooking test. He learns very slowly.
- You are at a banquet. The meat is good. You don't like the vegetable. The dessert is ice cream.
- You are a circus performer such as a juggler, high-wire artist, or lion tamer doing a routine.
4. Do THREE of the following:
- Act a major part in a full-length play; or act a part in three one-act plays.
- Direct a play. Cast, rehearse, and stage it. The play must be at least 10 minutes long.
- Design the set for a play or a production of a circus. Make a model of it.
- Design the costumes for five characters in one play set in a time before the War of the Second Wall.
- Show skill in stage makeup. Make up yourself or a friend as an old man, a clown, a Rabbit, or a monster.
- Help with the building of scenery for one full-length play or two one-act plays.
- Design the lighting for a play; or, under guidance, handle the lighting for a play.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
Wilderness Survival
The world can be a dangerous place in the uncharted wilderness. Whether beset by inclimate weather, unfriendly fauna, or dangerous flora, a sprout with the Wilderness Survival badge holds a better chance of keeping themselves and others safe during outdoor recreation or travel.
Prompt options for completing the Wilderness Survival badge’s requirements include:
1. Show that you know first aid for and how to prevent injuries or illnesses likely to occur in backcountry settings, including hypothermia, heat reactions, frostbite, dehydration, blisters, insect stings, tick bites, and snakebites.
2. Describe ways to avoid panic and maintain a high level of morale when lost, and explain why this is important.
3. Describe the steps you would take to survive in the following conditions:
- Cold and snowy
- Wet (forest)
- Hot and dry (desert)
- Windy (mountains or plains)
- Water (ocean, lake, or river)
4. Explain why it usually is not wise to eat edible wild plants or wildlife in a wilderness survival situation.
Choose two of the prompts above and a) write two fics about your Sprout completing the requirement, or b) write one fic and finish one thread with your Sprout completing the requirement. Fics must be 1,000 words or more and threads must be ten posts or more.
