Rebecca Hayward has worked with the Boy Scouts of America on and off for 36 years. Last December, she worked with the 38 scouts from Troop 551 to complete more than 100 merit badges.”We had a merit badge clinic on the first Saturday of Christmas break and the boys had 70 merit badges,” Hayward said. “I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we completed 100 by the next Court of Honor?'”The next Court of Honor was only 11 days away, but Hayward said the boys were enthusiastic about the idea. They held three more clinics between Dec. 19 and Dec. 30.One of the scouts, Jarom Wright, who was instrumental in motivating the other boys, made sure they reached their goal. Hayward said the scout completed an extra merit badge so the troop finished with 101 badges.”What made it so good was that it wasn’t us leaders that put it together,” Hayward said. “It was Jarom that took the challenge and started calling the boys saying, ‘Come on, let’s do this, we can do this, we can get this, it will be amazing.'”If I had 100 Jaroms, I would have 1,000 Eagle Scouts.”Each merit badge has different requirements. Hayward said some badges require several months to complete and others can be accomplished in shorter time frames. She said the push to 101 merit badges helped some scouts complete badges they’d previously left unfinished.While dedicated leaders and parents help the boys, Hayward said that ideally the boys should show the initiative.”This is supposed be a training time when the boys are supposed to be learning to do this on their own,” Hayward said. “The leaders keep track, we know when they have taken out a blue card (the record card for merit badges) and we interview them and make sure they keep going. But technically they are supposed to do this on their own.”Hayward said she is a strong believer in the scouting program because of the life skills it teaches the young men. “Scouting trains them to make appointments, keep appointments, how to talk to people outside their comfort zone,” she said. “They have to call a merit badge counselor, set up an appointment and then follow through. And then they have to stand up and report to a board of review.”Some of the boys choose professions after doing merit badges. I know one of my sons did.”After her son became an Eagle Scout, the program’s highest advancement rank, he joined the Olympia Police Explorers. “He went through the academy and it took him right into his police work,” Hayward said.Hayward said she would set a 100-merit badge goal again. “I can see doing it again and telling them, ‘Let’s break the record.'” She said boys like the challenge and are competitive, and setting the bar high will encourage them to move forward and advance in scouting.More about Rebecca HaywardWhat do you do in your spare time?Spare time, do I have any? In my spare time, I like to sew, camp, hike and ride my bicycle. I do like to read.What is your favorite movie?My favorite movie of all time is “Gone with the Wind”.What do you enjoy about working with young people?I like working with the youth and seeing them succeed, and I love progress. I love seeing them progress and do different things.You also cater events?Oh, that’s just a fun sideline we do. We (Hayward and her husband) like to cater and cook and go to classes. We do weddings, I love to do weddings – that comes in with my sewing. I’ve probably done about 60 weddings. I do everything from making the dresses and decorating. They only thing I really don’t like to do are the wedding cakes.You’re very skilled with your hands, how did you learn it all?I come from a family of nine children, and we just kind of did things. You get used to doing big projects.
