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Check here periodically for staff related information updates.

New information will be posted by date (most recent on top) within the 2 horizontal lines of this area.

If you are interested in joining our staff, here are the ground rules.

  1. Currently Registered Railroading Merit Badge Counselors have 1st priority on joining our staff and can bump the last person on the Staff List, if it is full, to the standby list.
  2. Any person 18 years or older may volunteer for a staff position. You need not be a registered Railroading Merit Badge Counselor to be on staff.
  3. Knott's allows 1 staff member free admission & parking for each 15 registered people attending (Scouts, sibling, parents or guardians, friends, Scout Leaders or Scouters.)
  4. Staff members from previous year's Railroading Merit Badge Days at Knott's Berry Farm have 2nd priority.
  5. New Staff members have 3rd priority and are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis, but are subject to bumping off the staff list if the list is full and if a priority 1 or 2 person comes along at any time before the event. A staff waiting list is kept for in case any listed staff member cancels.
  6. Contact the Webmaster if you are interested in joining the staff or you want more information.
  7. The number of registering persons controls the number of staff members with a maximum of 500 registered persons. Your name will be placed on the staff list and colored orange and you will be notified as the registration numbers indicates sufficient registrations to cover your participation as a Staff Member and you name is colored green on the staff list. This is on a first come, first served basis.
  8. Staff will have free admission to the park and free parking.
  9. The staff will NOT get a free Chicken Box Lunch, but the Chicken Box Lunch will be available for those staff members who would like to purchase a Chicken Dinner Box Lunch at 1:00 pm at the Boardwalk Ballroom. The cost of the Chicken Box Lunch is $8.50 (cash). Reserve a Chicken Dinner Box Lunch by emailing your request to davidexter@ca.rr.com on or before Wednesday, 4/4/12.
  10. Each staff member will receive one of the 6 requirement answer sheets (provided by Dave Exter) to assist you in tutoring the Scouts to understand the requirement and you will be checking that the Scouts have completed the written responses in the Special Railroading Merit Badge Day Workbook, as well as, checking the Scout's Blue Card. We are planning for another sellout of 500 registering people. Staff members will be working at each of the "Whistle Stops" (requirement Round-Robin locations).
  11. Staff members may, on a first come first served basis, select the requirement they would like to tutor.
  12. There will be 8-10 staff at each Whistle Stop. This number allow each staff member the opportunity to visit the Round House and the two specialty cars, the Edna & Durango sometime during the event.
  13. You will have a great deal of fun, so join our staff and help our Scouts have a wonderful time earning the Railroading Merit Badge at Knott's Berry Farm.
  14. NOTE: Adult Staff members and Order of the Arrow youth members, DO NOT register with the Knott's Berry Farm Registration website when it opens. You will be given special parking & access directions just before the event. Check here for late breaking Staff related news.

Note:If you are interested in becoming a registered Merit Badge Counselor for any of the over 122 Merit Badges, here is what you need to do.
Any person, 18 years of age or older can register as a Merit Badge Counselor. There is No fees associated with registering as a Merit Badge Counselor. In Orange County Council, see your District Merit Badge Coordinator to register. If you need additional help, just email the Webmaster

Staff Preparation

  1. Print the UPDATED staff parking directions and map here This will guide you to the Boardwalk Ballroom.
  2. Please review your assigned Railroading Requirement answer sheet.


    3. The following are several ways to structure your session requirement(s) presentation. This is based on 15 Scouts per adult staff volunteer.
    1. Decide among your specific requirement's staff group to have: one staff member present to all the Scouts or,
    2. share the presentation among more than one member of the staff, i.e., each staff takes a sub-portion of the requirement(s), but
    3. keep in mind that you must complete all of the requirements presentation within 25 minutes - assumes 5 minutes between sessions. Sessions Start on the hour and half hour - sharp. The majority of the sessions are conducted in the Boardwalk Ballroom. We will be using a train Whistle to announce the start and end of each session for those sessions in the Boardwalk Ballroom.
    4. The Special Railroading Merit Badge Workbooks must reviewed by the staff and the cover sheet checked off for ether "Passed" or "Partial" by the end of each session. This requirement lends itself to selecting one Staff presenter, while the remaining Staff check the Special Workbooks as the Scouts are filling the answers into their Special Workbooks and applying the check mark bu the end of the session. During lunch, from 1 pm to 1:30 pm, all of the Special Workbooks will be reviewed by the Registered Railroading Merit Badge Counselors and either signed or stamped or left blank if partials have been checked. The Staff is encouraged to stay (1 - 1:30- pm to help any Scouts who would like to complete any partials that need a little more discussion of information or more written in their Workbook.

    Associate Merit Badge Counselor Helpful Hints

    Here are some simple tips that every staff member should keep in mind.
    The organizer of this event is Dave Exter. Dave is a member of the Orange County Council Advancement Committee with a specialty in Merit Badges as well as the Council Advancement webmaster & Council Training Webmaster.
    This event is special with regard to Merit Badge Blue Card sign off and as such is being conducted in a similar manner as our Council Summer Camps handle their Merit Badge Blue Cards. This is necessary due to the large number of Scouts attending and the use of non registered Associate Merit Badge Counselors. We are using all availible registered Railroading Merit Badge Counselors, but we are also using Unit Leaders, Scouters, Parents and other interested adults to help in tutoring our Scouts. Registered Merit Badge Counselors and Associate Merit Badge Counselors will be conducting the tutoring and the review process that will ultimately certify to the registered Merit Badge Counsels who will sign or stamp the final reviewed copy of the Scout's Special Railroad Merit Badge Workbook and the Scout's Blue Card.

    1. Make the Scout feel welcome and relaxed.
    2. Stimulate the Scout's interest by reviewing with him material related to the merit badge subject, but don't overwhelm him; remember, he is probably a beginner.
    3. Carefully review the requirement and point out the key points of the presented materila.
    4. Insist that the Scout do exactly what the requirements specify. Many of the requirements involve hands-on activities that call for a Scout to show or demonstrate; make; list; discuss; or collect, identify, and label. The Scout must do just that.
    5. Don't make the requirement more difficult — or any easier—than stated. A Scout may undertake more activities on his own initiative, but he cannot be pushed to do so.
    6. During the review process, the Scout might need assistance in a particular area or with a certain skill, and may need to be reword his answer.
    7. Encourage self-evaluation and self-reflection, and establish an atmosphere that encourages the Scout to ask for help.
    8. Take a genuine interest in the Scout's progress, and encourage completion.
    9. Notify Dave Exter if you can volunteer to help tutor any Scouts who did not complete all the requirements after the close of the Merit Badge Day from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm.
     


     

     
    If you have any questions, just email the Webmaster
    See the 2011 video of our Railroading Merit Badge Day at Knott's Berry Farm, where we had over 500 people attending.

     


     

     

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