Pennsylvania Anthracite Section helped BSA Scouts earn Mining in Society merit badge

SME’s Pennsylvania Anthracite Section helped 119 BSA Scouts earn the Mining in Society (MIS) merit badge on May 17, 2025, at the 2025 Dan Beard Spring Camporee at McDade Park, Scranton, PA.The Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum and staff hosted the event, and Scouts with about 30 BSA adult leaders went on the underground Lackawanna Coal Mine tour as part of the MIS merit badge program. Section members Brian Redmond and John Voigt planned and presented the material and exercises with the Scouts, and were assisted by the museum staff and Lackawanna Coal Mine tour guides. The Pennsylvania Anthracite Section arranged and contributed lunches for all Scouts, leaders and staff, and were responsible for the technical program meeting the MIS merit badge requirements. Contrasting mining today with 250 years ago Showing the Scouts that mining today is quite a contrast to the more than 250 years of mining history of northeastern Pennsylvania’s anthracite, the Scouts were shown the Minerals Education Coalition’s (MEC) five-minute “Why Mining?” video of young mining students and engineers. The Scouts’ program covered assigned prerequisites, subject talks, mining videos, ore samples, mining personal protective equipment (PPE) gear, group exercises, questions and mining museum history (exhibits of mining posters and an interactive mining display had been created through an MEC Pennsylvania Anthracite Section grant), and the underground coal mine tour, which was very popular. The importance of mined materials in everyday life, and the growing need for critical and energy transition metals indicate that mining careers will be a great choice for people of many specialties, including high-tech fields. Four scholarships for “Mining Rocks!” camp The Pennsylvania State University provided timely materials about its “Mining Rocks!” weeklong, on-campus, small-group summer camp scheduled for July for those Scouts entering the sophomore, junior and senior years of high school. The Pennsylvania Anthracite Section told the Scouts and leaders that for those interested, the section would provide up to four paid scholarships for the “Mining Rocks!” camp, and hopefully a few Scouts will take advantage of the offer. “Mining Rocks!” information was also posted at the Lackawanna Coal Mine office and the museum gift shop for the public to see.

Pennsylvania Anthracite Section helped BSA Scouts earn Mining in Society merit badge

Authored by: John O. Voigt

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