Monmouth College helps Boy Scouts learn photography, other skills at Merit Badge University

Sharon Wren
·2 min read
Monmouth College helps Boy Scouts learn photography, other skills at Merit Badge University

Monmouth College hosted hundreds of Boy Scouts looking to sharpen their photography and learn about new skills yesterday.

“I was on a boat with family and friends, and I took pictures of my aunt’s friends,” said Alice Jacobsmeier, 10 from Davenport, who was attending Merit Badge University for the first time because her family said she had a talent for photography. “And my aunt said I could make a living out of that, so that’s why I decided to come here — to learn more about photography.”

Jacobsmeier was among 288 area Boy Scouts from the area who came to Monmouth College on Saturday, March 9, to participate in Merit Badge University. The Scouts were members of five Boy Scout councils in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin who worked on a merit badge in 30 subjects, including photography, first aid, chess, electronics, engineering, plumbing, railroading and welding. Other sessions were at WMOI-FM/WRAM-AM radio station, Warren County Public Library and United High School. Scouts showed their appreciation by picking up trash around campus.

Participants in the Boy Scouts of America’s Merit Badge University focus on a picture Saturday morning in the Center for Science and Business at Monmouth College. A total of 288 scouts from Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin took part in the daylong event.
Participants in the Boy Scouts of America’s Merit Badge University focus on a picture Saturday morning in the Center for Science and Business at Monmouth College. A total of 288 scouts from Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin took part in the daylong event.
Merit Badge University instructor Simon Anderson shows Scout Elaina Wilson, 11, of Bettendorf, how to use her camera’s settings on Saturday morning in the Center for Science and Business at Monmouth College (Monmouth College)
Merit Badge University instructor Simon Anderson shows Scout Elaina Wilson, 11, of Bettendorf, how to use her camera’s settings on Saturday morning in the Center for Science and Business at Monmouth College (Monmouth College)

Kathy Mainz, who has led the program since 2015 (there was a two year pause due to COVID), recently retired as the college’s biology lab manager. She has a special reason for spending so much time at the event. “I do this because of this guy right here,” she said, pointing to a picture on her smartphone of her son, Nick, who now works at Zion National Park in Utah for the National Park Service. “I was a single parent. So this was Nick’s way to connect with other kids. It’s where he learned how to speak in front of a group, how to work in a group. He grew up in Scouts.”

This was Ada Yoder’s second trip to Merit Badge University. The 12 year old from Bettendorf wanted to polish her photography skills to help her work as the historian for Troop 1199. “I bring my camera with me to different camp activities and events,” she said. “I like photography, so I decided to do that for Merit Badge because I thought it would help me and it seemed like fun.”

This was Kinsleigh Rogers’ first time at Merit Badge University and the 11 year old from Bettendorf chose the photography group because, “not a lot of people in my family do photography, so I wanted to learn how to do it here.”

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