San Antonio

High-resolution image

The San Antonio Division honors Mr. John Haines for his leadership and dedication as a volunteer with the Alamo Area Council’s Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge University (MBU) program in San Antonio, Texas.

In 2011, Mr. Haines took the helm of the MBU program as chairman. The MBU is a day-long program that brings together up to 1,000 Boy Scouts with 150 to 500 adult volunteers. Through the MBU, Boy Scouts earn a variety of merit badges—such as crime prevention, fingerprinting, citizenship in the community, and computers—by taking classes from professionals in those fields. Several of the classes also emphasize personal safety and responsibility through discussions dealing with computer security and the pitfalls of gangs, drugs, and alcohol. Contributing to the program’s success, Mr. Haines recruited experts from business, government, and law enforcement, including FBI personnel, to teach these topics.

To maximize the MBU experience, Mr. Haines convinced local community colleges to host MBUs on their campuses. For many Boy Scouts, this was their first exposure to a college environment.