Merit Badges and Summer Camp

In our Troop we have been spending a bunch of time talking about and preparing for summer camp.
Sometimes in our zealousness as leaders to get our boys ready for camp we forget that a healthy Scout program is year round. Scout camp is one week out of the whole year. To focus so much energy on promoting camp as THE place to earn advancements and Merit Badges I think we loose sight of the bigger picture. Indeed it is far easier to let camp staff worry about providing MB Councilors. But, I think a lot is lost in doing so. Merit Badge work is designed to broaden the boys horizons and expose them to new people, things and environments. I'm not sure BSA camp is the optimum place for this to happen. By having the boys do the majority of their MB's at camp we are missing a huge opportunity to involve a larger community in Scouting. We, as Scouters, have the opportunity and responsibility to broaden the outreach of Scouting... Procuring Merit Badge councilors amongst non-Scouters is a great way to do this. I'm not suggesting that having Scouts attend a summer camp program isn't important... It is! I think the focus should be on fellowship, group activities and fun. Let's leave the MB pamphlets at home with the Troops and the local community.