One group of Boy Scouts will be the first in the state to earn the new Mining in Society Merit Badge tomorrow with the help of Knight Hawk Coal Mine, the Illinois Mining Institute, and the Rend Lake College Mining and Industrial Department.  Local scouts from the Egyptian and Kaskaskia districts will meet at RLC from 9 AM to 4 PM tomorrow to get some hands-on experience with coal mining.  The new merit badge, developed in part by Dr. Joseph Hirschi, is aimed to teach the boys about different career opportunities.  Don McBride, RLC Mining Technology Instructor, said he’s looking forward to the event.  Some of the requirements for the badge include locating five mining enterprises in the state or region, discussing hazards a miner may encounter while in an active mine and protective measures they could use, and reviewing dangers someone might encounter at an abandoned mine, among many others.  The Boy Scouts of America officially approved the badge in February, making this workshop the first of its kind in the area.  There will be a second day of the workshop, set for Saturday, September 20^th, wherein the scouts will leave from RLC and travel to one of Knight Hawk Coal Company’s mines to get up close and personal with an actual coal mine.  There, they will receive tours and meet professionals in the industry.  For more information about the Mining in Society Merit Badge, contact Dr. Hirschi at 618-751-0364 or jhirschi77@hotmail.com.