Merit Badges
What
Are Merit Badges?
Boy Scouts of America offers over a hundred different merit badges. Each merit badge is an introduction to a particular life skill, potential career, or just an interesting or fun subject area. The national Scout organization publishes a booklet to go with each merit badge. At the front of each booklet a number of requirements are listed. To earn the badge, a Scout must complete each of the requirements. Merit badges can only be earned working with a registered merit badge counselor, an adult with knowledge or experience regarding the subject matter of the badge. The counselor will sign off each requirement as completed by the Scout on a blue card, which is obtained from the troop before beginning work on the merit badge.
Where To Find Counselors?
Only adults who have relevant qualifications and are duly registered with the Council may serve as merit badge counselors. A number of adults registered with the Troop are also merit badge counselors, and our local district, the Whitewater district, maintains a list of registered counselors who are available to Scouts all around the area. Camp Friedlander also has a large staff of merit badge counselors.
Why Earn Merit Badges?
In addition to the pleasure of learning new things that a Scout might otherwise never be exposed to, merit badges are part of the Boy Scout rank advancement system. To advance beyond the rank of First Class, a Scout must earn a certain number of merit badges: five for the Star rank, another six (for a total of 11) for the Life rank, and another 10 (for a total of 21) to earn the rank of Eagle.
What Are Required Merit Badges?
Of the 21 total merit badges necessary to advance to Eagle, 12 specific badges are designated as required and must be earned. The remaining badges are entirely elective, and any merit badges of interest to the Scout will be acceptable. The required badges involve subject matter central to the fundamental Scouting values: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Personal Fitness, Personal Management, First Aid, Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving, Family Life, Environmental Science, and Swimming or Hiking or Cycling.
Some material on this page was borrowed from Troop 850's webpage, www.troop850.org.