MERIT BADGES
Merit badges, required
for all ranks beyond First Class, involve specialized study in a wide
variety of art, craft, hobby, sport, science, trade, profession, business,
service, future careers or self improvement areas. There are currently
over 130 merit badges offered. Scouts can work on them
at their own pace. Summer camp is an excellent time for the scouts to
work on and complete Merit Badges.
After selecting a
Merit Badge of interest, the steps a Scout takes to earn it are as follows:
1. Get a signed
Merit Badge Card (sometimes called a “blue card”) from the Scoutmaster.
He/she will provide the name(s), address, and telephone number of an
approved counselor.
2. Contact the
Merit Badge counselor. Visit him to learn what is expected. National BSA
guidelines mandate that “you must have another person with you at each
meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another
Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister, a relative, or a
friend.”
3. Get the Merit
Badge book on the subject. (See TROOP LIBRARY.)
4. Learn and do
the things that the pamphlet describes as required for the badge.
5. When ready,
call the counselor again for an appointment. Bring along the things
completed to meet the requirements. The counselor will spend time with the
Scout to confirm that he has met the requirements. When he is satisfied,
the counselor will sign the Merit Badge card.
6. Return the
signed card to the Scoutmaster who will obtain the badge for presentation at
the next Court of Honor.
Until the Merit Badge
card is returned to the Scoutmaster, the requirements have not been
completed and no credit can be given for the work performed.
The Boy Scouts of
America publishes an economical booklet entitled Boy Scouts Requirements,
which is an excellent source of information about rank advancement, merit
badges and special awards. A copy can also be found in the TROOP
LIBRARY.
See also:
MeritBadge.com - A great site for information on merit badges, awards, and
advancements.
