Boy Scout Merit Badges
Have you been sitting
at troop meetings wondering
what everyone is
talking about?
This quick overview
will give some insight
on how to travel down
the merit badge path!
Boy Scout merit badges give scouts
the opportunity to investigate around 120 different areas of knowledge and
skills.
The merit badge program plays a
major role in the scouting advancement program and participation can begin as
soon as a scout registers with a troop.
A scout can explore a variety of topics;
the only limitations are his ambition and availability of adult merit badge
counselors to offer instruction.
Merit Badge Process:
- A scout decides he would like to earn a specific
merit badge.
- He obtains approval and a merit badge card to
begin the merit badge from his Scoutmaster or Advancement Chair.
- You must have another person with you at each
meeting with the merit badge counselor.
This person can be another scout, a parent or guardian, another
relative.
- He then contacts the counselor to begin badge
work. The counselor reviews the requirements with the scouts and they decide on
projects to complete and a completion schedule.
- The merit badge counselor certifies completion
of requirements and signs the merit badge card.
- The merit badge card is presented to the
Advancement Chairman
- He then is awarded the merit badge patch at a
court of honor or troop meeting.
Required Merit
Badges:
- A boy scout can begin earning merit badges as
soon as he joins a troop, but no merit badges are required for advancement
until he receives his First Class rank.
- Advancement to Star, Life, and Eagle all require
completion of merit badges, service, and leadership.
- To reach Eagle rank, a scout must complete a
total of at least 21 Boy Scout merit badges listing them in his handbook, 12 of
which come from the Eagle-required badge list.
- Eagle Required merit badges: Camping, Citizenship in the Community,
Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications,
Environmental Science, Family Life, First Aid, Personal Fitness, Personal Management,
Lifesaving or Emergency Preparedness, Swimming or Cycling or Hiking.
Merit Badge Pamphlets (books):
- Official Boy Scout merit badge pamphlets have
been created for BSA by topic authorities for each merit badge
- Pamphlets contain requirements, introductory
information and supplemental reference text
- A scout can purchase pamphlets from BSA, find
them in a troop library, or often-times check them out from a public library.
- Requirements and worksheets for each merit badge
can be found below by clicking on the title of the badge. Not all counselors require the worksheet.
Merit Badge Counselors:
- Merit badge counselors are volunteers that have
been selected, trained, and approved by council or district committees.
- They are knowledgeable in the topic and
understand the goals of scouting and the Boy Scout merit badge program.
- St. Louis Area Council has a directory of
counselors and we have several within the troop.
Merit Badge Palooza
NEED A LIST OF
REQUIREMENTS OR A WORKSHEET?
- CLICK THE MERIT BADGE TITLE TO GET THE
REQUIREMENTS
- FOR A WORKSHEET FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ABOVE THEN
SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE REQUIREMENTS AND CLICK THE WORD WORKSHEET
- THE SILVER BORDER MERIT BADGES ARE EAGLE REQUIRED