Merit Badges - Boy Scout Trail

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Merit Badges

Merit badges give scouts the opportunity to investigate around 130 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. Each scout can explore topics from American Business to Woodworking as they have interest. The only limitations are their ambition and availability of adult merit badge counselors to offer instruction.

Read More about the merit badge process.

BSA Merit Badge Patch Images Here

American Business American Cultures American Heritage American Labor Animal Science Animation Archaeology Archery Architecture Art Astronomy Athletics Atomic Energy Automotive Maintenance Aviation Backpacking Basketry Bird Study Bugling Camping Canoeing Carpentry Chemistry Chess Citizenship in Society Citizenship in the Community Citizenship in the Nation Citizenship in the World Climbing Coin Collecting Collections Communication Composite Materials Computers Cooking Crime Prevention Cycling Dentistry Digital Technology Disabilities Awareness Dog Care Drafting Electricity Electronics Emergency Preparedness Energy Engineering Entrepreneurship Environmental Science Exploration Family Life Farm Mechanics Fingerprinting Fire Safety First Aid Fish and Wildlife Management Fishing Fly Fishing Forestry Game Design Gardening Genealogy Geocaching Geology Golf Graphic Arts Health Care Professions Hiking Home Repairs Horsemanship Indian Lore Insect Study Inventing Journalism Kayaking Landscape Architecture Law Leatherwork Lifesaving Mammal Study Medicine Metalwork Mining in Society Model Design and Building Motorboating Moviemaking Multisport Music Nature Nuclear Science Oceanography Orienteering Painting Pathfinding Personal Fitness Personal Management Pets Photography Pioneering Plant Science Plumbing Pottery Programming Public Health Public Speaking Pulp and Paper Radio Railroading Reading Reptile and Amphibian Study Rifle Shooting Robotics Rowing Safety Salesmanship Scholarship Scouting Heritage Scuba Diving Sculpture Search and Rescue Shotgun Shooting Signaling Signs Signals and Codes Skating Small-Boat Sailing Snow Sports Soil and Water Conservation Space Exploration Sports Stamp Collecting Sustainability Surveying Swimming Textile Theater Tracking Traffic Safety Truck Transportation Veterinary Medicine Water Sports Weather Welding Whitewater Wilderness Survival Wood Carving Woodwork

Merit Badge Pamphlets: An official Boy Scouts of America merit badge pamphlet has been created for the BSA by topic authorities for each merit badge. The 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. There is also a Requirements Booklet with a merit badge list for quick reference.

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 Scouting merit badge program. Many districts have a directory of counselors. See this page for more info on becoming a merit badge counselor.

Merit Badge Process: A scout decides they would like to earn a specific merit badge. They obtain approval to begin the merit badge from their Scoutmaster. The Scoutmaster identifies possible merit badge counselors. The scout identifies another scout, buddy, or family member that will be their partner to attend all meetings with the counselor to follow safe scouting guidelines. The scout 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 counselor provides expertise, advice, guidance as needed until the scouts have completed the requirements. The merit badge counselor certifies completion of requirements and the merit badge patch is presented at a court of honor or troop meeting. See this page for more info on merit badges.

Required Merit Badges: A scout can begin taking merit badges as soon as they join a troop, but no merit badges are required for advancement until reaching First Class rank. Advancement to Star, Life, and Eagle all require completion of merit badges, service, and demonstration of responsibility. To reach Eagle rank, a scout must complete a total of at least 21 Boy Scout merit badges, 13 of which come from the Eagle-required merit badge list.

Request New Merit Badge Topics If you feel another topic or activity should be added, you need to tell the Boy Scouts of America directly. For new merit badge ideas, send your request to: [email protected] See section 7.0.4.0 of this page for more info.

More Scouting Information to Use: Merit Badges - requirements and aids Scout Activities - great scout activity ideas Scout Awards - see what awards are available to scouts Scout Ceremonies - some ceremony ideas Scout Games - patrol or troop games Scout Graces - fun meal graces Scout Jokes - funny, gross, and silly jokes for scouts Scout Projects - community projects for Scouts BSA patrols or troops Scout Recipes - tasty food recipes for scout camping Scout Skits - skits that scouts like to do Scout Songs - songs for scouts Scout Stories - stories that scouts will enjoy and understand Scout Uniform - make sure you put all those badges and patches in the right spots Scout Tests - online tests for scouts to test their knowledge Scout Schedule - sample schedule to reach First Class rank in 12-18 months Eagle Scout Schedule - sample schedule to reach Eagle Scout

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