Merit badge (Boy Scouts of America)

Merit badges
Fish and Wildlife Management merit badge
Owner	Boy Scouts of America
Created	1972

For history regarding merit badge types, see History of merit badges (Boy Scouts of America).

Merit badges are awards earned by youth members of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), based on activities within an area of study by completing a list of periodically updated requirements. The purpose of the merit badge program is to allow Scouts to examine subjects to determine if they would like to further pursue them as a career or avocation. Originally, the program also introduced Scouts to the life skills of contacting an adult they hadn't met before, arranging a meeting and then demonstrating their skills, similar to a job or college interview. Increasingly, though, merit badges are earned in a class setting at troop meetings and summer camps.

Each merit badge has a pamphlet (booklet) published by the Boy Scouts of America associated with it; the pamphlet contains information on completing the requirements for the badge. Scouts must meet up with their Scoutmaster to receive a signed blue card in order to begin working on a merit badge. The Scout then contact a counselor that is registers for the particular merit badge they are interest in doing to see which requirements they need to complete before meeting up with the counselors. The Scout would meet with a counselor to demonstrate that he's completed the requirements. The counselor would then 'sign off' on each one. After completing the merit badge, the Scout can then buy his merit badge patch.

The award of a merit badge is represented by circular patch with an image representing the badge's topic. The patches for the Eagle-required merit badges are distinguishable by the silver ring on the outside edge. Merit badges are displayed on a sash which can be worn with the Boy Scout uniform on formal occasions.

Every year the National Council reviews and updates a certain number of merit badges. Most recently, the Geocaching, Inventing, and Scouting Heritage merit badges were introduced in 2010 and 2011. The latest merit badge is Chess, which was released on September 7, 2011. Welding merit badge was announced for a release in December 2011, and Search and Rescue and Kayaking merit badges were announced for 2012.

Scouting organizations in other countries issue or have issued merit badges, including Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Austria has a program similar to merit badges for certain age groups.

A sample merit badge sash: From left to right, starting at top; 1 Swimming, Mammal Study, Environmental Science; 2 Basketry, Wood Carving, Dog Care; 3 Wilderness Survival, Emergency Preparedness, Bird Study; 4 Public Speaking, Scholarship, Law; 5 Rifle Shooting, Archery, Metalwork; 6 Fish and Wildlife Management, Citizenship in the Nation, Orienteering; 7 Citizenship in the Community, Communications, Personal Management; 8 Soil and Water Conservation, Reptile Study, Lifesaving; 9 Forestry, Citizenship in the World, Safety

Eagle Scout requirements

The current requirements for Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouting, includes earning 21 merit badges (10 more added to the 11 already earned through previous rank advancement requirements, bringing the total to a minimum 21 merit badges), including twelve from a required list:

• Camping
• Cycling or Hiking or Swimming
• Citizenship in the Community
• Citizenship in the Nation
• Citizenship in the World
• Communications
• Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving
• Environmental Science
• Family Life
• First Aid
• Personal Fitness
• Personal Management

List of current merit badges

The last revision date indicates the date of the latest requirement changes; the copyright or printing dates of merit badge pamphlets may have a different date. The Eagle Scout required merit badges are shaded in silver. (see above paragraph for details)

Name	Created	Requirements revision	Pamphlet revision	Related subjects
American Business	1967	2002	2008	Business, Economy of the United States
American Cultures	1979	2005	2008	Ethnic groups in the United States
American Heritage	1975	2005	2008	History of the United States, Historic preservation
American Labor	1987	2006	2008	Trade unions
Animal Science	1975	2006	2008	Animal husbandry
Archaeology	1997	2008	2008	Archaeology
Archery	1911	2012	2008	Archery
Architecture	1911	2008	2008	Architecture
Art	1911	2006	2008	Art
Astronomy	1911	2011	2008	Astronomy
Athletics	1911	2006	2008	Track and field athletics
Automotive Maintenance	2008	2008	2008	Auto mechanics
Aviation	1911	2006	2008	Aviation
Backpacking	1982	2007	2008	Backpacking
Basketry	1927	2003	2008	Basket weaving
Bird Study	1914	2005	2008	Ornithology
Bugling	1911	2003	2008	Bugle
Camping	1911	2005	2008	Camping
Canoeing	1927	2004	2008	Canoeing
Chemistry	1911	2004	2008	Chemistry
Chess	2011	2011	2011	Chess
Cinematography	1990	2008	2008	Cinematography
Citizenship in the Community	1952	2005	2008	Citizenship
Citizenship in the Nation	1951	2005	2008	Citizenship
Citizenship in the World	1972	2005	2008	Global citizenship
Climbing	1997	2006	2008	Climbing
Coin Collecting	1938	2008	2008	Coin collecting
Collections	1991	2008	2008	Collecting
Communications	1968	2003	2008	Communications
Composite Materials	2006	2006	2008	Composite materials
Computers	1967	2005	2008	Computers
Cooking	1911	2007	2008	Cooking
Crime Prevention	1996	2005	2008	Crime prevention
Cycling	1911	2003	2008	Cycling
Dentistry	1975	2006	2008	Dentistry
Disabilities Awareness	1993	2005	2008	Disability
Dog Care	1938	2003	2008	Dogs
Drafting	1965	2008	2008	Technical drawing
Electricity	1911	2004	2008	Electricity
Electronics	1963	2004	2008	Electronics
Emergency Preparedness	1972	2008	2008	Emergency management
Energy	1976	2005	2008	Energy
Engineering	1967	2008	2008	Engineering
Entrepreneurship	1997	2006	2008	Entrepreneurship
Environmental Science	1972	2006	2008	Environmental science
Family Life	1991	2005	2008	Family values
Farm Mechanics	1928	2008	2008	Agricultural machinery
Fingerprinting	1938	2003	2008	Fingerprinting
Fire Safety	1995	2004	2008	Fire safety
First Aid	1911	2007	2008	First aid
Fish and Wildlife Management	1972	2004	2008	Wildlife management
Fishing	1952	2002	2008	Fishing
Fly Fishing	2002	2002	2008	Fly fishing
Forestry	1911	2005	2008	Forestry
Gardening	1911	2002	2008	Gardening
Genealogy	1972	2005	2008	Genealogy, Family history
Geocaching	2010	2010	2010	Geocaching
Geology	1953	2005	2008	Geology
Golf	1976	2002	2008	Golf
Graphic Arts	1987	2006	2008	Graphic design
Hiking	1921	2007	2008	Hiking
Home Repairs	1943	2002	2008	Home repairs
Horsemanship	1911	2011	2008	Equestrianism
Indian Lore	1931	2008	2008	Native American culture
Insect Study	1985	2008	2008	Entomology
Inventing	2010	2010	2010	Invention
Journalism	1927	2006	2008	Journalism
Landscape Architecture	1967	2008	2008	Landscape architecture
Law	1974	2003	2008	Law
Leatherwork	1951	2002	2008	Leather crafting
Lifesaving	1911	2008	2008	Lifeguard
Mammal Study	1985	2003	2008	Zoology
Medicine	1991	2002	2008	Medicine
Metalwork	1927	2007	2008	Metalworking
Model Design and Building	1963	2003	2008	Scale models
Motorboating	1961	2008	2008	Motorboat
Music	1911	2003	2008	Music
Nature	1952	2003	2008	Nature
Nuclear Science	2005	2011	2008	Nuclear physics
Oceanography	1964	2003	2008	Oceanography
Orienteering	1973	2003	2008	Orienteering
Painting	1911	2008	2008	Paint
Personal Fitness	1952	2006	2008	Physical fitness
Personal Management	1972	2003	2008	Personal finances, time management
Pets	1958	2003	2008	Pets
Photography	1911	2005	2008	Photography
Pioneering	1911	2006	2008	Pioneering
Plant Science	1974	2005	2008	Botany
Plumbing	1911	2004	2008	Plumbing
Pottery	1927	2008	2008	Pottery
Public Health	1911	2005	2008	Public health
Public Speaking	1932	2002	2008	Public speaking
Pulp and Paper	1972	2006	2008	Pulp, Papermaking
Radio	1923	2008	2008	Radio
Railroading	1952	2003	2008	Rail transport
Reading	1929	2003	2008	Reading
Reptile and Amphibian Study	1993	2005	2008	Reptile, Amphibian
Rifle Shooting	1988	2001	2008	Rifle, Shooting
Rowing	1933	2006	2008	Rowing
Robotics	2011	2011	2011	Robotics
Safety	1927	2006	2008	Safety
Salesmanship	1927	2003	2008	Sales
Scholarship	1911	2004	2008	Scholarship
Scouting Heritage	2010	2010	2010	History of the Boy Scouts of America
Scuba diving	2009	2009	2009	Scuba diving
Sculpture	1911	2007	2008	Sculpture
Shotgun Shooting	1988	2005	2008	Shotgun, shooting
Skating	1973	2005	2008	Ice skating, Roller skating
Small-Boat Sailing	1964	2004	2008	Sailing
Snow Sports	1999	2007	2008	Skiing, Snowboarding
Soil and Water Conservation	1952	2004	2008	Soil conservation, Water conservation
Space Exploration	1965	2004	2008	Space exploration
Sports	1972	2011	2008	Sports
Stamp Collecting	1932	2007	2008	Stamp collecting
Surveying	1911	2004	2008	Surveying
Swimming	1911	2008	2008	Human swimming
Textile	1973	2003	2008	Textiles
Theater	1967	2005	2008	Theatre
Traffic Safety	1975	2006	2008	Road traffic safety
Truck Transportation	1973	2005	2008	Truck driver
Veterinary Medicine	1995	2005	2008	Veterinary medicine
Water Sports	1969	2007	2008	Waterskiing
Weather	1927	2006	2008	Weather
Welding	2012	2012	2012	Welding
Whitewater	1987	2005	2008	Whitewater rafting
Wilderness Survival	1974	2007	2008	Wilderness, Survival skills
Wood Carving	1923	2006	2008	Wood carving
Woodwork	1923	2003	2008	Woodworking

Merit badge colleges

Merit badge colleges (or merit badge universities), which are also called merit badge weekends or merit badge midways when held at a camporee or jamboree, are events held where several troops or merit badge counselors come together and focus on teaching merit badges. There is some controversy whether Eagle-required merit badges should be available. Some believe that Scouts wishing to earn the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout should be able to seek out counselors for those badges themselves and do the requirements solo. Others believe all merit badges should be available to all Scouts.

Merit badge workbooks

Into the 1990s, a number of merit badge counselors developed worksheets as a way for Scouts to document their work. Counselors could teach to a group but still verify each Scout's progress. Today, worksheets have given way to workbooks with added graph paper, blank maps and diagrams, logs, charts, checklists, links, and other resources as needed. Merit badge workbooks are used by counselors, summer camps, and merit badge colleges. Workbooks have also been developed for ranks, Cub Scout belt loops, and Webelos activity pins.

2010 Historical Badges

The Historical Merit Badge program, part of the Boy Scouts of America centennial, allowed Scouts to earn the discontinued Carpentry, Pathfinding, Signalling, and Tracking (previously called Stalking) merit badges during the year of 2010. The patches for these historical merit badges are distinguishable by a gold ring on the outside edge. All were based on Merit Badges that were among the original 57 issued in 1911. As of 1 January 2011, these merit badges are no longer offered.

See also

• Discontinued merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)
• History of merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)
• Original 57 merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)

References

• "Merit Badge Library". Boy Scout Requirements. Boy Scouts of America. June 2007. http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/32215/mb/library.html. Retrieved 2007-06-06. 
• "Current Merit Badge Pamphlet and Merit Badge Requirement Revision Dates". U.S. Scouting Service Project. June 5, 2007. http://www.usscouts.org/mb/mbbooks.html. Retrieved 2007-06-06. 
• Steve Henning (July 20, 1999). "Merit Badges, Past and Present". Henning's Scouters' Pages. http://home.earthlink.net/~scouters/mb.html. Retrieved 2007-06-06. 

External links

• "Introduction to Merit Badges". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx. 
• "MeritBadge.org". http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page. 
• "Merit Badges". U.S. Scouting Service Project. http://www.usscouts.org/. 
• "IEEE emeritbadges.org". IEEE. http://www.emeritbadges.org/. 
• Badge Program: Boy Scouts of America at the Open Directory Project
• Scouting: Collectibles: Virtual Collections: Badges and Patches at the Open Directory Project