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From Basketry to Robotics, merit badges are where Scouts meet the wider world. These posts share counselor tips, workbook debates, new badge announcements and the stories behind favorite badges.
637 posts · 2007–2020
16 posts
Early Life and Star badges from 1913 or 1914. From the BSA’s founding in 1910 until late 1914, the Eagle Scout Award had just two requirements: Earn the First Class rank Earn 21 merit badges from a list of 57 That’s it; that’s the list.
Two Boy Scouts check out an exhibit at the National Scouting Museum – Philmont Scout Ranch. Photo by Shane Mrozek When Scouting Heritage merit badge debuted in 2010, Scouts completing requirement 4B were asked to “write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.”
A Scout works with his counselor on the Animation merit badge. When Scouts earn merit badges, they get more than a small patch for their merit badge sash. They get hands-on experience in future career paths, college majors and hobbies.
One look at the requirements, and you’ll see why Invention was the least-earned merit badge in the history of the BSA. To earn it, Scouts had to “invent and patent some useful article” and “show a working drawing or model of the same.”
A steel-and-wood chess set crafted at summer camp by a Scout working on his Metalwork merit badge is now in the World Chess Hall of Fame. The one-of-a-kind creation is the work of Boy Scout Chandler Francis, who crafted the piece this summer at Lake of the Ozarks Scout Reservation in Gravois Mills, Mo., part…
Here’s a word problem to ponder: How can one homework assignment count twice? Easy. By getting credit for that work at school and in Scouts. Turns out several merit badge requirements align perfectly with schoolwork. And there’s no BSA rule against going for double credit.
Addison Foli thought he should head for a career in marine biology, but after one semester, he realized college wasn’t for him. Back to the drawing board. What job should the Gainesville, Fla., Eagle Scout pursue? His godfather — an electrician — suggested he look into a trade field.
Never heard of Fortnite? Your Scouts or Venturers can get you up to speed on the biggest videogame phenomenon in years. The Battle Royale game for computers, consoles and iOS devices pits 100 players against each other to be the last player standing on an ever-shrinking map.
The Boy Scouts of America’s National Advancement Team continuously reviews and updates matters of advancement across our programs. They work to keep requirements relevant and establish clear wording so the chances of misunderstanding are minimal. Part of their mission is to keep volunteers informed not only on new advancement opportunities, but also ways we can…
You might have seen the story about a Boy Scout from Utah who has Down syndrome and is working on his Eagle Scout rank. I wanted to clear up some misconceptions about this impressive young man. First, reports that Logan Blythe’s merit badges were revoked and that he was demoted to Cub Scout aren’t true.
Heather sent in this question: I have two boys one is almost done with all 137 Merit badge he is 15 and I know most of the merit badge go together. Now my 10 year old is now a boy scout and came to me the other day and said he to would like to…
Tracey sent in this form which can be used to keep track of counselors for merit badges. Space is included for the counselor's name, phone number, and email address. Badges required for the rank of Eagle Scout are highlighted in yellow.
Among the Boy Scouts of America’s 137 different merit badges , you’ll find some classics like Bugling, First Aid and Forestry. You’ll also find merit badges like Game Design, Digital Technology and Programming that couldn’t have existed last century. It’s those badges that caught the eye of the clue writers at Jeopardy!
With his day job and his evening volunteer gig, T’Challa keeps pretty busy. Sound familiar? But what if the King of Wakanda, also known as the Black Panther, found a free weekend or two to serve as a merit badge counselor?
First Aid? First place. Exactly 69,563 Scouts earned the Eagle-required First Aid merit badge in 2017. That’s good enough for a gold medal, and it marks three consecutive years of First Aid dominance. The silver medal went to Swimming (62,057 earned), and Citizenship in the World (55,917) took bronze.
It’s Groundhog Day, and there’s just one question on everyone’s mind: Will Scouting magazine release a list of the top five merit badges to celebrate this essential holiday? The answer: Yes. Mammal Study Ah, the groundhog. Marmota monax. America’s cuddliest rodent.
