Merit Badges
Merit Badges are
the second main area of the Boy Scout advancement program. Unlike ranks, there is a degree of choice in the merit badge program. Certain Merit
Badges are required in order to advance in Rank. These are the badges that all Scouts must earn on their journey to
Eagle Scout. They are Camping, 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,
and Swimming or Hiking or Cycling. There are over 100 other merit badges to chose from to meet your rank requirements.
The Meritbadge.org website has information and worksheets about all the available merit badges.
Click here to go to Meritbadges.org.
You may work on a merit badge at any time. You do not need to have had a rank advancement to be
eligible. There is no time limit for the completion of a merit badge. You are free to work on merit badges
until your 18th birthday.
The procedure for doing a merit badge is:
1) Choose a subject.
2)
Fill out a Blue Card. You can get one from your advancement chair
or Scoutmaster. This
card must be signed by a Scoutmaster to be
valid. Your Scoutmaster will give you the name of
a counselor for
the Merit Badge. It will not necessarily be someone from our
troop.
3) Contact the counselor and then meet to go over the requirements.
At this time you should also discuss any requirements that you
believe you have already met.
