Merit Badges

As you progress toward First Class and higher ranks, you will spend much of your time working on merit badges. The BSA offers more than 130 badges you can earn. Some of these badges are required for promotion to Eagle Scout rank. Earning a merit badge requires you to work directly with a registered adult who serves as the counselor for that badge. Please contact the Scoutmaster to obtain information on registered merit badge counselors and some information on working with merit badge counselors. For a list of merit badges see www.meritbadge.com.

You have four different opportunities to earn merit badges:

• You may work directly with a registered merit badge counselor on a merit badge of interest to you; unless at a Scout function with several other Scouts and adults around, you must work with a buddy Scout and there must be two adults present (the Counselor and one other) to meet BSA Youth Protection requirements.

• You may be a member of a group within the Troop working on a specific merit badge.  Such merit badges are offered periodically and information about joining such group merit badges are announced at Troop meetings, in the Scoutmaster monthly notes, by Patrol Leaders during patrol time at Troop meetings, and through periodic emails from the Scoutmaster.

• You can participate in the District Merit Badge Jamboree held in February each year.

• You may earn merit badges while attending summer camp with the Troop.

Regardless of how you want to earn a merit badge, you must follow the steps below.

Note for new Scouts: Only BSA-registered adults registered with the Colonial District and the NCAC for a specific merit badge approve the award of that merit badge.

Steps to Earning a Merit Badge

• As a Scout, you can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business and future careers as you earn merit badges. Any Boy Scout may earn any merit badge at any time. Talk to your Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, Patrol Leader, Advancements Coordinator, Merit Badge Coordinator or parents about your interests. Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you at www.meritbadge.com.

• When you are ready to work on a badge, you must obtain a Blue Card (a three-part Merit Badge Application card used to record your completed work) from the Scoutmaster.  Blue Cards may be phyiscal (i.e., a paper card) or electronic (which the Scoutmaster "opens" in Scoutbook or shares via PDF).  Either way, you must meet with the Scoutmaster to receive a Blue Card.  For paper or PDF cards, the Scoutmaster indicates that he has met with you by signing the front of the Blue Card.  For electronic cards in Scoutbook, the Scoutmaster signs-off electronically by checking a box to "open" the card and entering the date in Scoutbook. At the end of the process, whether you have a paper card or electronic card (that is subsequently printed), you will keep one part of the card, the counselor will keep one part and the Troop will keep one part for its records..

• You then obtain a copy of that merit badge booklet / pamphlet for the specifc badge you are working on (either borrowed from the Troop library or bought from a store) and review the requirements.

• You then contact the registered merit badge counselor for that badge, whose contact information will have been provided to you by the Scoutmaster (in most cases) or in some cases, such as a merit badge jamboree, provided to you by another indiviedual, such as the registrar of the event.  You then schedule an appointment with the merit badge counsel and come up with a schedule for instruction and testing. Many merit badges require several such sessions. When working with paper Blue Cards, be sure to fill out your personal information, the counselor's personal information, and name of merit badge to be earned. The counselor does not sign the blue card until all badge requirements are completed. You give the blue card to the merit badge counselor who maintains it until all requirements are completed.  For electronic cards through Scoutbook, the Scoutmaster "connects" the merit badge counselor to you electronically so that he/she can record your progress directly in the Scoutbook system.

• Discuss the requirements with the counselor.. The counselor will ask you to do each requirement to make sure that you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required. Take along the things you have written/made or take pictures if it is too big to move.

• When the counselor is satisfied that you have finished all of the requirements, the counselor will sign your Blue Card and give it back to you (paper) minus the Counselor Record portion of the card (which he/she keeps).  You must then schedule a close-out meeting with the Scoutmaster who will verify that the merit badge counselor has signed-off on all requirements and approve completion of the merit badge.  You must then take the Blue Card to the Troop Advancements Chair, who will then obtain the merit badge patch and card for you and ensure that you receive them at at the next Court of Honor along with your copy of the signed Blue Card.  Keep the merit badge card and Blue Card safe in a binder. You will need these for Eagle rank.  When working with electronic cards in Scoutbook, it is essentially the same process except that once you have confirmed with your merit badge counselor that you have completed all of the requirements for the badge, you may schedule the close-out meeting with the Scoutmaster.  During the meeting, the Scoutmaster will retreive the "completed" electronic copy of the Blue Card from the system, verify that everything is done, and sign-off.  The signed-off card will then go into a queue of "items to be awarded" so that the Advancement Chair will know to obrtain your merit badge patch and card for the next Court of Honor.  The Advancement Chair will also print your completed Blue Card for awarding at the Court of Honor.

Partial Merit Badges

If you aren't able to complete all of the requirements with a counselor, the merit badge counselor will initial each completed item on the back of the blue card. This is called earning a "partial." In this case, you will keep the whole card and try to complete it with another counselor at some other time in the future.

Deadlines

There is NO DEADLINE for earning Merit Badges (other than your 18th birthday). Once you start working on a merit badge (i.e., obtain a signed "Blue Card"), have an initial discussion with a merit badge Counselor, and start working on the requirements, you may continue using those requirements until you complete the badge or turn 18 years of age. There Is No One Year Limit On So-Called "Partials".

Merit Badge Changes

If the requirements change while you are working on the badge, you may continue to use the OLD requirements until you complete the work, or you may use the new requirements. Unless BSA dictates some specific policy with respect to the merit badge change, it is up to you and your counselor to decide how the merit badge will be completed. A Scout may not choose a mix of old and new requirements.

Discontinued or Renamed Merit Badges

If a Merit Badge is discontinued while you are working on the badge, you may continue to work toward completing the badge, and get credit for earning the badge, until you turn 18. However, it may not be possible to obtain an actual merit badge patch once the local council's supply is exhausted.

If a discontinued Merit Badge is replaced with one or more other Merit Badges covering the same or similar topics (such as Rifle and Shotgun Shooting MB which was replaced by Rifle Shooting MB and Shotgun Shooting MB), a Scout that has earned the discontinued badge may also earn the new badge or badges. If the badge is simply renamed (such as Firemanship MB which was changed to Fire Safety MB), Scouts may NOT earn the badge again. If the badge number in BSA's numbering system is the same before and after the change, it is a renaming. If a new number is assigned, it is a replacement.

Troop 680's Eagle-Required Merit Badge Program/Schedule

Eagle-required merit badges are among the most challenging badges you will earn. In many cases, working on these projects with your fellow Scouts and helping each other along the way can make these challenges easier. Our Troop provides opportunities for you to earn many of the Eagle-required merit badges in a group setting. The Troop 680 current schedule of classes for Eagle-required merit badges is on the web site. The list of Eagle required merit badges includes: First Aid; Citizenship in the Community; Citizenship in the Nation; Citizenship in the World; Communications; Personal Fitness; Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving; Environmental Science; Personal Management; Swimming or Hiking or Cycling; Camping; and Family Life.