Merit badge (Boy Scouts of America)

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), a U.S.-based organization, 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 demonstating 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 published by the Boy Scouts of America associated with it; the pamphlet contains information on completing the requirements for the badge. There are designated merit badge counselors for each badge, and a Scout would meet with a counselor to demonstrate that he's completed the requirements. The counselor would then 'sign off' on each one.

Certain merit badges are required in order to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. There are 10 of these, and two sets of either-or choices. (Cycling, Hiking, OR Swimming and Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving). In addition, to fulfill the Eagle Scout merit badge requirement, the Scout must also earn nine or more merit badges from the list of badges that are not specifically required for Eagle.

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.

The current merit badge system began in 1979; three merit badges have not been updated since that time – Athletics, Mammal Study and Pulp and Paper. The most recent new merit badges are Nuclear Science, created in 2005 as a redesigned Atomic Energy badge; Snow Sports, created in 1999 as a redesigned Skiing merit badge; and Fly Fishing, split off from the Fishing merit badge in 2002. The most recent completely new merit badges are Composite Materials, created in 2006;

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Archaeology and Climbing, both created in 1997; and Entrepreneurship, created in 1998. The Boy Scouts of America are, as of 2005, field-testing a Hunting merit badge.

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Besides the BSA, these Scouting organizations are known to issue or have issued merit badges: Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Austria has a program similar to merit badges for certain age groups.

File:MeritBadgeSash.JPG

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

List of current merit badges

Each badge name links to the official requirements from usscouts.org.

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Name	Created	Last updated	Notes	Further reading
25pxAmerican Business	1967c	2003		Business, economy of the United States
25pxAmerican Cultures	1979	2005		Culture of the United States
25pxAmerican Heritage	1975	2005		History of the United States
25pxAmerican Labor	1987	2006		Trade union
25pxAnimal Science	1975	2007		Animal Science
25pxArchaeology	1997	2006		Archaeology
25pxArchery	1911	2005		Archery
25pxArchitecture	1911	1995		Architecture
25pxArt	1911	2002		Art
25pxAstronomy	1911	2005		Astronomy
25pxAthletics	1911	2007		Athletics
25pxAuto Mechanics	1992	2001		Auto mechanic
25px25pxAviation	1911	2001		Aviation
25pxBackpacking	1982	2003		Backpacking
25pxBasketry	1927	2004		Basket weaving
25pxBird Study	1914	2005		Ornithology
25pxBugling	1911	2004	Shares a pamphlet with Music	Bugle (instrument)
25pxCamping	1911	2007	Eagle-required	Camping
25pxCanoeing	1927	2005		Canoeing
25pxChemistry	1911	2005		Chemistry
25pxCinematography	1990	2002		Cinematography
25pxCitizenship in the Community	1952	2005	Eagle-required	Citizenship
25pxCitizenship in the Nation	1951	2005	Eagle-required	Citizenship
25pxCitizenship in the World	1972	2006	Eagle-required	Global citizenship
25pxClimbing	1997	2007		Climbing
25pxCoin Collecting	1938	2003		Coin collecting
25pxCollections	1991	2004		Collecting
25pxCommunications	1965	2004	Eagle-required	Communication
25pxComposite Materials	2006	2006		Composite material
25pxComputers	1967	2005		Computers
25pxCooking	1911	2005		Cooking
25pxCrime Prevention	1996	2006		Crime prevention
25px25pxCycling	1911	2005	Eagle-required (this or Hiking or Swimming)	Cycling
25pxDentistry	1975	2003		Dentistry
25pxDisabilities Awareness	1993	2005		Disability
25pxDog Care	1938	2004		Dog
25pxDrafting	1965	1993		Technical drawing
25pxElectricity	1911	2005		Electricity
25pxElectronics	1963	2005		Electronics
25pxEmergency Preparedness	1972	2005	Eagle-required (this or Lifesaving)	Emergency management
25pxEnergy	1976	2005		Energy
25pxEngineering	1967	2001		Engineering
25pxEntrepreneurship	1997	1998		Entrepreneurship
25pxEnvironmental Science	1972	2006	Eagle-required	Environmental science
25px25pxFamily Life	1991	2005	Eagle-required, takes at least 90 days	Family values
25pxFarm Mechanics	1928	1998		Agricultural machinery
25pxFingerprinting	1938	2004		Fingerprint
25pxFire Safety	1995	2005		Fire safety
25pxFirst Aid	1911	2005	Eagle-required	First aid
25pxFish and Wildlife Management	1972	2005		Wildlife management
25pxFishing	1952	2003		Fishing
25pxFly Fishing	2002	2003		Fly Fishing
25pxForestry	1911	2006		Forestry
25pxGardening	1911	2003		Gardening
25pxGenealogy	1972	2006		Family history
25pxGeology	1953	2005		Geology
25pxGolf	1976	2003		Golf
25pxGraphic Arts	1987	2006		Graphic Arts
25px25pxHiking	1921	2000	Eagle-required (this or Cycling or Swimming)	Hiking
25pxHome Repairs	1943	2003		Home repair
25pxHorsemanship	1911	2004		Equestrianism
25pxIndian Lore	1931	1995		Native American mythology
25pxInsect Study	1985	2003		Entomology
25px25pxJournalism	1927	2006		Journalism
25pxLandscape Architecture	1967	2003		Landscape Architecture
25pxLaw	1974	2003		Law
25pxLeatherwork	1951	2003		Leather
25pxLifesaving	1911	2001	Eagle-required (this or Emergency Preparedness)	Lifesaving
25pxMammal Study	1985	prior to 1979		Mammal
25pxMedicine	1991	2005		Medicine
25pxMetalwork	1927	2005		Metalworking
25pxModel Design and Building	1963	2004		Scale model
25pxMotorboating	1961	1998		Motorboat
25pxMusic	1911	2004	Shares a pamphlet with Bugling	Music
25pxNature	1952	2004		Nature
25px25pxNuclear Science	2005	2005		Atomic nucleus
25pxOceanography	1964	2004		Oceanography
25pxOrienteering	1973	2004		Orienteering
25pxPainting	1911	2003		Painting
25pxPersonal Fitness	1952	2006	Eagle-required, takes at least 90 days	Physical fitness
25pxPersonal Management	1972	2004	Eagle-required, takes at least 90 days	Personal finance, time management
25pxPets	1958	2005	Takes at least 4 months	Pet
25pxPhotography	1911	2005		Photography
25pxPioneering	1911	2006		Knot, trestle
25pxPlant Science	1974	2005		Botany
25pxPlumbing	1911	2005		Plumbing
25pxPottery	1927	2003		Pottery
25pxPublic Health	1911	2005		Public health
25pxPublic Speaking	1932	2003		Public speaking
25pxPulp and Paper	1972	2006		Pulp and Paper Merit Badge
25pxRadio	1923	2002		Radio
25px25pxRailroading	1952	2005		Railroad
25pxReading	1929	2004		Reading
25pxReptile and Amphibian Study	1993	2005		Reptile, amphibian
25pxRifle Shooting	1988	2002	Was originally part of the combined Rifle and Shotgun Shooting merit badge.	Rifle, shooting
25pxRowing	1933	2006		Sport rowing
25px25pxSafety	1927	2006		Safety
25pxSalesmanship	1927	2004		Sales
25pxScholarship	1911	2005		Scholarship
25pxSculpture	1911	2003		Sculpture
25pxShotgun Shooting	1988	2006	Requirements predate merit badge because it was formerly part of Rifle and Shotgun Shooting	Shotgun, shooting
25pxSkating	1973	2006		Ice skating, roller skating
25pxSmall-Boat Sailing	1964	2005		Sailing
25pxSnow Sports	1999	1999		Winter sport
25pxSoil and Water Conservation	1952	2005		Soil conservation, water conservation
25pxSpace Exploration	1965	2005		Space Exploration
25px25pxSports	1972	1996		Sport
25pxStamp Collecting	1932	2001		Stamp collecting
25pxSurveying	1911	2005		Surveying
25pxSwimming	1911	2002	Eagle-required (this or Cycling or Hiking)	Swimming
25pxTextile	1973	2004		Textile
25pxTheater	1967	2005		Theater
25pxTraffic Safety	1975	2002		Road-traffic safety
25pxTruck Transportation	1973	2005		Truck
25pxVeterinary Medicine	1995	2005		Veterinary medicine
25pxWater Skiing	1969	1999		Water skiing
25pxWeather	1927	2007		Weather
25pxWhitewater	1987	2005		Whitewater
25pxWilderness Survival	1974	2002		Wilderness, survival skills
25pxWood Carving	1923	2002		Wood carving
25pxWoodwork	1923	2004		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.

See also

• Discontinued merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)
• Eagle Scout rank
• History of merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)
• Scout merit badge (Ireland)

Footnotes

1. "Requirements for new Composite Materials merit badge". US Scouts.org. http://www.usscouts.org/advance/boyscout/advchanges06.html#Composite. Retrieved January 18. 
2. "Helping Scouts Advance". Merit Badge Research Center. http://www.meritbadge.com/home.htm. Retrieved September 26. 
3. "Merit Badge Requirements". US Scouts.org Advancement section. http://www.usscouts.org/advancementTOC.asp#merit. Retrieved February 09. 

References

• "Current Merit Badge Pamphlet and Merit Badge Requirement Revision Dates". US Scouts.org. http://www.usscouts.org/mb/mbbooks.html. Retrieved September 26.  (dates of revision)
• "Merit Badges, Past and Present". Scouters' Pages. http://home.earthlink.net/~scouters/mb.html. Retrieved September 26.  (dates of creation)

External links

• Free Merit Badge Online Registration Software Allows troops, districts and councils to set up and manage merit badge events
• Merit Badge Requirements and Pamphlets
• Merit Badge Requirements and Worksheets