Patrol Leader Merit Badge Planning Guide
Patrol Leader Merit Badge Planning Guide
*** Activities for the Youth Lead Patrol ***
Working on Merit Badge Activities can be a fascinating youth adventure when done right. Here are a few tips to help the Patrol Leader get started.
- Scouts may never add or subtract from the actual merit badge requirements
- This Planner is only a suggestion of different ideas to make working this Merit Badge both fun and easy.
- While doing the Worksheet is not a requirement for earning this badge, in many cases it can help you learn key concepts and track your progress.
Covid-19 Notice: Many scouts and their friends have lots of "at home" free time. Individually, with a buddy or as a group - the "youth-led patrol" can work on any(!) merit badge and complete some (if not all) requirements from the safety of their home, such as researching their topic or filling out a worksheet. But scouts working together as a patrol can motivate each other to have fun and to do their best. A patrol use a video tele-conferencing platform to coordinate their efforts. And always keep your parents, merit badge counselor and scout leaders informed on your activities and progress. Good Luck and Scout on! (Scout On Through Covid-19 and Scout Service From Home) The planning guides below are suggestions and examples. We have a top priority to add more as quickly as possible!
Introduction
- Do your scouts ask for more Merit Badge themed campouts and service projects?
- How do you make your weekly patrol meetings more adventure and less like school?
- Do you need more ideas for older scouts to teach with the EDGE method?
- How do you make merit badges FUN?
- How do you get scouts to self start on merit badge work?
- See the difference between MBC lecturing youth vs youth discussing with the MBC what they learned on their own?
- These project work great when done as part of the Boy Led Troop meetings
A. Most merit badge projects are ideally laid out as patrol sized activities. When you have too few scouts it is hard to finish the projects, and if you have too many scouts then there is not enough space or equipment and many end up just standing around. But for the typical patrol (4-10 scouts) you should find that there is plenty for everyone to become fully immersed in the activity and have fun.
B. If one or more scouts have already completed this merit badge, then assign them as APL (Assistant Patrol Leader) to help use the EDGE Method to teach on or more parts of the merit badge. Also Assign them to help plan and execute some of the extra credit projects.
Merit Badge Rankings
Some merit badges activities work better in different settings:
# | Merit Badge | Eagle Req'd | Patrol | Virtual | Family | Service | STEM | Field Trip | Duty to God | MB Day | Over- Night | Summer Camp | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
003 | American Heritage | NO | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | Lots of Research |
010 | Art | NO | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | Great for the patrol leader |
014 | Aviation | NO | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | POOR | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | FAIR | FAIR | FAIR | Very exciting activity. |
018 | Bugling | NO | FAIR | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | GREAT | GREAT | Service Thru Music |
023 | Citizenship in the Community | YES | GREAT | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | Civics Field Trip |
024 | Citizenship in the Nation | YES | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | Two Field Trips |
025 | Citizenship in the World | YES | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | Discuss Group |
041 | Emergency Preparedness | YES | GREAT | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | POOR | GREAT | FAIR | POOR | FAIR | "Be Prepared" |
058 | Genealogy | NO | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | FAIR | POOR | Needs Family & Computer Time |
082 | Music | NO | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | Service Thru Music |
087 | Painting | NO | GREAT | FAIR | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | Excellent MB to do on Eagle Scout Service Project. |
092 | Pioneering | NO | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | POOR | GREAT | GREAT | Great Weekend Patrol Activity for Camporee or non-summer month at a Scout Camp |
100 | Radio | NO | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | Requires Broadcast Equip & Licensed Operator |
101 | Railroading | NO | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | GREAT | FAIR | GREAT | Superb Patrol Activity for new scouts! |
102 | Reading | NO | FAIR | POOR | GREAT | POOR | GREAT | FAIR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | A Patrol Book Club? |
109 | Scholarship | NO | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | Value education |
132 | Weather | NO | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | POOR | GREAT | FAIR | POOR | GREAT | FAIR | GREAT | Build an easy home weather station. |
137 | Woodwork | NO | GREAT | POOR | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | GREAT | FAIR | FAIR | FAIR | FAIR | Excellent MB to do on Eagle Scout Service Project. |
Listing
- American Business
- American Cultures
- American Heritage
- American Labor
- Animal Science
- Animation
- Archaeology
- Archery
- Architecture
- Art
- Astronomy
- Athletics
- Automotive Maintenance
- Aviation
- Backpacking
- Basketry
- Bird Study
- Bugling
- Camping
- Canoeing
- Chemistry
- Chess
- Citizenship in the Community
- Citizenship in the Nation
- Citizenship in the World
- Climbing
- Coin Collecting
- Collections
- Communication
- Composite Materials
- Cooking
- Crime Prevention
- Cycling
- Dentistry
- Digital Technology
- Disabilities Awareness
- Dog Care
- Drafting
- Electricty
- Electronics
- Emergency Preparedness
- Energy
- Engineering
- Entrepreneurship
- Environmental Science
- Exploration
- Family Life
- Farm Mechanics
- Fingerprinting
- Fire Safety
- First Aid
- Fish and Wildlife Management
- Fishing
- Fly-Fishing
- Forestry
- Game Design
- Gardening
- Genealogy
- Geocache
- Geology
- Golf
- Graphic Arts
- Hiking
- Home Repairs
- Horsemanship
- Indian Lore
- Insect Study
- Inventing
- Journalism
- Kayaking
- Landscape Architecture
- Law
- Leatherwork
- Lifesaving
- Mammal Study
- Medicine
- Metalwork
- Mining in Society
- Model Design and Building
- Motorboating
- Moviemaking
- Music
- Nature
- Nuclear Science
- Oceanography
- Orienteering
- Painting
- Personal Fitness
- Personal Management
- Pets
- Photography
- Pioneering
- Plant Science
- Plumbing
- Pottery
- Programming
- Public Health
- Public Speaking
- Pulp and Paper
- Radio
- Railroading
- Reading
- Reptile and Amphibian Study
- Rifle Shooting
- Robotics
- Rowing
- Safety
- Salesmanship
- Scholarship
- Scouting Heritage
- Scuba Diving
- Sculpture
- Search and Rescue
- Shotgun Shooting
- Signs, Signals and Codes
- Skating
- Small-Boat Sailing
- Snow Sports
- Soil and Water Conservation
- Space Exploration
- Sports
- Stamp Collecting
- Surveying
- Sustainability
- Swimming
- Textile
- Theater
- Traffic Safety
- Truck Transportation
- Veterinary Medicine
- Water Sports
- Weather
- Welding
- Whitewater
- Wilderness Survival
- Wood Carving
- Woodwork