Merit Badge Program
As chartered by the Congress of the United States, the Boy Scouts of America is a movement dedicated to supplementing and enlarging the education of youth. The merit badge program, which provides opportunities for youth to explore more than a hundred fields of skill and knowledge, plays a key role in the fulfillment of this educational commitment.
A vital part of the BSA's advancement plan, the merit badge program is one of Scouting's basic character-building tools. Through participation in the program (which may begin immediately upon registration in a troop or team), a Scout acquires the kind of self-confidence that comes only from overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal. Instruction is offered in everything from animal science and public speaking to swimming and communications, providing a young man with invaluable career, physical, and interpersonal skills.
Merit Badge Pamphlets
Each merit badge subject is outlined and explained in a pamphlet that contains short, introductory information written for Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts by recognized authorities. More than a million pamphlets are sold yearly, and many are used as approved reference texts in libraries and school curricula.
Counselors
People who are knowledgeable of the various merit badge subjects are selected, approved, and trained by council and district advancement committees to serve as merit badge counselors. For example, a dentist might be asked to serve as a counselor for the Dentistry merit badge. A counselor must not only possess the necessary technical knowledge but have a solid understanding of the needs, interests, and abilities of Scouts. A counselor must also be a registered adult with the BSA.
Procedure
When a Scout has an interest in earning a particular merit badge, he obtains his Scoutmaster's/Varsity Scout Coach's approval and identifies another Scout with similar interests to become his partner. They are then directed to the appropriate merit badge counselor. The counselor reviews the badge requirements with the young men and decides with them what projects should be undertaken and when they should be completed. After the counselor has certified that the Scouts have qualified for the merit badge, it is presented to them at a troop/team meeting and can be applied toward rank advancement.
Badges for Eagle
To qualify for the Eagle Scout Award, Scouting's highest advancement rank, a Scout must—along with meeting five other requirements—earn a total of 21 merit badges, including 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, Camping, Hiking OR Cycling OR Swimming and Family Life.
New Badges
To meet the changing interests of boys, new merit badges are added from time to time. In addition, all merit badges are reviewed and revised periodically.
MERIT BADGE 2000 1911 - 2000 Agribusiness 77 6,649 American Business 810 43,743 American Cultures 1,729 32,901 American Heritage 3,825 85,226 American Labor 731 11,732 Animal Science 2,788 12,609 Archaeology 2,742 64,648 Archery 41,175 962,056 Architecture 2,106 176,996 Art 28,531 875,840 Astronomy 18,206 441,947 Athletics 4,099 1,008,118 Atomic Energy 5,230 103,335 Auto Mechanics 6,348 42,749 Aviation 17,257 338,747 Backpacking 7,038 141,861 Basketry 55,596 1,988,404 Beekeeping 25 60,201 Bird Study 2,481 503,653 Botany 39 87,468 Bugling 757 160,364 Camping 70,916 3,784,868 Canoeing 51,083 2,435,642 Chemistry 4,310 248,049 Cinematography 3,295 27,291 Citizenship in the Community 65,630 2,657,034 Citizenship in the Nation 67,308 2,329,500 Citizenship in the World 63,393 1,365,446 Climbing 23,021 79,212 Coin Collecting 5,025 418,022 Collections 8,048 65,962 Communications 59,388 1,240,709 Computers 17,461 305,020 Consumer Buying 119 26,953 Cooking 41,614 3,866,047 Crime Prevention 6,781 35,401 Cycling 9,641 471,110 Dentistry 3,371 76,486 Disabilities Awareness 2,615 55,901 Dog Care 3,817 383,260 Drafting 1,700 203,793 Electricity 10,305 650,197 Electronics 4,265 126,685 Emergency Preparedness 49,847 1,143,453 Energy 1,384 39,160 Engineering 2,121 53,012 Entrepreneurship 731 1,817 Environmental Science 73,324 1,683,412 Family Life 54,281 392,919 Farm Mechanics 1,653 189,859 Fingerprinting 43,003 1,034,413 Firemanship 12,548 2,410,368 First Aid 101,200 5,721,009 Fish and Wildlife Management 17,230 439,676 Fishing 32,822 1,578,512 Forestry 15,318 931,329 Gardening 2,056 358,672 Genealogy 5,610 154,674 General Science 39 52,768 Geology 16,919 361,369 Golf 7,320 77,965 Graphic Arts 1,522 15,066 Hiking 11,833 1,213,046 Home Repairs 6,898 2,344,923 Horsemanship 12,113 468,505 Indian Lore 28,394 791,770 Insect Study 1,771 130,777 Journalism 1,224 89,931 Landscape Architecture 2,830 54,782 Law 5,274 96,724 Leatherwork 62,850 1,693,610 Lifesaving 37,326 2,627,521 Machinery 541 175,304 Mammal Study 31,800 786,220 Masonry 13 160,126 Medicine 2,756 20,358 Metals Engineering* 249 29,076 Metalwork 29,399 947,908 Model Design and Building 2,270 183,624 Motorboating 14,675 400,830 Music 12,685 1,109,647 Nature 16,438 1,437,438 Oceanography 8,555 148,675 Orienteering 25,571 528,965 Painting 4,021 497,289 Personal Fitness 82,865 1,717,876 Personal Management 47,232 1,082,974 Pets 6,658 567,100 Photography 6,106 319,086 Pioneering 28,531 2,088,136 Plant Science 542 24,251 Plumbing 5,383 309,873 Pottery 14,299 231,595 Public Health 1,171 1,495,115 Public Speaking 2,639 565,356 Pulp and Paper 3,207 52,077 Rabbit Raising* 0 137,265 Radio 3,982 90,929 Railroading 5,004 137,773 Reading 7,835 1,389,291 Reptile and Amphibian Study 12,072 502,300 Rifle & Shotgun Shooting* 0 314,538 Rifle Shooting 49,468 626,283 Rowing 22,401 1,489,506 Safety 8,099 2,875,060 Salesmanship 5,664 245,112 Scholarship 6,540 1,184,998 Sculpture 7,257 159,501 Shotgun Shooting 20,106 183,250 Skating 7,060 120,398 Skiing 244 260,717 Small-Boat Sailing 19,664 396,341 Snow Sports 12,716 17,848 Soil and Water Conservation 15,835 921,854 Space Exploration 20,713 250,117 Sports 14,487 993,466 Stamp Collecting 1,251 373,391 Surveying 1,249 133,449 Swimming 102,378 5,216,002 Textile 2,510 93,889 Theater 1,697 54,139 Traffic Safety 2,840 73,388 Truck Transportation 3,627 93,221 Unclassified 59 10,324,856 Veterinary Science 1,879 37,894 Water Skiing 6,298 190,729 Weather 16,527 341,967 Whitewater 3,882 34,580 Wilderness Survival 44,112 1,038,566 Wood Carving 51,361 1,635,255 Woodwork 5,749 901,267 TOTAL 2,168,309 101,388,856 * discontinued
