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
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