Merit badge (Boy Scouts of America)


Merit Badges are awards earned by members of the Boy Scouts of America, based on activities within the 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 vocation. Originally, the program also introduced Scouts to the life skills of contacting an adult they had not met before, arranging a meeting and then demonstrating 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 or booklet associated with it, which contains information on completing the requirements for the badge. Before starting to work on a particular badge, Scouts must meet with their Scoutmasters and obtain a signed application card for it. They must then contact an adult who is registered as a counselor for that badge in order to arrange a meeting and determine which requirements must be completed ahead of time. The counselor initials the card to indicate the Scout's progress in meeting the requirements, then signs it once they have all been fulfilled. After turning in the completed card to the Scoutmaster, the Scout can receive a patch representing the badge.
The award of a merit badge is represented by a 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. Every year the National Council reviews and updates a certain number of merit badges. There are over 100 merit badges.
Scouting organizations in other countries issue or have issued merit badges, including Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Austria has a program similar to merit badges for certain age groups.

Required for Eagle Scout

The current requirements for Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouting, involve earning a minimum of 21 merit badges. The following 13 are required:
As of June 2020, the BSA has also announced plans to introduce a "diversity and inclusion" merit badge that will be required for Eagle Scout in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Current badges

NameCreatedRequirements
revision		Pamphlet
revision		Number earned Related subjects
American Business1967202020081,468Business, Economy of the United States
American Cultures1978200520083,089Ethnic groups in the United States
American Heritage197520202019, 20205,454History of the United States, Historic preservation
American Labor1987200620081,298Trade unions
Animal Science1975202020084,155Animal husbandry
Animation2015201520157,193Animation
Archaeology1997200820085,722Archaeology
Archery19112012200831,934Archery
Architecture1911200820084,016Architecture
Art19112013201323,074Art
Astronomy19112013201316,473Astronomy
Athletics1911200620082,844Track and field athletics
Automotive Maintenance20082008201210,489Auto mechanics
Aviation19522006200814,227Aviation
Backpacking1982200720084,079Backpacking
Basketry19272003200814,216Basket weaving
Bird Study1914200520085,629Ornithology
Bugling191120202008453Bugle
Camping19112005200852,328Camping
Canoeing19272004200822,734Canoeing
Chemistry19112020200811,745Chemistry
Chess20112011201125,999Chess
Citizenship in the Community19522005201346,750Citizenship
Citizenship in the Nation19512005200848,182Citizenship
Citizenship in the World19722005200850,700Global citizenship
Climbing19972006200817,305Climbing
Coin Collecting1938200820084,822Coin collecting
Collections1991200820084,060Collecting
Communication19682003200848,117Communication
Composite Materials2006200620081,383Composite materials
Cooking19112016201449,039Cooking
Crime Prevention1996202020086,517Crime prevention
Cycling1911200320085,503Cycling
Dentistry1975200620082,433Dentistry
Digital Technology2014201420147,096Technology
Disabilities Awareness1993200520085,933Disability
Dog Care1938200320083,151Dogs
Drafting1965200820081,364Technical drawing
Electricity1911200420089,383Electricity
Electronics1963200420087,204Electronics
Emergency Preparedness19722008201639,022Emergency management
Energy1976200520082,727Energy
Engineering19672008200812,184Engineering
Entrepreneurship1997200620083,410Entrepreneurship
Environmental Science19722020200846,202Environmental science
Exploration2017202020173,107Exploring
Family Life19912005201347,788Family values
Farm Mechanics1928200820082,500Agricultural machinery
Fingerprinting19382003200836,510Fingerprinting
Fire Safety19952004200811,045Fire safety
First Aid19112007200862,352First aid
Fish and Wildlife Management19722004200810,676Wildlife management
Fishing19522002200823,589Fishing
Fly Fishing2002200220085,005Fly fishing
Forestry19112005200810,299Forestry
Game Design20132013201314,424Game Design
Gardening1911200220081,440Gardening
Genealogy1972200520084,096Genealogy, Family history
Geocaching20102010201011,271Geocaching
Geology19532020200816,041Geology
Golf1976200220082,959Golf
Graphic Arts1987200620083,178Graphic design
Hiking1921200720086,865Hiking
Home Repairs1943200220083,193Home repairs
Horsemanship1911201120089,515Equestrianism
Indian Lore19312008200813,530Native American culture
Insect Study1985200820082,392Entomology
Inventing2010201020103,259Invention
Journalism1927200620081,283Journalism
Kayaking20122020201628,093Kayaking
Landscape Architecture1967200820081,395Landscape architecture
Law1974200320085,681Law
Leatherwork19512002200831,397Leather crafting
Lifesaving19112008200819,444Lifeguarding
Mammal Study19852003200817,799Zoology
Medicine1991200220083,758Medicine
Metalwork19272007200812,586Metalworking
Mining in Society2014201420143,929Mining
Model Design and Building1963202020082,770Scale models
Motorboating1961200820088,298Motorboat
Moviemaking2013201320139,738Filmmaking
Music19112003200812,882Music
Nature19522003200814,150Nature
Nuclear Science2005201120086,623Nuclear physics
Oceanography1964200320088,460Oceanography
Orienteering19732003200812,249Orienteering
Painting1911202020084,486Paint
Personal Fitness19522020200849,802Physical fitness
Personal Management19722003200848,464Personal finances, time management
Pets1958200320085,130Pets
Photography19112016201514,057Photography
Pioneering19112006200812,282Pioneering
Plant Science1974200520082,041Botany
Plumbing1911200420084,743Plumbing
Pottery1927200820088,566Pottery
Programming2013201320134,717Computer programming
Public Health1911200520082,507Public health
Public Speaking1932200220086,695Public speaking
Pulp and Paper1972200620085,973Pulp, Papermaking
Radio1923200820085,519Radio
Railroading1952200320086,818Rail transport
Reading1929202020084,495Reading
Reptile and Amphibian Study1993200520086,009Herpetology
Rifle Shooting19882001200834,049Rifle, Shooting
Robotics20112011201113,827Robotics
Rowing1933200620087,189Rowing
Safety1927202020083,208Safety
Salesmanship1927200320086,813Sales
Scholarship1911200420085,442Scholarship
Scouting Heritage2010201020106,285History of the Boy Scouts of America
Scuba Diving2009200920091,912Scuba Diving
Sculpture1911200720089,383Sculpture
Search and Rescue2012201220129,764Search and rescue
Shotgun Shooting19882005200818,576Shotgun, shooting
Signs, Signals, and Codes2015201520157,854Signs, signals, codes
Skating1973200520081,979Ice skating, Roller skating
Small-Boat Sailing19642004200813,202Sailing
Snow Sports1999200720087,375Skiing, Snowboarding
Soil and Water Conservation1952200420088,242Soil conservation, Water conservation
Space Exploration19652020200818,432Space exploration
Sports1972201120086,133Sports
Stamp Collecting193220072008919Stamp collecting
Surveying191120042008987Surveying
Sustainability2013202020137,328Sustainability
Swimming19112014200859,074Swimming
Textile1973200320082,523Textiles
Theater1967200520082,745Theatre
Traffic Safety1975202020086,477Road traffic safety
Truck Transportation1973200520082,469Truck driver
Veterinary Medicine1995200520083,103Veterinary medicine
Water Sports1969200720082,762Waterskiing
Weather19272006200812,311Weather
Welding20122012201211,129Welding
Whitewater1987202020082,890Whitewater rafting
Wilderness Survival19742007200825,863Wilderness, Survival skills
Wood Carving19232006200828,599Wood carving
Woodwork1923200320084,503Woodworking

"Colleges"

Merit badge colleges, which are also called fairs, weekends, midways, ‘’trail drives’’, or jamborees, are events where several troops and counselors meet and focus on teaching merit badges. Larger events are held on college campuses.

Workbooks

Into the 1990s, a number of merit badge counselors developed worksheets as a way for Scouts to document their work. Counselors could teach to a group but still verify each Scout's progress. More recently, worksheets have given way to workbooks with added graph paper, blank maps and diagrams, logs, charts, checklists, links, and other resources as needed. Merit badge workbooks are used by counselors, summer camps, and merit badge colleges. Workbooks have also been developed for ranks, Cub Scout belt loops, and Webelos activity pins.

Historical program

Offered only in 2010, The Historical Merit Badge program, part of the Boy Scouts of America centennial, allowed Scouts to earn the discontinued Carpentry, Pathfinding, Signalling, and Tracking merit badges. The patches for these historical merit badges are distinguished by a gold ring on the outside edge. All were based on merit badges that were among the original 57 issued in 1911.