Merit Badges
Earning merit badges must be Scout-initiated, Scout researched, and Scout learned. Merit badges are an opportunity to explore new and existing interests, acquire valuable life skills, and have fun! To earn a badge, a Scout must complete a few simple steps, including working with a registered merit badge counselor.
It is not the responsibility of leaders or parents to provide merit badge classes for Scouts. The Scout should be researching merit badge requirements, learning what they can through their own resourcefulness, and approaching their recommended merit badge counselor to be tested on what they have learned.
From time to time the troop does offer merit badge classes to help prepare for a specific activity. We’re also fortunate to have several parents who have registered as merit badge counselors. They may offer classes outside of troop meetings, work with Scouts independently, or be available to sign off partials started with another counselor. For the most part, however, Scouts do their merit badge work independently.
There are 141 different merit badges a Scout may work on. If your goal is to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, you’ll need a minimum of 21 merit badges, 14 of which are from a list of required badges. Here’s how it works:
Step 1
Decide on a Badge
To get started, first identify a badge you’re interested in working on. Badges and requirements are listed online. You can also browse the Troop’s library of merit badge books.
Step 2
Get Your Scoutmaster’s Approval
Before you can start work on a merit badge, you must get a Blue Card (application) from your Advancement Chair and get approval from your Scoutmaster. Your Scoutmaster will recommend one or more approved counselors.
How to Earn a Merit Badge
click images to enlarge
Step 3
Contact the Counselor
Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and explain that you want to earn the badge. The counselor may ask to meet you to explain what is expected and to start helping you meet the requirements. Remember that youth protection policies apply to merit badge counselors/classes as well.
Step 4
Do the Work
Some merit badges are offered as classes. The merit badge counselor will give you a schedule and you will be expected to meet certain requirements according to their timetable. This is usually true at summer camp and special events (e.g. Aviation Day). If you don’t complete all the requirements, your badge work will considered “partial.” That’s okay. You can complete the remaining requirements at any time…you might need to find another counselor to approve your work.
Most of the time, merit badge work is completed on your own. There are lots of resources to help you. Some of them are shared below. Start by downloading the merit badge book. That’s your guide to earning the badge. Every merit badge also has a workbook. This is a tool for staying organized and tracking your progress. Filling out a workbook is not the same as learning. Your counselor will test you on each requirement to make sure you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required. A registered merit badge counselor for the badge you are working on is the only person who can sign off your requirements.
Step 5
Get the Badge!
When a requirement is completed, your counselor will write the requirement number on your Blue Card and initial it. In some cases they may do this directly in Scoutbook. When all of your work is complete, your counselor will sign your blue card in two places.
When all of your requirements are completed have your Blue Card signed by your Scoutmaster, then give it to the Advancement Chair. They will enter everything in Scoutbook. You’ll be awarded your badge at the next Court of Honor. Congratulations!
Troop Policies
Equal Opportunity
If a registered merit badge counselor within the troop is providing formal instruction such as an online or in-person class, field trip, workshop, etc., we ask that the opportunity be publicized and made available to anyone in the troop who wishes to participate. We’d love for you to offer it to the wider Scouting community as well.
Five Badge Limit
It is important for Scouts to learn from and interact with a variety of adults. This is one of the methods of Scouting. To encourage this, a Scout may earn no more than 5 badges with one counselor, of which no more than 3 may be Eagle-required badges.
Exceptions to this limit: The Scoutmaster and ASMs may, in the course of our regular programming, sign off on requirements related to core skills such as camping, hiking, cooking, etc. Scouts should still be encouraged to work with a variety of counselors.
Parents as Counselors
A Scout may work with any registered merit badge counselor, including their parent. However, we strongly encourage Scouts to broaden their horizons by working with other counselors.
Buddy System
Per Scouts BSA, Scouts must have another Scout and/or registered adult present at all meetings with their merit badge counselor—including when that counselor is their own parent. This buddy can be another Scout, your parent or legal guardian, or another registered adult.
Online Classes
Face-to-face, real-world interaction is preferred to virtual classes. With some exceptions, fee-based online merit badge services are generally discouraged. Use of these paid services for Eagle-required badges is highly discouraged, and may not be approved. See our FAQ for trusted sources.
Online classes for badges that require practical demonstration (e.g. First Aid, Pioneering, Cooking) will not be approved.
Merit Badge Fairs
Badge camps, midways, etc. provide hands-on opportunities in a variety of fun and exciting fields. We sometimes participate in these activities as a way for Scouts to explore potential hobbies and other areas of interest (e.g. Radio, Disability Awareness, Coin Collecting).
Realistically, there is no way to authentically complete most merit badges in a single session. These type of fairs are a good way to:
Connect with a merit badge counselor in a niche subject and get started on a badge
Demonstrate practical knowledge in person to complete a partial
They are not an appropriate venue to learn critical skills like Lifesaving, Swimming, First Aid, etc. With few exceptions, Troop 333 will not approve ‘earning’ Eagle-required badges in these large group settings.
Special Circumstances
Merit badge requirements may not be waived or modified. If a Scout faces special needs or circumstances, other reasonable accommodation may be made. Requests for accommodations must be made though the Advancement Chair and Scoutmaster, and approved in advance by the District Advancement Chair.
TWELVE WAYS TO EARN A MERIT BADGE
Organize a Study Group
Arrange for a group of Scouts to meet at one of your homes* or the public library to research and work on a badge together. Patrol leaders, this is a great way for you to show leadership.
Schoolwork
Requirements for merit badges like Reading, Public Speaking, and Scholarship can often be satisfied by schoolwork. Document things like speeches with video.
Summer Camp
Camp Royaneh is a great place for things like Horsemanship and shooting sports that are difficult to earn back home. They also have experts in scoutcraft. Research ahead to see what will be offered.
District Events
Many District and Council events have a tie-ins to merit badges. The Bike Rodeo, Jamboree on the Air, Klondike Derby, etc. all have opportunities to fulfill merit badge requirements.
Get Credit for Hobbies
If you play a sport, you may already be fulfilling the requirements for one or more sports-related merit badges— likewise if you go fishing, play chess, climb, or play an instrument.
Troop 333
Baden Powell said advancement is like a suntan; you tend to get it when you do things outdoors. Camping, hiking and other troop activities will often satisfy some merit badge requirement. Plan ahead.
Council Events
If you do a little research, you’ll find that many merit badges that require special facilities like a pool or shooting range are offered by the Golden Gate Area Council. Most have a small fee.
Independent Study
Some badges, like Animation, have workbooks that are basically courses. The Edmond History Museum offers self-study packets and registered counselors to review your work.
Other Troops
If you have friends in other troops, ask them if there are parents or adult leaders that counsel merit badges you’re interested in. Maybe you can even work on one together.
Merit Badge Fairs
Advance-O-Rama and Merit Badge Day offer a variety of work sessions with qualified counselors. Eagle-required merit badges usually won’t be approved by the troop, but others are okay.
Online Courses
We’re not big fans of most online merit badge classes, but some offer opportunities that are hard to get in person. Epic Badges and Scoutmaster Bucky are generally good sources.
On Your Own
Every merit badge has a booklet you can buy, borrow from the troop, or download for free. Pick a topic and start exploring. If you have a passion for it, we’ll find you a counselor to reward that interest!
*When meeting with a counselor in person, online, or by phone, always remember that two registered adults must be present. If not, reschedule. If you’re meeting at a friend’s home and a parent is present, a second adult must also be present. Both must be registered with Scouts BSA. If any of the resources listed here do not follow those policies, please let us know immediately.
Troop Merit Badge Counselors
We have several registered merit badge counselors in the troop who can assists you. Scouts are encouraged to work with a variety of registered adult counselors, both in and outside out troop. There are more than 1,200 registered merit badge counselors in the Golden Gate Area Council.
| Eagle Required | Merit Badge | Troop Counselors |
|---|---|---|
| American Business | Katherine Dulany | |
| American Labor | Katherine Dulany | |
| Art | Christopher Simmons, Katherine Dulany | |
| Backpacking | Christopher Simmons | |
| Camping | Christopher Simmons, Cyrus Colangelo | |
| Chemistry | Heather Nye | |
| Citizenship in Society | Christopher Simmons | |
| Citizenship in the Community | Cyrus Colangelo, Katherine Dulany | |
| Citizenship in the World | David Dulany | |
| Communication | Christopher Simmons, Cyrus Colangelo | |
| Cooking | Cyrus Colangelo | |
| Crime Prevention | David Dulany | |
| Cycling | Katherine Dulany | |
| Emergency Preparedness | Christopher Simmons | |
| Entrepreneurship | David Dulany | |
| Family Life | Cyrus Colangelo, Heather Nye | |
| Fingerprinting | Cyrus Colangelo | |
| First Aid | Heather Nye | |
| Graphic Arts | Christopher Simmons | |
| Health Care Professions | Heather Nye | |
| Hiking | Christopher Simmons, Cyrus Colangelo, Heather Nye | |
| Law | Katherine Dulany | |
| Movie Making | Cyrus Colangelo | |
| Music | Heather Nye | |
| Personal Fitness | Cyrus Colangelo | |
| Personal Management | Cyrus Colangelo, Heather Nye | |
| Public Speaking | Christopher Simmons, David Dulany, Heather Nye | |
| Reptile & Amphibian Study | Christopher Simmons | |
| Salesmanship | David Dulany | |
| Scouting Heritage | David Dulany | |
| Sports | Katherine Dulany | |
| Sustainability | Christopher Simmons | |
| Wilderness Survival | Christopher Simmons |
Frequently Asked Questions
-
A blue card is literally a small blue card. It is your application to start earning a merit badge, and where your progress will be recorded.
You can obtain one by asking our Advancement Chair for one. When you start a merit badge with a counselor or at summer camp, you should be given one. In some cases you can use a “digital” blue card card through Scoutbook.
-
If you lose your Blue Card, or it goes through the wash or is otherwise unreadable, you cannot get credit for your badge work.
Don’t lose it!
-
You can check your entire Scouting progress in Scoutbook. This is your official record.
-
Only your Scout leadership and approved Merit Badge Counselors may enter, modify and approve of your Scoutbook entries, as appropriate.
-
Green Checkbox: A green checkbox does not signify official approval. When a Scout feels they have complete a requirement, they can check it off in Scoutbook, indicating that they are ready to be tested. Because this feature can be confusing, we generally skip it. Parents should not check off requirements for Scouts
Blue Checkbox: Indicates that a requirement has been approved by the assigned merit badge counselor.
Yellow Checkbox: Indicates that the badge has been presented to the Scout, usually at a Court of Honor.
Note: The green checkmark is a useful indicator of progress, but only the blue checkmark signifies the official approval. Scoutbook allows the Advancement Chair or Scoutmaster to mark requirements as “leader approved” but this should only be done if those leaders have personally seen a signed/initialed blue card and are updating Scoutbook on the merit badge counselor’s behalf.
-
Your merit badge counselor’s responsibility is to help mentor you and to test you.
They are a guide to help you explore a subject independently. They point you toward resources, engage you in discussion and share information. They may use the EDGE method to demonstrate certain skills. When you are ready, they are the ones who test you. They are counselors, not teachers.
You can—and hopefully will—learn a lot from them. You can—and hopefully will—learn a lot from others too. Learn from other Scouts, your parents and siblings, friends, school teachers, coaches, camp counselors, your own research, etc.
-
Yes. Merit badges are a great way to share part of your Scouting experience with your family, and a great way for you to learn more about what they know.
Your own parent can even be your counselor for the badges they are registered for. Keep in mind, however, that you may not work just one-on-one with any merit badge counselor, even if they are your parent. Another Scout or registered adult must be present at all meetings.
-
Most fee-based online merit badge courses are of questionable quality. It can also be difficult or impossible to verify if the instructor has up-to-date youth protection training. For these reasons, they are generally discouraged.
Two sources we trust are Epic Badges and Scoutmaster Bucky. -
Merit badges have two purposes. One is to introduce Scouts to a wide variety of interests—some they already have and some they are exploring for the first time. The other is to encourage Scouts to be self-directed, work with people they don’t already know, and generally have agency in their own advancement.
There are more that 1,200 registered merit badge counselors in our district, most of whom are qualified for multiple badges. We will help you find someone to work with.
-
A Scout must earn at least 14 of the following 18 “required” merit badges in order to become an Eagle Scout:
First Aid
Citizenship in the Community
Citizenship in the Nation
Citizenship in the World
Citizenship in Society*
Communication
Cooking
Personal Fitness
Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving
Environmental Science or Sustainability
Personal Management
Swimming or Hiking or Cycling
Camping
Family Life
In situations where there are multiple “required” merit badge options (i.e., 9, 10, 12 above), only one of the merit badges counts towards the 14 Eagle-required merit badges. For example, if a Scout earns the Swimming, Hiking, and Cycling merit badges, one of those merit badges would count toward the 14 required merit badges and the other 2 would count as one of your 7 optional merit badges.
*Requires a Scout to be 14 and have their parents’ and Scoutmaster’s approval.
