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MERIT BADGE INFORMATION top The requirements pages for the following merit badges have been updated for 2005: Archery, Astronomy, Canoeing, Camping, Chemistry, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Cooking, Electricity, Emergency Preparedness, Family Life, Fire Safety, First Aid, Fish & Wildlife Management, Medicine, Metalwork, Nuclear Science (was Atomic Energy), Plumbing, Railroading, Scholarship, Small Boat Sailing, Soil & Water Conservation, Space Exploration, Surveying, and Theater. *This merit badge was called Atomic Energy and has been renamed to Nuclear Science. If you started the badge last year, you have the option of completing the badge using the old requirements or using the 2005 requirements. If you haven't started the badge, you must use the 2005 requirements. To see what's changed, go to http://www.usscouts.org/mb/mbbooks.html and click on the merit badge with the 2004 (in green) dates in the far right column.
1) Pick A Subject. Read the requirements of the merit badges by reading the current Boy Scout REQUIREMENTS handbook, the merit badge pamphlet or going to the Index to Merit Badges link listed above and then choosing the badge that you're interested in. The Boy Scout Requirements book is updated each year and contains the requirements for all of the ranks, including eagle palms, all of the merit badges, and special awards and it's not very expensive. When you've decided on a merit badge, See Mr. Snyder and he will give you the name of a person or two from a list of counselors. These counselors have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you and a are registered with the Council office. Send an email or phone the troop librarian to get a copy of the merit badge pamphlet. If the troop doesn't have a copy, you may need to go to the scout shop to purchase one. Then Get a signed merit badge blue card from Mr. Snyder. Then fill out the blue card with your name, address, phone number and troop/district/council information. Merit Badge Pamphlet The troop maintains a library of merit badge pamphlets. Contact the troop librarian to see if we have a current copy of the pamphlet and make a request to check it out. Sometimes the troop is missing a pamphlet or the pamphlets we have may be outdated. Pamphlets can be purchased at the scout shop in San Jose. Scout Buddy System. You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister, a relative or a friend. Find out from other scouts if they're interested in taking the merit badge with you. 2) Call The Counselor Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and tell him or her that you want to earn the merit badge. The counselor may ask you to come and see him so he can explain what he expects and start helping you meet the requirements. When you know what is expected, start to learn and do the things required. Ask your counselor to help you learn the things you need to know or do. You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject. Some merit badge counselors may send you a workbook to help you prepare for the sessions. A link to worksheets are available above. 3) Show Your Stuff. When you are ready, call the counselor again to make an appointment to meet the requirements. When you go take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures or have an adult tell in writing what you have done. The counselor will ask you to do each requirement to make sure that you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required. Be in your Class A uniform when you see your counselor. Most merit badge counselors will hold the blue card until you complete it, or if you're not making progress in a timely fashion, he or she may return it to you until you're ready to work on it again. You are expected to meet the requirements as they are stated --- no more and no less. You are expected to do exactly what is stated in the requirements. If it says "show or demonstrate," that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn't enough. The same thing holds true for such words as "make," "list," "in the field," and "collect," "identify," and "label." 4) Get The Badge. When the counselor is satisfied that you have met each requirement, he or she will sign your blue card. He or she will take merit badge counselor section of the blue card for their own records. Give the rest of the signed application to your Scoutmaster to get his signature. After he signs it, give the part that says merit badge application to the advancement chair (Ms. Rao) and keep the other part for your records. It is important that you organize and keep this part in a safe place. When you go for your Eagle, the blue cards need to be submitted so that they can verify that you've met the requirements for the merit badges. Scout find that it's very helpful to place the finished blue cards in plastic 'baseball card' sheets. Troop 494 makes every effort to give you your badge as soon after you've completed it. We will give you a merit badge card for the badge at the court of honor, but the blue card is the important record. The requirements posted on this system might not match those in the merit badge pamphlets because the pamphlets may not have been recently revised. Where they differ, use these requirements rather than those in the pamphlet. Last updated: September 2005 |
