The Badge of Military Merit was a military award of the United States Armed Forces. To offer a quality merit badge program, council and district advancement committees should ensure the following are in place for all group instructional events. Scouts meeting with counselors beyond their families and beyond even their own units are doing that. In approving counselors, the local council advancement committee has the authority to establish a higher minimum, reasonable level of skills and education for the counselors of a given merit badge than is indicated in “Qualifications of Counselors,” 7.0.1.1. Scouts can earn badges at any point in their Scouting career, although this was not always the case — in the 1960s, Scouts first had to earn the rank of Second Class Scout before being allowed to work on and … Common sense should prevail, however. Short of this, however, if it remains clear under the circumstances that some or all of the requirements could not have been met, then the merit badge is not reported or awarded, and does not count toward advancement. Merit Badges have been an integral part of Scouting since it's inception. After turning in the completed card to the Scoutmaster, the Scout can receive a patch representing the badge.[3]. Hobby-related badges are usually counseled at home. The sort of hands-on interactive experience described here, with personal coaching and guidance, is hardly ever achieved in any setting except when one counselor works directly with one Scout and the Scout’s buddy, or with a very small group. Counselors agree to sign off only requirements that Scouts have actually and personally completed. Demonstrations or activities in or on the water must be supervised by a mature and conscientious adult, age 21 or older, with certification in Red Cross First Aid/ CPR/AED or equivalent, and as a BSA Lifeguard or Aquatics Instructor or equivalent. They must not do so, however, to the point where Scouts’ choices, especially in small or remote units, are so limited as to serve as a barrier to advancement. This authority should be entrusted to a knowledgeable assistant unit leader. Home > Resources > Guide to Advancement 2019 > The Merit Badge Program. In multicultural communities, local councils should endeavor to offer bilingual training and mentoring. Merit Badge Pamphlets: An official Boy Scouts of America merit badge pamphlet has been created for the BSA by topic authorities for each merit badge.The pamphlets contain requirements, introductory information and supplemental reference text. The Boy Scouts of America is proud of its tradition of volunteer service. It may be that due to timing or location issues, etc., they must meet with different counselors to finish a badge. Current policies are found at www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss08/#a and supersede any other publications or literature. Because background checks, Youth Protection training, and merit badge program quality control are involved, BSA registration and council advancement committee approval are mandated procedures. 1. There are many other methods available to raise the funds necessary to operate the Scouting programs at any level. All of the activities for each rank are in the Cub Scout handbooks. However, if changes to merit badge requirements are introduced in a revised merit badge pamphlet or at www.scouting.org/meritbadges during the year after the Scouts BSA Requirements is released, then the Scout has through the end of that year to decide which set of requirements to use. A registered and approved merit badge counselor, however, would have to sign off on each requirement passed. Several badges involve activities for which the Boy Scouts of America has implemented strategies to improve safety, enhance the Scouts’ experiences, and manage risk. Alternatively, the Scout may choose to switch to the revised requirements. Remember that counselor recruiting is an ongoing responsibility. Climbing. Because of the counseling opportunity involved, it is the unit leader’s responsibility to sign blue cards. It should be hands-on and interactive, and should not be modeled after a typical school classroom setting. Once a counselor has reviewed the signed Application for Merit Badge, he or she might begin with discussions about what the Scout already knows. Those identified as not following Boy Scouts of America policies and procedures, or not providing services as promised, should not be invited to return. However, presentation of the badge itself will be subject to availability. That some merit badge requirements might be fulfilled during such an activity does not make it a Scouting activity, and therefore the activity would not require BSA approval. The council or district counselor list is reproduced for distribution to troops, crews, and ships. In most cases, with a fair and friendly approach, a Scout who did not complete the requirements will admit it. The Great Rivers Council hosts numerous colleges […] They will benefit from the perspectives of many “teachers” and will learn more as a result. They must be men or women of good character, age 18 or older, and recognized as having the skills and education in the subjects they cover. After such a consultation, the unit leader, in a positive environment similar to that of a unit leader conference, discusses with the Scout the circumstances under which a merit badge in question was approved. The merit badge program is not a troop program, it is a process of individual advancement and individual responsibility. If there are questions that requirements were met, a counselor may confirm with adults involved. You don't need to have had rank advancement to be eligible. Some merit badges appear to have “prerequisites.” The Emergency Preparedness merit badge, for example, requires the earning of the First Aid merit badge. Council approval should not be granted if it is believed merit badge opportunities will generate a profit or revenue that is surplus to recovering costs related to presenting the opportunity. The Scout returns the signed blue card to the unit leader, who signs the applicant record section of the blue card. The merit badge counselor is responsible for ensuring that all instruction or other activities involving any handling of firearms or live ammunition is consistent with state and federal law and supervised by a certified BSA National Camping School (NCS) shooting sports director, or National Rifle Association (NRA) Rifle Shooting Instructor or Coach. If instruction and shooting are to occur at the same time, both the RSO and qualified instructor must be present. Scouts should not have access. In the event unit leaders or other volunteers discover that any merit badge counselors are not following mandated procedures regarding the use of blue cards or working with the requirements as they are written, they should complete and submit to the council advancement committee the Reporting Merit Badge Counseling Concerns form (found in the appendix). The award of merit badges sometimes leads to careers and lifelong hobbies. This may be necessary in wide geographic areas. It is a misconception that discontinued merit badges may be earned as long as the patch and requirements can be found. Volunteers who are properly registered as merit badge counselors can renew annually without completing a BSA adult application; their names will appear on the district roster for renewal. Instruction or other activities involving handling muzzle-loading shotguns must be supervised by an NCS shooting sports director or NRA/NMLRA-certified muzzleloading shotgun instructor. Counselors agree not to assume that stated prerequisites for an event have been completed without some level of evidence that the work has been done. The unit leader gives the Scout the applicant record. This could be followed with coaching, guidance, and additional meetings, not only for passing the candidate on the requirements, but also to facilitate understanding of the subject. These can be efficient methods, and interactive group discussions can support learning. 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 coll… Where a counselor corps is organized into groups based on the popularity or subject matter of badges, with “head counselors” for each group (see below), there is also an opportunity for “on-the-job coaching.” This is helpful where individual counselors need a better understanding of the merit badge plan. The council advancement committee should be involved in the approval. For example, nights already camped as a Scout in Scouts BSA or as a qualified Venturer or Sea Scout, or coins or stamps already collected, would count toward their respective badges. It is just another requirement. Current policies are found in the Guide to Safe Scouting at www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss08/#a and supersede any other publications or literature. All phases of scuba instruction—classroom, pool, and open-water training—are limited to instructors trained and certified by one of the BSA’s recognized scuba agencies as found in the Guide to Safe Scouting. EIN: 22-1576300, Guidelines for Advancement and Recognition Committees, Boards of Review: An Overview for All Ranks, Advancement for Members With Special Needs, “The Scout, the Blue Card, and the Unit Leader,” 7.0.0.3, Reporting Merit Badge Counseling Concerns form (found in the appendix), “Counselor Approvals and Limitations,” 7.0.1.4, “Registration and Reregistration,” 7.0.1.5, Counselor Approvals and Limitations,” 7.0.1.4, www.scouting.org/health-andsafety/gss/sweet16, www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss08/#a, www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss12/#b, www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss02, www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection, “Fulfilling More Than One Requirement With a Single Activity,” 4.2.3.6, “Reporting Merit Badge Counseling Concerns,” 11.1.0.0, “Personal Growth Is the Primary Goal,” 2.0.0.3, “About the Application for Merit Badge (“Blue Card”),” 7.0.0.2, Reporting Merit Badge Counseling Concerns,” 11.1.0.0. Motor Boating. It is then the Scout’s decision whether or not to proceed with the merit badge. Expand lead-in to include the purpose of merit badges and their place in the advancement program. It is one of several methods designed to help unit leadership carry out the aims and mission of the Boy Scouts of America. Sessions with counselors must take place in accordance with the Guide to Safe Scouting. Note that Scouts shall not be required to use these learning aids in order to complete a merit badge. The Application for Merit Badge has a place to record what has been finished—a “partial.” In the center section on the reverse of the blue card, the counselor initials for each requirement passed. Of the 130 current merit badges, 26 remain from the group of 57 original merit badges … There are, however, a number of important considerations council advancement committees should keep in mind. The approving counselor should retain the part of the card called the Counselor’s Record for at least one year—in case questions are raised later. Youth should be encouraged to bring a buddy, such as a friend, parent, guardian, brother, sister, other relative— or, better yet, another Scout working on the same badge. There is more to them than an introduction to lifetime hobbies, or the inspiration to pursue a career—though these invaluable results occur regularly. The patches for the Eagle-required merit badges are distinguishable by the silver ring on the outside edge. Urge troops, crews, and ships to make as many of their counselors as possible available districtwide. If the Scout did not complete all the requirements, the counselor initials those that were fulfilled in the spaces provided on the back of the Applicant’s Record part. A unit leader should consider making more of the process than just providing a signature. 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