Counseling and instruction is available at summer camp in more than 40 merit badges. Many of these badges require that Scouts complete some work prior to camp in order to complete the badge during his stay. Some badge requirements have changed since last year. Numbers in {brackets} indicate requirements that are best completed at home. The approximate cost of materials needed to complete some badge requirements is also noted in brackets where applicable.

You may wish to encourage Scouts to use their time to take advantage of the outdoor setting at summer camp and focus their efforts on outdoor related merit badges. Even though required for Eagle, Family Life, Personal Management, Safety, and the Citizenship merit badge series are better suited to home study.

To help leaders give Scouts guidance in selecting merit badges to work on during camp, a degree of difficulty has been assigned to each badge and is indicated by a (1) Easiest, (2) Average, or (3) Challenging. As a guideline, the easiest merit badges may be completed in an two or more hours, while the most challenging badges (such as lifesaving and environmental science) will require 4-5 days to complete.

PARTIAL COMPLETION OF MERIT BADGES When a Scout completes only a portion of the requirements needed to earn a merit badge, the counselor will indicate the Scout's progress on the Merit Badge Application card. The counselor will date and initial those items that the Scout completed at camp. The Scout must take the responsibility for completing his work at home. The camp does keep records of partial completion's, in the event that a blue card is lost. When the Scout gets home he will need to contact local counselor to complete his work. The home counselor may wish to spot check the Scout's progress.

PROGRESS REVIEWS Your Troop Leader Council should conduct boards of review for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks. A staff member will be made available to sit as an advisor to this group if needed. Adult members of the camp staff can be made available to assist your troop in progress reviews for Star, or Life rank advancement upon request.

HOW TO EARN MERIT BADGES AT CAMP

Any Boy Scout may earn any merit badge at any time as long as he has met the prerequisites for the badge. Scouts don't need to have had rank advancement to be eligible. Here are the steps that all Scouts follow to earn merit badges, in or out of camp. You may wish to duplicate this information for your Scouts. It will be important for them to understand these steps in order to successfully complete merit badge work at camp.

Pick a subject: Talk to your Scoutmaster about your interests, Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you. Pick one to earn. Find out who the counselor is for that badge. These counselors have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.

Contact the counselor: Get a signed merit badge application (blue card) from your Scoutmaster, this can be done before camp. Get in touch with the merit badge counselor by going to the appropriate camp program area and tell the counselor that you want to earn the merit badge. The merit badge counselors can tell you what they expect and start helping you meet the requirements for the badge. When you know what is expected, start to learn and do the things required. Ask your counselor to help you learn things you need to know or do. It will help if you can buy or borrow a merit badge pamphlet on the subject. The camp trading post sells these.

Show your stuff: When you think you are ready, go see the counselor again. When you go, take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures, have an adult tell in writing what you have done, or ask your counselor to come see it. 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. Most counselors like to meet with you several times. A lot depends on how well prepared you are.

Get the badge: When the counselor is satisfied that you have met each requirement, they will sign your application. Give this to your Scoutmaster and he will get your merit badge emblem for you.

More or Less: 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," "collect," "identify," and "label."

MERIT BADGE COUNSELING

Camp Staff serving as merit badge counselors certify a Scout's completion of merit badges. Adult leaders are encouraged to assist in skill instruction. Adults certified as merit badge counselors are encouraged to involve themselves in counseling activities at camp. Scouts earn the badge when the Merit badge Counselor agrees that the boy has met the requirements of the badge. The final decision to award the badge rests with the Scoutmaster and Troop Advancement Committee that certify the Scout's work upon completion of the Troop Advancement Report.

 

MERIT BADGE CARDS
{Blue Card - PDF}

Individual Merit Badge Cards are used by counselors to record each Scout's advancement progress at camp. You may wish to bring a supply of these cards to camp. Many Scoutmasters meet with Scouts prior to camp to select appropriate badges and complete the application cards. Merit Badge Cards may be purchased at the Camp Trading post.