Hi! I recently started school back up again so I’ve been busy! No weekly post for this week sorry!
Categories
Categories
Introduction to Merit Badges
Requirement satisfied (can be found in Scout rank):
You’ve probably heard of them or seen them for their cool designs as patches. However they are not there just for the aesthetic, they also represent the skills you’ve learned from both in and out of scouting as awards. For example, you can earn one for cooking, first aid, or even things like being a collector (the collection merit badge)! You can only earn one merit badge of each, meaning you cannot earn the same merit badge twice. As of August 10, 2024, you can earn up to 138 merit badges. 21 of them are needed to earn Eagle and 14 of them are required (I will explain further later in this post).
You earn merit badges at any time! I recommend doing them once you at least earned Scout rank.
To earn them, you must do the following!
- Pick a merit badge that you want to earn. I suggest looking at the official merit badge list to choose one https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/! Read through the requirements as well!
- Once you’ve chosen the merit badge that you want to earn, talk to your scoutmaster and ask for their approval. They’ll give you a list of merit badge counselors that’ll help you earn this badge as well a merit badge blue card. With a parent/guardian’s approval, organize a series of meetings with this person in order to earn it.
- Some requirements require you to do it with the counselor such as “discuss requirement 2a with your counselor about..” meaning you’d have to complete them when you meet with the merit badge counselor. However, you can meet most requirements before you meet with them!
- Meet up with your merit badge counselor, your parent/guardian, or another scout to discuss the merit badge and the work you’ve completed for it. If you’ve completed all the requirements and they are satisfied with your work, you’ll give the merit badge blue card to the merit badge counselor will sign it as complete!
- At your next troop meeting, return this blue card to your scoutmaster so the patch of the merit badge can be given to you at your troop court of honor!
Your merit badge counselor can also sign off your blue card electronically via on Scoutbook.
Another way to earn a merit badge is to find local merit badge clinics in your community or do them at summer camps! Ask your scoutmaster or another adult leader for more information about them.
HOW TO FILL OUT A PHYSICAL MERIT BADGE BLUE CARD
Before you meet with your merit badge counselor, you must fill out the ‘Application for merit badge section’. You’ll need to fill out the following sections:
- Name
- Address
- City
- Email (If you do not have one, use your parent/guardian’s)
- Troop number
- District
- Council
Then your Scoutmaster will fill out these sections:
- Signature of unit leader + date
- Leader’s email
On the other side, your counselor will fill out the left section and the right section, Counselor’s Record (They’ll then tear off the Counselor’s record for their own record that you earned the merit badge and give you the remaining card). You’ll then fill out the middle section, Applicant’s Record, and rip it off, and hand your advancement chair to the left section who’ll record it down and then you’ll get it at your troop’s Court of Honor when you receive the merit badge. (You’ll keep the middle section for your own record)
EAGLE-REQUIRED MERIT BADGES
To earn Eagle, you must earn these 14 merit badges listed below + 7 more merit badges of your choice that are not listed, equaling 21 total merit badges.
Eagle-required merit badges
- Camping
- Citizenship in the Community
- Citizenship in the Nation
- Citizenship in the Society
- Citizenship in the World
- Communication
- Cooking
- Cycling OR Hiking OR Swimming
- Emergency Preparedness OR Life-Saving
- Environmental Science OR Sustainability
- Family Life
- First Aid
- Personal Management
- Personal Fitness
Please note that Family Life, Personal Fitness, and Personal management take time! Do not put off these merit badges! I recommend doing these as soon as possible so you can earn Eagle as soon as possible!
- Family Life Req 3:
- Prepare a list of your regular home duties or chores (at least five) and do them for 90 days. Keep a record of how often you do each of them. Discuss with your counselor the effect your chores had on your family.
- Personal Fitness Req 7:
- Outline a comprehensive 12-week physical fitness program using the results of your physical fitness tests. Be sure your program incorporates the endurance, intensity, and warm-up guidelines discussed in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Before beginning your exercises, have the program approved by your counselor and parents.
- Personal Management Req 2:
- Prepare a budget reflecting your expected income (allowance, gifts, wages), expenses, and savings for a period of 13 consecutive weeks
This is the Introduction to Merit Badges! If you have any questions or concerns, please comment them or email me at maggi.lim@att.net. I’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible :).
Peace out!
Categories
Scout Handbook Basic Guide
To get a scout handbook, you must join a scout troop and get one from your scoutmaster! Once you get a scout handbook, I recommend you do the following:
- Always have a pen or pencil inside- This is important because you’ll need it to check off requirements with one and/or take notes during a scout meeting. Be prepared!
- Notebook/notepad/something to write notes on- You won’t always need this, but I recommend setting aside one specifically for scouting so you can list requirements you need to do at home, for example!
- Buy a cover (OPTIONAL)– Throughout your scouting journey, your scout handbook will get worn over time so I recommend you buy a cover to protect it. You can find one at your local scout shop or https://www.scoutshop.org/ . If you cannot afford one then a normal ziploc bag or plastic bag will do!
Please note that the following pictures are taken from my own scout handbook (14th edition for girls) and some requirements may have changed. Be sure to check the latest requirements online! https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2023-Scouts-BSA-Rank-requirements.pdf
Once you complete these, let’s take a look inside!
INTRODUCTION
When you open it, you should see the “Youth Protection” Guide! It contains information about how to recognize abuse and practice online safety. You’ll need to read over this and complete the exercises with your parent/guardian for Scout rank requirement 6.
This is your introduction page! You do not need to fill it out, however, I recommend you at least write your name in the ‘name’ section. (Ignore how I forgot I wrote the rest of my milestones haha)
I’m not sure if every copy now has this but this is a welcoming letter from the previous Chief Scout Executive himself (Michael B. Subaugh)! Thank you for the warm welcome Mr. Subaugh!
This is the table of contents! It’ll help you navigate each skill section and information section better. Each section will cover something different such as First Aid for one section and Aquatics for another section.
Before you skip to any section, I recommend you to read the very first section ‘Your Adventure Continues’. It contains information about how scouting runs and also your troop (as well patrol if you have one)!
RANK REQUIREMENTS
Starting on page 440, you’ll see the requirements for every rank: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. These will help you recognize what you need to do to earn each rank!
LOGS
This is a physical log of all of the merit badges! As you can see, I don’t really keep track of them here. This is because I use https://scoutbook.scouting.org/ which is an online database that not only tracks your merit badges but also your leadership roles. To set up an account, ask your scoutmaster or another adult leader in your troop. Otherwise, if you want to track your merit badges physically, you’re also welcome to do that as well.
This is a physical log for your leadership positions and training courses! They do not necessarily have to be scout-related, they can be school, your religious organization, etc. You can also track these on the previously mentioned website.
This is a physical log for your hikes! I believe you need this as a requirement for Second Class or First Class. However, in my opinion, this is not as important as the rest of these logs.
This is a physical log for your campouts! It is very important to keep track of your campouts for your rank requirements and the Camping merit badge. Make sure you keep track of them!
Last but not least, this is the physical log for your service projects! They do not necessarily have to be scouting-related but can also be the ones in your community, school, etc. You’ll need this for rank requirements as well.
OPTIONAL INFORMATION
Do you want to continue your scouting journey? Well, this section is for you! It contains information about scouting events, national high-adventure bases, and as well other scouting programs! If interested in any of these, ask your scoutmaster about it :).
Once you earn Eagle, you can earn Eagle Palms for merit badges you complete!
- A Bronze Palm requires five merit badges
- A Gold Palm requires 10 merit badges
- A Silver Palm requires 15 merit badges
If you haven’t aged out yet and want to do something, I recommend you to do this :)! My older brother actually earned a Bronze Plam before he aged out!
That is all of the Scout Handbook Basic Guide! If you have any questions or concerns, please comment them or email me at maggi.lim@att.net. I’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible :).
Peace out!