Merit Badge

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1. 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. Your Scoutmaster will give you the name of a person from a list of counselors. These counselors have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.
2. 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.
3. Contact the Counselor using the form at the bottom of this page. Get a signed MERIT BADGE APPLICATION - BLUE CARD (Adobe Reader) from your Scoutmaster. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 you 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.
6. Get your BLUE CARD Signed – this is your official record of completing the Merit Badge.  A third of the Card you keep for your records, One-Third of the Card you give to your Troops Advancement Coordinator on the Committee, and One-Third of the card your counselor keeps – NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SIGNED BLUE CARD YOU HAVE NOT EARNED THE MERIT BADGE.  WORKSHEETS SIGNED BY COUNSELORS IN PLACE OF A BLUE CARD DO NOT REPLACE THE BLUE CARD AND WILL NOT BE HONORED. EXCEPTION, COI MERIT BADGE WORKSHEETS.
7. Get the Badge. When the counselor is satisfied that you have met each requirement, he or she will sign your application. Give the signed application to your Scoutmaster so that your merit badge emblem can be secured for you.
8. Requirements. 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 demonstrates," that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn't enough. The same thing holds for such words as "make," "list," "in the field," "collect," "identify," and "label."
9. Merit Badge Colleges – for those attending Merit Badge colleges.  Please have a BLUE CARD signed in advance of Merit Badge College to take with you.  If you complete the Merit Badge while at the college, be sure to have the counselor sign your BLUE CARD (make sure you ask for this). If your Merit Badge is not complete and requires additional work, please see a counselor from Troop 215 listed below to complete and sign off on the BLUE CARD.  If NO counselor from Troop 215 is assigned to the Merit Badge you are working on, then bring your completed requirements to the Scoutmaster and he will approve your BLUE CARD / Merit Badge Application.

NOTE: Click on the Merit Badge name to go to the current requirements at BSA ScoutSource.  You can also click on most of the Merit Badge counselors’ names to e-mail them your request to work with them.