Merit Badge Program Administration

Troop 632 | Gulf Coast Council | Pensacola, Florida

2.  The references are the sole governing authority for administration of the merit badge program of the Boy Scouts of America.   Individual units or merit badge counselors are not authorized to establish more stringent or less stringent requirements for the administration of the merit badge program.

3.  Individual troops typically maintain an informal or formal list of merit badge counselors who are available for consultation by Scouts who wish to pursue a particular merit badge.  Districts and councils also maintain registries of documented and approved merit badge counselors in order to provide a more diverse pool of expertise for Scouts to rely upon for the wide variety of merit badge options available to them.

4.  All merit badge counselors must be registered with the Boy Scouts of America as such.  This is accomplished when the eligible adult (age 18 or older) completes and submits an adult application (Form 28-501A) through his or her unit's committee chairman and chartered organization representative to the district office.  The application must be completed in full, including the applicant's SSN (to allow for the mandatory criminal background check).  Merit badge counselors pay no fee to register.

5.  Prior registration in another capacity, such as Scoutmaster, ASM, committee member, etc., is insufficient for registration as a merit badge counselor.  A separate application, with the unit position code "42" entered in the "Position Code" block of the application, must be submitted.

6.  There is no restriction or limit on the number of merit badges an individual may be approved to counsel for, but they must be approved by the district advancement committee for each specific merit badge.

7.  There is no limit on the number of merit badges a youth may earn from one counselor, and an approved merit badge counselor may counsel any youth member, including his own son, ward or relative.

8.  A scout must have a buddy with him at each meeting with a merit badge counselor.  This buddy may be another Scout, a parent or guardian, a relative or friend, or brother or sister.   After obtaining a signed merit badge card from his Scoutmaster, it is the Scout's responsibility to contact the counselor to set up an appointment.  The merit badge counselor explains the requirements for the badge to the Scout and then he and his buddy continue to meet with the counselor as appropriate to complete the badge's requirements.

9.  While group instruction of merit badges is allowed in the interest of providing opportunities for a subject which is difficult to obtain qualified counselors for, it is subject to the following policy statement by the National Executive Board:

To the fullest extent possible, the merit badge counseling relationship is a counselor-Scout arrangement in which the boy is not only judged on his performance of their requirements, but receives the maximum benefit from the knowledge, skill, character, and personal interest of his counselor.  Group instruction and orientation are encouraged where special facilities and expert personnel make this most practical, or when Scouts are dependent on only a few counselors for assistance.  However, this group experience should be followed by attention to each individual candidate's projects and his ability to fulfill all requirements.

10.  Prohibiting Scouts from pursuing merits badges except through a group setting or class; or prohibiting Scouts from receiving counseling from an approved merit badge counselor because the counselor is a relative; or denying Scouts direct access to current lists of approved merit badge counselors; or refusing to accept the credentials of a district-approved or vetted merit badge counselor is contrary to the letter and spirit of the rules and regulations of the Boy Scouts of America pertaining to the merit bade program.

11.  Properly registered and approved merit badge counselors will appear on the council's database, and the district advancement and recognition committee will publish and update on an annual basis, or more frequently, a district list of merit badge counselors.  Merit badge counselors who prefer to serve only their or a chosen troop's membership will remain unpublished, but this will not obviate the requirement to register with the district.

Yours in Scouting

R. K. SHELDON