Family Life

This Merit Badge
is Required to earn the Eagle Scout Rank

1. Prepare an outline on what a family is and discuss this with your merit badge counselor. Tell why families are important to individuals and to society. Discuss how the actions of one member can affect other members.
2. List several reasons why you are important to your family and discuss this with your parents or guardians and with your merit badge counselor.
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.
4. With the approval of your parents or guardians and your merit badge counselor, decide on and carry out a project that you would do around the home that would benefit your family. Submit a report to your merit badge counselor outlining how the project benefited your family.
5. Plan and carry out a project that involves the participation of your family. After completing the project, discuss the following with your merit badge counselor:
   1. The objective or goal of the project
   2. How individual members of your family participated
   3. The results of the project
6. Do the following:
   1. Discuss with your merit badge counselor how to plan and carry out a family meeting.
   2. After this discussion, plan and carry out a family meeting* to include the following subjects: Identify the items that would need to be included in an environmental impact statement for a construction project such as building a house, adding a new building to your Scout camp, or one you create on your own that is approved by your counselor.
      Prepare a meeting agenda that includes the following topics, review it with your parents or guardians, and then carry out one or more family meetings:
      1. Avoiding substance abuse, including tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, all of which negatively affect your health and well-being
         How living the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law contributes to your family life
      2. The greatest dangers and addictions facing youth in today's society (examples include use of tobacco products, alcohol, or drugs and other items such as debts, social media, etc.)
      3. 2. Understanding the growing-up process and how the body changes, and making responsible decisions dealing with sex
         How your chores in requirement 3 contributed to your role in the family
      4. Personal and family finances
      5. A crisis situation within your family
      6. The effect of technology on your family
      7. Good etiquette and manners
   Discussion of each of these subjects will very likely carry over to more than one family meeting.
7. Discuss with your counselor your understanding of what makes an effective parent and why, and your thoughts on the parent's role and responsibilities in the family.

*This conversation may take place with only one or both of your parents or guardians.

BSA Advancement ID#: 129
Scoutbook ID#: 47
Requirements last updated in: 2023
Pamphlet Publication Number: 35893
Pamphlet Stock (SKU) Number: 635735
E-Book Stock (SKU) Number: 656019
Pamphlet Copyright Date: 2016

Blanks in this worksheets table appear when we do not have a worksheet for the badge that includes these requirements.