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Merit Badges
Statement You can't earn a Merit Badge until you're First Class.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Maybe that was true 50 years ago, I don't know. It isn't true now. You need only be registered in the BSA as a
Boy Scout to start earning merit badges.
Statement If you start a merit badge at camp, you must finish it at camp.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Not true, any registered merit badge counselor for that badge can elect to accept the work already completed and allow the rest of the work for him or her to sign off.
Statement You can't get your First Aid Merit Badge until you are First Class, because you haven't taken all of the TESTS related to first aid.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments You can start First Aid Merit Badge at any time.
Statement You only have one year after you start a merit badge to complete it.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Actually, you have until you turn 18. The official rule in ACPP is "There is no time limit for completion of merit badges other than age 18."
Statement Similarly, Merit badge partials expire six months they are issued
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Nope, they last until the Scout is 18. (see the previous item.)
Statement Merit Badge Counselor applications must be approved by the Troop Committee.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Nope, district or council (as defined by local council rules).
Statement You don't need to be a registered merit badge councilor to sign off a merit badge. Similarly, the SM (or designated Scouter) in your troop can sign off on any merit badge.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments No, the person signing off on a merit badge has to be registered
in position code 42 (Merit Badge Counselor) and approved by district or council (local option, again, council's can propagate different rules) for a particular badge.
Statement You have to do a board of review for each merit badge.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments What a silly idea. In fact, Article X, Clause 13, of the Rules and Regulations of the BSA specifically states, "There shall be no board of review procedure for merit badges".
Statement The official rule is --
If merit badge requirements change while you are doing that badge you MUST earn the merit badge in accordance with the new requirements. Conversely, A scout MUST earn the merit badge under the requirements as written when he started the badge.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments No, at the scout's option, he can continue the old requirements or use the new ones. It's HIS choice.
Statement A Scout can't earn a merit badge after the BSA has eliminated the badge.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments He sure can, as long as he started working on the badge prior to the badge's elimination and has not yet turned 18. His troop or crew advancement committee may have a bit of difficulty finding a badge to award him, but that is a different problem.
Statement Merit badges are awarded at the next Court of Honor.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Not. It is up to the troop or team, but instant recognition is encouraged. Most units present the actual badge at the next meeting, and the wallet card at the next Court of Honor.
Statement A parent may not be a merit badge counselor for their own son for eagle required merit badges...
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments No, it's usually not a good idea, but it can be done. ACPP says so, explicitly. "An approved merit badge counselor may counsel any youth member, including his or her own son, ward, or relative."
Statement A Merit Badge Counselor may only counsel 5 merit badges.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments 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 committee for each specific merit badge.
Statement A Merit Badge Counselor may only counsel 5 merit badges for a specific Scout.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments There is no limit on the number of merit badges a youth may earn from one counselor
Statement A troop’s leaders have an obligation to re-test every merit badge earned by the Scouts, to make sure that proper standards have been maintained.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Once signed by the MBC, the merit badge is deemed completed; no re-test or board of review for merit badges is permitted by BSA policy.
Statement A Merit Badge Councelor (MBC) may counsel his or her own son.
Fact or Fiction Fact
Comments It is a BSA policy that this may be done.
Statement The Scoutmaster can withhold his signature on a Scout’s merit badge application if he feels the Scout isn’t “ready” for a particular merit badge.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments It is the Scout, and the Scout alone, who decides what merit badge he wishes to earn. Neither the Scoutmaster nor anyone else can arbitrarily withhold approval of a Scout’s desire for a particular merit badge.
Statement A Scout can only earn merit badges from a MBC registered in his home council.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments So long as the MBC is registered, the Council he or she is registered in is irrelevant.
Statement The prerequisite to Life Saving merit badge is Swimming merit badge
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments A bunch of years ago, this used to be the case. It isn’t any longer. The sole prerequisite for Life Saving is the ability to pass the First Class swimming requirement.
Statement To help its Scouts advance, troops should be sure to hold merit badge classes in troop meetings.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments The TROOP MEETING PLAN, which as been the same for decades, has no provision in it for merit badge classes.
Statement The primary purpose of merit badges is to advance to Star, Life, and Eagle.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments The merit badge program is created to (a) offer a Scout exposure to an area of interest that may become his profession or life-long hobby, and (b) to expose him to interaction with adults with whom he is not readily familiar, for the purpose of growth in inter-personal relations.
Statement A merit badge requirement can be changed if, in the judgment of a qualified counselor, an enhancement to the basic skill is more practical or a better learning experience.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments A Merit Badge Counselor may certainly “teach beyond the requirements,” for the benefit of the youth he or she is counseling; however, only the requirements precisely as written represent the standard for completing the merit badge.
Statement The specific order of events for earning a Merit Badge are: (1) the Scout picks a subject, (2) he gets a signed Merit Badge Application (“Blue Card”) from his
Scoutmaster, (3) he meets with a Counselor, (4) he begins fulfilling requirements.
Fact or Fiction Fact
Comments Check out page 187 of The Boy Scout Handbook.
Statement Merit Badges operate on a “pass-fail” system.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Merit badge requirements are to be completed; not “passed.” When a Scout has completed all of the requirements, he has earned the merit badge. The Merit Badge Counselor’s obligation is to assure that the Scout successfully completes all requirements by counseling, coaching, and mentoring him along the way.
Statement A Merit Badge Counselor can’t counsel a relative (brother, cousin, son, etc.)
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Nope - just not true
Statement If a Sea Scout completes all the requirements for a merit badge (e.g., Swimming), the merit badge itself should be awarded, regardless of gender.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Because Sea Scouting is a part of the overall Venturing program for older youth, it is eligible to be co-ed, and female Sea Scouts are eligible to earn the Apprentice, Ordinary, Able, and Quartermaster ranks. Along the way, completing the requirements for some Boy Scout merit badges is to be accomplished, and the BSA is specific in wording: “Complete the requirements for “X” merit badge;” not “earn the ‘X’ merit badge.” Only Boy Scouts can earn merit badges.
Statement A merit badge “partial” is good until the Scout is 18 years old.
Fact or Fiction Fact
Comments The 18th birthday is the only restriction on merit badge partials. A Scout may pick up where he left off at any time up until then.
Statement A “partial” more than 12 months old should be entirely re-tested.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments The 18th birthday is the only restriction on merit badge partials. A Scout may pick up where he left off at any time up until then.
Statement Swimming merit badge is required before a Scout can take Canoeing merit badge.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments This used to be the case, back in the days of buggy-whips. Today, successful completion of the First Class swimming requirements is the prerequisite for Canoeing merit badge.
Statement Requirements can be changed for a Scout who has a physical handicap that prevents him from completing the requirements as stated.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments The BSA has very specific provisions for Scouts with physical and/or mental impediments and these can be found in various BSA literature, including the Boy Scout Requirements book.
Statement Merit badge tasks completed before the Scoutmaster has signed the “blue card” can be accepted so long as they match the merit badge’s requirements.
Fact or Fiction Fact
Comments It's up to the Counselor whether to accept work done in advance. Examples are Stamp & Coin Collections, Camping, a family tree for Genealogy, etc.
Statement It’s important to be known as a “tough” Merit Badge Counselor, so that you get dedicated Scouts, willing to do more than just the minimum requirements to earn the Merit Badge you handle.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments To be blunt, this is nonsense. First, there’s no such thing in Scouting as “minimum requirements.” There are requirements, period. Second, the notion of being “tough” may belong in Parris Island or Quantico or some other boot camp, but it has no place in Scouting.
Statement If the Scout camp can’t accommodate all of the requirements of a Merit Badge, the Directors may change the requirements to fit the camp’s capabilities.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments The requirements for all ranks and merit badges are as written by the BSA and are unalterable.
Statement If a Scout has attended all summer camp merit badge sessions, and participates in a general review of the group’s knowledge by the Merit Badge Counselor, he should be
considered to have completed the requirements.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments Merit Badge Counselors, even in summer camp, are expected to assure that every individual Scout possesses the skills and knowledge a merit badge’s requirements specify; no “group final exam” is appropriate.
Statement Teaching skills “beyond the requirements” is permissible so long as these are not included as “additional requirements.”
Fact or Fiction Fact
Comments This provides a Merit Badge Counselor with a wonderful opportunity to pass along his or her unique knowledge of the subject matter!
Statement “Group” Merit Badge counseling, such as in Scout summer camps, is encouraged so long as each individual Scout in the group receives personal, individual attention,
and fulfilling requirements is managed on an individual and not group basis.
Fact or Fiction Fact
Comments Merit Badge Counselors, even in summer camp, are expected to assure that every individual Scout possesses the skills and knowledge a merit badge’s requirements specify; no “group final exam” is appropriate.
Statement Scouts really enjoy going to classes in summer camp.
Fact or Fiction Fiction
Comments When we turn this unique program into “Scout School,” we repudiate its most fundamental philosophical underpinning.
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