Merit Badge History

Since 1910, BSA has offered hundreds of merit badges. The following is a list of all 239 of them, together with the years when they were available. Note that in many cases, the same badge was offered under slightly different names and/or with slightly different requirements. Each variation is listed below, through the most recent (Water Sports replacing Waterskiing). For example, Handicapped Awareness, Handicap Awareness, and the current Disability Awareness have all been used for essentially the same badge.

Since around 1986, BSA has assigned a number to each badge for internal recordkeeping purposes.  Those numbers are shown below, as well. Badge names in red have been discontinued.

Merit Badge Name BSA ID No. First Offered Last Offered
Aerodynamics   1942 1952
Aeronautics   1942 1952
Agribusiness 120 1987 1995
Agriculture   1911 1975
Airplane Design   1942 1952
Airplane Structure   1942 1952
Ambulance   1910 1911
American Business 15 1967 current
American Cultures 17 1979 current
American Heritage 16 1975 current
American Labor 121 1987 current
Angling   1911 1951
Animal Industry   1928 1975
Animal Science 18 1975 current
Archaeology 132 1997 current
Archery 19 1911 current
Architecture 20 1911 current
Art 21 1911 current
Astronomy 22 1911 current
Athletics 23 1911 current
Atomic Energy 24 1963 2004
Auto Mechanics 127 1992 current
Automobiling   1911 1963
Automotive Safety   1962 1974
Aviation   1911 1942
Aviation 25 1952 current
Backpacking 26 1982 current
Basketry 27 1927 current
Bee Keeping   1915 1955
Beef Production   1928 1975
Beefarming   1911 1914
Beekeeping 28 1956 1995
Bird Study 29 1914 current
Blacksmithing   1911 1952
Bookbinding 30 1927 1987
Botany 31 1921 1995
Bugling 32 1911 current
Business   1911 1966
Camping 1 1911 current
Canoeing 33 1927 current
Carpentry   1911 1952
Cement Work   1927 1952
Chemistry 34 1911 current
Cinematography 126 1990 current
Citizenship (Civics)   1947 1951
Citizenship in the Community 2 1952 current
Citizenship in the Home   1952 1972
Citizenship in the Nation 3 1951 current
Citizenship in the World 4 1972 current
Citrus Fruit Culture   1931 1952
Civics   1911 1946
Clerk   1910 1911
Climbing 133 1997 current
Coin Collecting 35 1938 current
Collections 128 1991 current
Communications 5 1965 current
Composite Materials 137 2006 current
Computers 36 1967 current
Conservation   1911 1952
Conservation of Natural Resources   1966 1972
Consumer Buying 37 1975 1995
Cooking 38 1911 current
Corn Farming   1928 1975
Cotton Farming   1931 1975
Craftsmanship   1911 1926
Crime Prevention 131 1996 current
Cycling 39 1911 current
Cyclist   1910 1911
Dairying   1911 1975
Dentistry 40 1975 current
Disabilities Awareness 60 1993 current
Dog Care 41 1938 current
Drafting 42 1965 current
Dramatics   1932 1966
Electrician   1910 1911
Electricity 43 1911 current
Electronics 44 1963 current
Emergency Preparedness 6 1972 current
Energy 45 1976 current
Engineering 46 1967 current
Entrepreneurship 134 1997 current
Environmental Science 7 1972 current
Family Life 129 1991 current
Farm & Ranch Management 47 1980 1987
Farm Arrangement   1960 1973
Farm Arrangements   1974 1979
Farm Home & Its Planning   1928 1959
Farm Layout & Building Arrangements   1928 1959
Farm Mechanics 48 1928 current
Farm Records   1959 1980
Farm Records & Bookkeeping   1928 1958
Fingerprinting 49 1938 current
Fire Safety 50 1995 current
Firemanship 50 1911 1995
First Aid 8 1911 current
First Aid To Animals   1911 1972
Fish & Wildlife Mgmt. 51 1972 current
Fishing 52 1952 current
Fly Fishing 136 2002 current
Food Systems 53 1978 1987
Forage Crops   1959 1975
Forestry 54 1911 current
Foundry Practice   1923 1952
Fruit & Nut Growing   1953 1975
Fruit Culture   1928 1954
Gardener   1910 1911
Gardening 55 1911 current
Genealogy 56 1972 current
General Science 57 1972 1995
Geology 58 1953 current
Golf 59 1976 current
Graphic Arts 122 1987 current
Grasses, Legumes, & Forage Crops   1938 1958
Handicap Awareness 60 1985 1993
Handicapped Awareness   1980 1985
Handicraft   1911 1942
Hiking 61 1921 current
Hog & Pork Production   1928 1958
Hog Production   1959 1975
Home Repairs 62 1943 current
Horseman   1910 1911
Horsemanship 63 1911 current
Indian Lore 64 1931 current
Insect Life 65 1923 1987
Insect Study 65 1987 current
Interpreting   1911 1952
Invention   1911 1917
Journalism 66 1927 current
Landscape Architecture 67 1967 current
Landscape Gardening   1930 1958
Landscaping   1959 1966
Law 68 1974 current
Leather Work   1928 1951
Leathercraft   1927 1952
Leatherwork 69 1951 current
Leatherworking   1911 1927
Lifesaving 9 1911 current
Machinery 70 1911 1995
Mammal Study 71 1987 current
Mammals 71 1972 1987
Marksman   1910 1911
Marksmanship   1911 1966
Masonry 72 1911 1995
Master-at-Arms   1910 1911
Mechanical Drawing   1933 1964
Medicine 130 1991 current
Metallurgy   1965 1971
Metals Engineering 73 1972 1995
Metalwork 74 1927 current
Mining   1911 1937
Model Design & Building 75 1963 current
Motorboating 76 1961 current
Music 77 1911 current
Musician   1910 1911
Nature 78 1952 current
Nuclear Science 24 2005 current
Nut Culture   1928 1954
Oceanography 79 1964 current
Orienteering 80 1973 current
Ornithology   1911 1913
Painting 81 1911 current
Pathfinding   1911 1952
Personal Finances   1962 1971
Personal Fitness 10 1952 current
Personal Health   1911 1952
Personal Management 11 1972 current
Pets 82 1958 current
Photography 83 1911 current
Physical Development   1914 1952
Pigeon Raising   1933 1980
Pioneer   1910 1911
Pioneering 84 1911 current
Plant Science 85 1974 current
Plumbing 86 1911 current
Pottery 87 1927 current
Poultry Farming   1911 1913
Poultry Keeping   1914 1975
Printing   1911 1981
Printing/Communications 88 1982 1987
Public Health 89 1911 current
Public Speaking 90 1932 current
Pulp & Paper 91 1972 current
Rabbit Raising 92 1943 1993
Radio 93 1923 current
Railroading 94 1952 current
Reading 95 1929 current
Reptile & Amphibian Study 96 1993 current
Reptile Study 96 1927 1993
Reptiles   1926 1926
Rifle & Shotgun Shooting 97 1967 1987
Rifle Shooting 123 1987 current
Rocks & Minerals   1937 1953
Rowing 98 1933 current
Safety 12 1927 current
Safety First   1916 1926
Salesmanship 99 1927 current
Scholarship 100 1911 current
Sculpture 101 1911 current
Seaman   1910 1911
Seamanship   1911 1964
Sheep Farming   1928 1975
Shotgun Shooting 124 1987 current
Signaling 102 1911 1991
Signaller   1910 1911
Skating 103 1973 current
Skiing 104 1938 1999
Small Boat Sailing 105 1964 current
Small Grains   1959 1975
Small Grains & Cereal Foods   1943 1958
Snow Sports 135 1999 current
Soil & Water Conservation 106 1952 current
Soil Management   1928 1952
Space Exploration 107 1965 current
Sports 13 1972 current
Stalker   1910 1911
Stalking   1911 1952
Stamp Collecting 108 1931 current
Surveying 109 1911 current
Swimming 14 1911 current
Taxidermy   1911 1952
Textile 110 1973 current
Textiles   1927 1972
Theater 111 1967 current
Traffic Safety 112 1975 current
Truck Transportation 113 1973 current
Veterinary Medicine 114 1995 current
Veterinary Science 114 1973 1995
Waterskiing 115 1969 2007
Water Sports 115 2007 current
Weather 116 1927 current
Whitewater 125 1987 current
Wilderness Survival 117 1973 current
Wildlife Management   1952 1972
Wireless   1919 1923
Wood Carving 118 1927 current
Wood Turning   1930 1952
Woodwork 119 1927 current
World Brotherhood   1952 1972
Zoology   1930 1972

Thanks to Steve Henning for the original research used to develop this page.

Page updated on: February 04, 2008


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