Troop 551: Merit Badge Procedures

The first thing to remember is that it is up to the Scout to drive the process. Requests from parents will not be honored. The Scout has to take the first step by deciding that he wants to work on a merit badge. Once he has done that he starts at Step 1 below. The Scoutmaster has delegated the responsibility for selecting Counselors to the Assistant Scoutmaster of Merit Badges, at this time filled by Mr. Burgher.

1. The Scout will inform the Assistant Scoutmaster of Merit Badges that he wants to take a particular Merit Badge. He will be asked if he has a buddy to go with him. The purpose for this is Youth Protection, no one on one contact allowed. Besides, the Scouting program is built on the buddy system. It is also a better learning experience if you do it with someone. If another Scout is not going then a parent or sibling has to be present with the Scout when he meets with the Merit Badge Counselor.
2. The Assistant Scoutmaster of Merit Badges will then give the Scout a blue card and assign a counselor for them to contact. The only exceptions to this are summer camp and Merit Badge College. For those activities we don’t know who the counselors will be.
3. The Scout fills out the Blue Card and then comes to the Scoutmaster to have the Blue Card signed.
4. The Scout is not allowed to start any work on the merit badge until they have met with a counselor. Again, the only exceptions to this are summer camp and Merit Badge College where there are prerequisites that must be finished.
5. The Scout is responsible for keeping track of their merit badge card throughout the process.
6. With regards to Merit Badges started at summer camp, if you have a partial and want to finish it here in our council you have to see the Assistant Scoutmaster of Merit Badges to have a counselor assigned before you continue any work. This means that to complete a partial you have to meet with a counselor before you continue working on the requirements.
7. The only person allowed to sign off on a merit badge blue card is a registered counselor. At the present time the Scoutmaster is not a registered counselor. If an Assistant Scoutmaster is a Merit Badge Counselor the only time they can sign off on the merit badge is if Assistant Scoutmaster of Merit Badges assigns them to the Scout.
8. One thing to remember when completing summer camp partials. The next counselor is within their rights to ask you questions about things that were covered by the previous counselor. The person who signs the card at the completion of the work is stating that they are satisfied that all the requirements have been met.
9. If a Scout loses a blue card, he has to start at Step 1 and go through the process of obtaining a replacement card and then the Scout goes back to the counselor. The two of you work it out. If it is a merit badge started at summer camp you will probably have to start over again since the camp does not keep the partial record information once the Scout leaves camp.
10. When the Scout finishes the merit badge work and has the Blue Card signed by the Counselor, he then brings the two parts of the blue card to the Scoutmaster for his signature. No one else can sign this as the unit leader.
11. Once the Scoutmaster has signed the blue card, the Scout takes it to the Scribe for recording in the troop record.

Parents, your job in this whole process is to provide encouragement. You are not to do the work for the Scout. It is his advancement and he is responsible for doing the work.