Slide 1 - Troop 51

							• Troop 51 Merit Badge Briefing
Purpose: To provide information on earning
  Merit Badges to the Scouts of Troop 51.
                   Important Point


• A Scout does not need ANY Merit Badges in order to
  advance from Basic Scout through First Class Scout.

• In other words, focus on rank advancement as a New
  Scout.
             Ways to earn Merit Badges


• With a Merit Badge Counselor

• Summer Camp

• Merit Badge University
              With a Merit Badge Counselor

• Determine what Merit Badge(s) you would like to earn.

• Identify the Merit Badge Counselor from the Troop List (if the Troop
  does not have a counselor for the Merit Badge, we may be able to
  find one from the District list).

• Get a “Blue Card”. You can get the Blue Card from the Blue Box in
  the Scout Room where the Troop Flags are kept. Your Patrol
  Leader may also have some.

• Introduce yourself to the counselor and fill out the Blue Card. (See
  the Blue Card examples on slides 8-9) Make sure the Scoutmaster
  signs the card .

• Determine a schedule with the Merit Badge Counselor to work on
  your Merit Badge.
       With a Merit Badge Counselor (Continued)
•   Merit Badge requirements are in the Merit Badge Books which are in the
    Blue Box. You can also print out the requirements at the web site
    www.Meritbadge.org . However, almost all the answers and how to do the
    requirements can be found in the Merit Badge book. You can also buy the
    Merit Badge book at the Scout Shop.

•   Call or e-mail your Merit Badge Counselor when you want to go over a Merit
    Badge task. Do not assume that the Counselor will be available whenever
    you want.

•   Before or after Troop meetings are good times to meet with your counselor.
    Also, you may meet on a different day. You can meet at your house or the
    counselor’s house. Insure someone is with you when you are meeting with
    the counselor .

•   When you complete a task, insure the counselor signs off and dates the
    Blue Card. This is the Scout’s responsibility.
Blue Card Example
Blue Card Example
                        Summer Camp


• Summer Camp allows the Scout to earn many different types of
  Merit Badges. Many are outdoor specific (Canoeing, Shotgun, Rifle,
  Wilderness Survival etc).

• The Scout picks his MBs from the Summer Camp pamphlet.

• Summer Camp is a good opportunity to earn Eagle Merit Badges
  such as Swimming, Lifesaving, First Aid, and Environmental
  Science.
                Summer Camp (Continued)

• If a Scout does not complete a Merit Badge at Summer Camp, he
  receives a “Partial”. The Scout will then fill out a Blue Card. The
  tasks that were completed are entered in the Blue Card and dated.
  The Scout can then finish the Merit badge with a Merit Badge
  counselor.

• NOTE: New Scouts (Scouts who have not been to a Summer
  Camp) will not sign up for Merit Badges at Summer Camp. The
  New Scout will attend the Ranger Program which focuses on Scout
  Rank advancement. However, during the Ranger program, the New
  Scout has an opportunity to earn up to 2 Merit Badges: Swimming
  (done every day during Ranger training), and a “Craft” Merit Badge
  such as Art or Pottery.
              Merit Badge University (MBU)

• Merit Badge University is held twice a year (usually May and
  November). MBU is a one day event that usually starts at 8 AM and
  ends around 4 PM
• The Scout signs up online to attend MBU (This is a Scout
  responsibility). Go to http://www.alamoarea-boyscouts.org/ for
  online registration, and look under advancement.
• During MBU a Scout can earn 2-3 Merit Badges. The MBU day is
  broken down into Merit Badge Class periods from around 1-2 hrs in
  length.
• New Scouts (Scouts who have not been to a Summer Camp) should
  not go to an MBU. Their focus is on Rank Advancement.
• We do not recommend that a Scout take an Eagle MB during MBU.
  The reason why is that it is very hard to complete an Eagle MB
  during the MBU time frame due to the more detailed nature of Eagle
  Merit Badge requirements.
            Merit Badge University (MBU) Continued


•   MBU is a great way to earn some “fun” MBs such as Reading, Scholarship,
    Electronics, Genealogy, Crime Prevention, etc.
•   The key to earning Merit Badges at MBU is to complete the “Prerequisites”.
    A prerequisite is a task or tasks you must complete prior to the MBU.
•   When you get your MBU schedule, the prerequisites for each Merit Badge
    (if any) can be seen at http://www.alamoarea-boyscouts.org/ . Look under
    “Advancement and there will be an MBU Prerequisite link. Prerequisites
    can be reviewed by the Troop Advancement Chair (Mr Driscoll), or a Merit
    Badge Counselor familiar with the Merit Badge.
•   Again, coordinate with the Scout leader to schedule a time for him/her to
    look at your prerequisites.
•   NO Blue Card is needed for MBU- however if you don’t complete the MB at
    MBU, then we fill out a Blue Card with the tasks that the Scout completed,
    and finish up the MB with an MB Counselor.
                      Conclusion

• Merit Badges are Earned by the Individual Scout,
  parents are encouraged to support the Scout, but the
  Scout does the work.

• If you have any questions, see the Troop Advancement
  Chair (Mr. Driscoll, also known as Jack’s Dad).