Merit Badges

Starting a Merit Badge (Scouts)

A Scout may earn a merit badge at any time. You don't need to have had rank advancement to be eligible, but you do need advanced permission and you must work with an approved Merit Badge Counselor. The procedure is as follows:

• Learn about the Process: Visit MeritBadge.org or the BSA's Introduction to Merit Badges to learn more about the many different badges available and the requirements for each.

• Find an approved Merit Badge Counselor: Consult the list of approved BSA Troop 8 Merit Badge Counselors. If the Troop does not have a counselor for the merit badge you are interested in, please speak with your Scoutmaster and we will work to find you one.

• Start the Paperwork: Obtain a Merit Badge Advancement Card (a "Blue card") from your Advancement or Merit Badge Chair. Put in your information, get it approved and signed by your Scoutmaster, and then give it to your Merit Badge Counselor.

• Work on the Requirements: Remember to use the Scout Buddy System. When working with your counselor outside of a Troop meeting, you must have another person with you. This person can be another Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister, a relative, or a friend.

• Finish the Paperwork: Once satisfied that you have completed all the requirements, your Merit Badge Counselor will sign your blue card (in two places). You should then take the blue card to the Scoutmaster for final approval and signature. Finally, give the card to your Advancement Chair for processing.

Typically, a Scout receives their merit badge at the next Court of Honor. Merit badges earned at summer camp are presented at the Fall Court of Honor. Every year, a number of Scouts come home from summer camp(s) with partial merit badges. The Advancement Chair holds onto all of the partially completed blue cards. In order to get credit for the badge, the Scout needs to retrieve the blue card from the Advancement Chair and follow the steps above, beginning with the identification of an approved Merit Badge Counselor.

Becoming a Merit Badge Counselor (Adults)

BSA Troop 8 is always looking for Merit Badge Counselors to help our Scouts advance. In order for a Troop 8 adult to become one, we need:

• A completed Merit Badge Counselor Information Form indicating your interest(s). You do not need to be a professional...some experience and enthusiastic interest goes a long way. Visit MeritBadge.org, BSA's Introduction to Merit Badges,  NCAC Merit Badge Counselor Information, or the BSA Guide for Merit Badge Counselors to learn more.

• Certification that you completed Youth Protection Training.

• A new Boy Scout of America Adult Application (even if you are already a registered adult member of BSA Troop 8, BT8, or GT8). Merit Badge Counselors are registered with the BSA/NCAC and not the Troop. Please pay special attention to filling in the “Council/District Position” as “Merit Badge Counselor” and the position code as “42”. Troop signatures are not required, since this is a BSA/District registration, not a Troop registration. NCAC will be reviewing and approving. A background check will be completed if not already done.

• All three forms (Information, YPT training, and Application) should be turned into the Merit Badge Chair (either BT8 or GT8) for submission to NCAC. See the NCAC Merit Badge Counselor Registration page for more detailed information on the process.