The National Council has been putting out the word to Councils about some new Merit Badges coming soon! Rumors of the majority of these being in developed starting surfacing back in March, but now they have been approved.
So far we’ve heard about the following merit badges:
– Robotics merit badge approved. Requirements under development. Debut expected spring 2010.
– GPS/GIS merit badge approved. Requirements under development. Debut expected early 2010.
– Scouting Heritage merit badge has been approved. Requirements under development. Debut expected later this year
– Scuba merit badge has been approved. Requirements under development. Debut expected late this year.
What do you think about these new merit badges?
Popularity: 84% [?]
August 13th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
A bunch of my scouts are on robotics teams at their schools, so that one should be popular in our troop.
I think we’ll get some interest in the GPS/GIS MB, as we’ve got some geocachers too.
August 13th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
I think GPS and Scuba are both long overdue. Scouting Heritage also seems to be going along with the Centennial just like the new handbook.
August 13th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
WOW! Cool! (So long as safety measures are observed for Scuba)
August 13th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I like the Scouting Heritage merit badge…We can teach the scouts about the good old days, when the uniform, badges, and equiptment were made in the USA! Unlike today -there made in china where scouting is not alowed!
way to go BSA, was in worth the savings to sell-out? Is this “Doing your best to, do your duty, to god and my COUNTRY”???
August 13th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Scubing will be cool I suppose, but not sure many scouts in the heartland will have much opportunity to earn it. I’d like to see BSA also offer a caving / spelunking one. I believe there is one for venture crew, but I think regular rank scouts should be able to earn an MB for it as well.
August 13th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Excellent! These will keep some of the older scouts interested…and give the younger scouts something to look foreward to…
August 14th, 2009 at 9:58 am
It would be nice if people put sources as to where the information comes from. Otherwise this is useless information.
August 14th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Unfortunately the majority of the information is not available to the general public. When I can direct readers to a source I try to include that information. In this case it was internal communication from National to the Councils; there have been no official releases about it yet.
Shortly you should see the information on Council websites and in newsletters. Some Councils have already made reference to it on Social Media sites, such as twitter.
August 17th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I would love all of those merit badges, those are all of my hobbies, except scuba, i don’t know how to do that.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:08 am
The guide to safe scouting only permit scuba for older scouts (14 and above) so it is sort of a perk for the older scouts. Without seeing the requirements, it is difficult to see where it fits with BSA Scuba. I had a blast doing an intro course at Powder Horn and my crew will be trying it out at the end of this month!!
September 21st, 2009 at 6:21 pm
I like the sounds of the new merit badges, but what badges are they going to be replacing?
September 24th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Scuba diving will be an excellent opportunity for Scouts to explore that which land Scouts rarely had a chance to envision other than on TV. People in the Midwest, diving in rock quarries, can look forward to seeing up close the game fish they have stalked with line and reel for so long. Excellent decision! Thoughts from a Midwest life-long Scouter and Scuba Instructor.
September 28th, 2009 at 2:58 am
Which ones go away?
October 6th, 2009 at 8:00 am
So, if there is a SCUBA Badge, where are the requirements, and why would they be diferent from the ones for the patch?
I have 6 boys who layed out cash at summer camp to get the SCUBA course and it seems ridiculous that I will be awarding them a patch at our upcoming court of honor and there is a badge announcement.
I think your timing is poor. You should have decided what the nuances are between the patch and the badge. The requirements for the patch should count toward the requirements for the badge. After all, money is tight, I know you already know that.
Same complaint for Snorkling.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
The Scuba Merit Badge was released this week. A post will be made later today with some of the details.
October 11th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
The Gps badge will be fun, I have taught geocaching several times at Merit badge college & University of Scouting. Robotics and the others sound good as well
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Scuba is long overdue. The requirements have been published. The Guide for Safe Scouting is being revised so that Scouts younger than 14 may participate. We have been struggling with ways to keep our older (15+)Scouts interested in scouting, and give them some more robust activities to participate in. This ought to be a BIG hit with our boys. As soon as I heard this, I enrolled in the PADI Instructor Development Course so that I may teach this to our scouts at camp next year. The main requirement of the badge is that a student go through all the things necessary to obtain Open Water Certification. That’s MUCH more than is necessary for the Scuba BSA patch (which will stay). Much lesser requirements.
November 8th, 2009 at 4:39 am
SCUBA requires open-dive certification — that’s a very pricy requirement. It’s no coincidence that PADI pushed this; they’ll be the financial beneficiaries. I think the SCUBA requirements are far too strict. Merit Badges are supposed to be about giving a boy an introduction. Open dive certification is NOT an introduction.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:29 am
In addition to the news above, I overheard that there was talk about
re-releasing some of the “old time” MBs from the past for the 100th Anniversary. MBs that were mentioned were “Path finding” and “Stalking”. There are others I am told.
Anyone have info on this? If so please confirm or deny this.
Thanks,
YiS
Ron
November 20th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I heard about all the new Merit badges and the old ones thye are bringing back at my OA meeting last Thursday, and I think it is pretty cool. Except that I am aging out of Scouts in 2 months and can’t do them…and I ca’t teach them either.
SCUBA
Geocaching
Tracking
Scout Heritage
Robotics
November 27th, 2009 at 8:35 am
I HATE THE NEW HERITAGE MERIT BADGE ITS JUST AN ADVERTISMENT FOR 100TH YEAR I MEAN ALL YOU LERAN IS ABOUT SCOUTINGS HISTORY WHAT SKILL IS THAT INLIFE ALLL THOUGH I DO WANT TO TAKE THE MERIT BADGE AT SUMMER CAMP NEXT YEAR
November 27th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I think that next year when the robotics merit badge comes out- I’m going for it! And probably scuba divivng next year at summer camp.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I heard that there was a badge anyone could earn? I know that’s kinda vague – but has anyone heard anything about that? I’m 24 years old, I earned my Eagle Scout rank – but recently heard someone talking about a badge that anyone can earn. Someone let me know! Peter112785@gmail.com
November 30th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
@Peter – They were more then likely talking about “A Year of Celebration”, which has different tracks for Cubs, Boys, Venturers, Adult Leaders, and Alumni.
http://ww2.scouting.org/100years/100years/AYearOfCelebration.aspx
December 18th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
@Chris Grasso – Learning heritage is an important life skill.
A lot of harm can/will happen if XYZ’s history isn’t reviewed.
December 24th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I just completed my Scuba with a man that used to be a treasure hunter as his career. Has coins, wood from Spanish galleons dating back to 1400, and many cool things.
Anxious for the GPS and scouting heritage badges
December 26th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
all boring choices. How about if you make Public Speaking or some other worthwhile badge a NEW required badge. Don’t add any more cheesy badges.
Also, 21 merit badges is very lame. # of badges needed to make Eagle should be 25 now.
Kids are earning badges way too easily and 6 years of Scouts is long enough to earn more than 21.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:37 am
Grant, as far as I know, only the Scout camp on Catalina Island (probably some FL ones, too) offer CERTIFICATION. Many offer Scuba BSA. The badge is not complete, however, unless you become Open Water certified in a course with a certified instructor. I hope camps are not getting confused by this.
I think the Scouting Heritage is an excellent badge. It teaches research, interviewing, and presentation skills.
January 24th, 2010 at 7:24 am
The new badges sound awesome! Looking forward to my son turning 14 so he can get the merit badge. He has been scuba certified since he was 11, so this year he qualifies for the advanced deep water diver certs. Great timing as we will be heading to Puerto Rico again for more amazing wreck dives.
Our scouts are waiting for the official release of GPS as they find a great number of opportunities to use it in Gettysburg every year. It will be good for them to receive something for the fun knowledge they have.
It’s a great day to be a scouter! Happy Scouting. Keep positive and the youth will stay positive with you.
January 26th, 2010 at 4:44 am
I agree with leader1. Many merit badges are too easy to earn. Then look at the hiking and backpacking. I took the troop on three shakedowns and a 50 miler. If a boy missed one shakedown he missed the merit badge. We had the boys out for one week and they still could not earn the badge. After 50 miles they know about backpacking. A boy can earn the swimming in one day but it takes several weeks to earn the backpacking and hiking. they are alterantives for the swimming MB,
February 5th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
I believe open water is an proper level of requirement for the scuba merit badge. Some badges are just intros and others, like swimming and first aid, have a certain level of competence so the boys can be safe when they continue with the activity later.
Also, scouting heritage may apply to life skills. You can make scouting your profession. I know one university that offers a program or degree in scouting towards that end.
As we all agree, scouting is great.
February 11th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
I still wish I knew who to contact for a new merit badge idea.
There is NO Geography Merit Badge, but I really believe Geography
should be a merit badge. I run across scouts and other people who do not know all the US states and/or couldn’t find X (state) on the US Map.
February 22nd, 2010 at 12:59 pm
These look so cool. For just joining scouting i got a lot to look forward if i can get into jambo. They finally have these plus signiling, tracking, pathfinder, and craftworking.
March 15th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I would like to see an Armed Services Merit Badge. Talk about a career field! We don’t want BSA to look para-military as some troops run their program, but it would be good for Scouts to understand basic military chain of command, rank structure, assignments, jobs opportunities, and doing your duty.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:22 pm
21 is plenty of Merit Badges to require for Eagle, but the requirements for the badges should be enhanced, and some really easy badges dropped. My son knocked out Basketry in about 2 hours.
I was looking at some of the older requirements. There used to be an Agriculture Merit badge that required the Scout to raise an acre of corn, and achieve a yield at least 30% greater than the average yield in his county.
Now THAT is a MERIT badge!
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Most merit badges are about turning rank novices in to beginners, qualified to participate in an activity independantly. Taking a Discover Scuba Diving, or “resort course” doesn’t do that. The divers still must dive with a professional. The Open Water Diver status is the lowest certification level that allows a diver to dive intependantly. Is it a lengthy or expensive requirement for an elective merit badge? Sure! There are easier badges out there than this one, that’s for sure. Fingerprinting and Basketry come to mind. But is it about another merit badge, or learning a lifelong activity that happens to be a badge? That said, should we require a kid to become a licensed pilot (17 is the FAA minimum for powered flight) for Aviation merit badge? Or a licence driver for Traffic Safety? There is something to be said for both of these. I’d draw the line at AMA Board certification for Medicine though! Same thing with Law.