Wondering which merit badges are the newest? Looking for release info on upcoming merit badges? I’ve got you covered.
This regularly updated page will keep you and your troop in the know!
You’ll find:
- Merit badges coming soon
- Merit badges with major updates in the works
- The newest merit badges that have already been released
- Chronological list of updates to this page
Newest Merit Badges — Coming Soon
Sustainability
Estimated release: 2013 Jamboree with a July 15 earn date.
Note: This merit badge will be Eagle-required. Scouts must earn either this or Environmental Science.
Requirements: TBD
Description: A badge to teach Scouts about climate change, species extinction, resource extraction, green chemistry, recycling, and zero-waste manufacturing.
Related Post: Cooking, Sustainability merit badges to become Eagle-required
Programming
Estimated release: 2013 Jamboree with a July 15 earn date.
Requirements: TBD
Description: A tech-focused merit badge for the 21st Century.
Digital Technology (will replace Computers)
Estimated release: 2013 (after Jamboree)
Requirements: TBD
Description: Technology has come a long way since Computers merit badge was first introduced in 1967. This badge, which replaces Computers, will teach Scouts about technology in the digital age.
Mining in Society
Launch: February 2014 at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration’s Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City
Requirements: TBD
Description: Mining has been an important part of the United States since the 19th century. Today, the U.S. mining industry employes 3 million people, directly and indirectly, and is a major contributor to the global mining landscape. I expect this merit badge will cover the history of mining, explore the status of mining in the 21st century, and introduce Scouts to modern mining careers.
Animation
Estimated release: 2014
Requirements: TBD
Description: Computer or traditional animation tasks that will test a Scout’s creativity, artistic skills, and storytelling abilities.
Signs, Signals, and Codes
Estimated release: 2014
Requirements: TBD
Description: American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most used language in the United States. The Signs, Signals, and Codes merit badge will cover Morse code, ASL, Braille, signaling, trail markings, and other nonverbal communications. Did you know that some of these have even saved people’s lives?
Multi-Media
Estimated release: 2014
Requirements and description: TBD
Computer-Aided Design
Estimated release: 2014-2015
Requirements: TBD
Description: Teaching boys to use computer systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.
Advanced Computing
Estimated release: 2014-2015
Requirements: TBD
Description: The next generation of computing.
Major Updates in the Works
Cycling
Update expected at 2013 Jamboree.
Current requirements (pre-update)
Details: Adds a mountain biking option for Scouts.
Related blog post: The trail to Cycling merit badge just got a bit rougher
Cooking
Update expected after 2013 Jamboree
Note: This merit badge will become Eagle-required on Jan. 1, 2014
Current requirements (pre-update)
Details: Coming soon, but I’m hearing rumors that it will better incorporate the BSA’s healthy living initiatives.
Related blog post: Cooking, Sustainability merit badges to become Eagle-required
Newest Merit Badges — Available Now
NEWEST LISTED FIRST
Game Design
Released on March 6, 2013
Requirements: Click here.
Description: Slated to include both traditional games and video games, this sure-to-be-popular merit badge will test Scouts’ creativity, problem-solving skills, and planning abilities.
Related Post: First look at Game Design merit badge, including details on how to help launch the badge at the 2013 jamboree
Search and Rescue
Released on Aug. 20, 2012
Requirements: Click here.
Description: Scouts won’t fly helicopters, but they’ll get practice in finding and rescuing people in case a real emergency ever happens.
More information: In the BSA’s press release
Kayaking
Released on June 13, 2012
Pamphlet cover image: here
Requirements: Click here.
Description: A basic-level merit badge for flat-water kayaking — whitewater kayaking will still fall under Whitewater merit badge.
Welding
Released on Feb. 24, 2012
Bryan on Scouting post: “Requirements, launch info, video”
Robotics
Released on April 11, 2011
Bryan on Scouting post: “Robotics merit badge launch includes all-new interactive resource center”
Chess
Released in September 2011
Bryan on Scouting post: “Human chess match will celebrate the new Chess merit badge”
Geocaching
Released in December 2010
Bryan on Scouting post: “Smartphones: The modern-day camper’s Swiss Army knife?”
Scouting magazine story: “The Real Game Boys”
Inventing
Released in June 2010
Bryan on Scouting post: “Boy Scouts and Lemelson-MIT Program introduce Inventing merit badge”
Scouting Heritage
Released in May 2010
Bryan on Scouting post: “Boy Scouts of America releases Scouting Heritage merit badge”
Scuba Diving
Released on Dec. 1, 2009
Bryan on Scouting post: “Scuba diving merit badge released”
Chronological list of page updates
Page updates (newest first):
April 30, 2013 — Details on release for Sustainability, Cycling update, and Programming. Added patch image for Sustainability.
March 7, 2013 — Added Game Design MB requirements link.
Feb. 27, 2013 — Added Mining in Society MB to list of merit badges coming soon.
Feb. 14, 2013 — Added launch date for Game Design MB
Oct. 18, 2012 — Lots of updates. Added Sustainability, Digital Technology, Computer-Aided Design, Multi-Media, Advanced Computing, and more info on updates to Cycling and Cooking.
Aug. 27, 2012 — Added link to Search and Rescue MB requirements
June 21, 2012 — Added Signs, Signals, and Codes MB preview
June 13, 2012 — Added link to Kayaking MB requirements
June 6, 2012 — Added Search and Rescue merit badge image and link to BSA press release.
June 5, 2012 — Added Cycling merit badge to the “Major Updates” section.
May 25, 2012 — Added Kayaking release date, patch design, and pamphlet cover image.
May 10, 2012 — Added link to Game Design first look (see below).
April 16, 2012 — Added Programming, Animation (details below).
April 4, 2012 — Page created.
Looking for requirements for all the current merit badges? Click here.
Hi there to all, it’s actually a pleasant for me to pay a quick visit this website, it includes helpful Information.
Is it ‘Communication’ as stated on Scouting.org and the merit badge book OR ‘Communications’ as stated in our District/Council Advancement Report?
It is driving me crazy! I get corrected several times if I use one or the other when doing our merit badge events. Any way to sync all and tell us the ‘correct’ one to use from now on??
Personally I think ‘Communications’ makes more sense as there are many different ways to communicate.
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx
http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsa/literature-media/merit-badge-pamphelts/communication.html
http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/04/22/mbs-2012/#more-19215 (This is the same as our local council advancement report which I look at as stats go a long way in helping plan our merit badge events.)
Communication already represents all forms of communication. It is not necessary to pluralize communication. It’s like money, public speaking, architecture, crime prevention, sculpture, textile, theater, weather, etc. All “plural” in nature, in that they represent many forms of the subject, but the singular term encompasses all of that in one, non plural word. I graduated from the Communication school at Syracuse, and this was actually discussed on the first day of class — it’s communication, not communications. Great question though! Thanks for asking!
It is the Communication Merit Badge, but there is a word ‘communications’. A communication is something like a letter or message containing information or news. Two letters or two messages are communications.
Despite what a professor at Syracuse said, there is also the unfortunate ambiguous use of communication and communications including …
these Schools of Communications (with an ‘s’):
American University School of Communications *
Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts & Communications
Elon University School of Communications
Grand Valley State University School of Communications *
University of Hawaii School of Communications *
Howard University School of Media and Communications *
Husson University New England School of Communications
Ithaca College Roy H. Park School of Communications
Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications *
National University of Singapore Department of Communications and New Media (#3)
Quinnipiac University School of Communications *
Robert Morris University School of Communications & Information Systems *
Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications & Fine Arts *
Yale University School of Communications (#7)
* Interestingly some of these universities list their field of study as communication. So even the Schools of Communications mostly use the term communication, not communications.
and these Schools of Communication (without an ‘s’):
University of California Berkeley, School of Journalism (#4)
University of California, Los Angeles, Communication Studies (#8)
University of Hartford School of Communication
Hofstra University School of Communication
London School of Economics and Political Science (#6)
Marist School of Communication and the Arts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Comparative Media Studies (#5)
University of Miami School of Communication
Montclair State University School of Communication and Media
University of Melbourne School of Media and Communication (#10)
Northwestern University School of Communication
Ohio University School of Communication Studies
University of Oregon School of Journalism & Communication
University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School of Communication
Point Park University School of CommunicationTemple University School of Media and Communication
Purdue University Brian Lamb School of Communication
Queens University of Charlotte Knight School of Communication
Regent University School of Communication & the Arts
University of Rhode Island Harrington School of Communication and Media
Rutgers University School of Communication and Information
Stanford University Department of Communication (#1)
University of Tennessee School of Communication Studies
University of Tokyo School of Information Science & Technology (#9)
Washington State University Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
Wichita State University Elliot School of Communication
and these schools avoid making the distinction:
Columbia University Journalism School (#2)
University of Tokyo School of Information Science & Technology (#9)
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I’m concerned about implementation of the Cooking Merit Badge as Eagle-required. Our troop initially announced that any scout who had reached Life Rank by end of 2013 would not have this requirement added; however, have seen updates that make any Life Scout who has not completed his Eagle project subject to this requirement. What is it definitively? The challenge is that the Cooking Merit Badge overlaps and repeats basics from the already-required Camping Merit Badge and, due to limited backpacking/camping opportunities organized within our troop and the number of scouts who will suddenly have this requirement, the length of time it will take already-advanced scouts to add this on and find an opportunity to complete. This wouldn’t be an issue if all Life Scouts by end of 2013 were exempt, but hard for the boys completing their Eagle requirements to find backpacking opportunities in the middle of the winter.
The rule is simple and has nothing to do with when a Scout earned Life or which Eagle requirements they’ve done (including the project).
Starting Jan. 1, 2014, Cooking Merit Badge is required for Eagle. If you get Eagle before that, you don’t need Cooking. After that, you need Cooking.
These Scouts should talk to their Patrol Leaders and SPL about the troop doing more camping and backpacking.
Look over the requirements… it doesn’t say you have to camp or backpack… it says you have to plan a menu for.. and prepare the meals using backpack stove…. if you can’t go backpacking, you can still cook in accordance with the requirements
It is interesting the responses and now can understand better why the merit badge book states Communication without the ‘s’. Problem comes in is we get the advancement reports first from Districts, Council and sometimes National that uses it with an -s ending that confused MANY. Would be nice if the computer systems took out the little typo of the ‘s’ ending so all was synced and EVERYONE uses Communication.
I cannot imagine any troop not teaching cooking merit badge. It is being added to the list because it is essential to every camping outing. I also consider it one of the basic life skills you learn from scouting, everyone should know how to cook. It is usual a very fun merit badge for everyone, scouts , instructors and leaders.
Cooking has been a merit badge since 1911. It is not being added. It is already there and has been for 103 years. However,it is in this blog becase it is being updated to reflect healthy choices.
It is very important today, since many young women choose not to bother to learn how to coook. In many couples, it is the husband that does the cooking. I hear this from many of my Eagle Scouts that I run into.
How about a Magic Merit Badge? When will we see that?
Bear Cub Scout elective 13 deals with magic.
That is great for cub scouts. The Boy Scouts should have a Magic merit badge too.
I am aware of cooking being a merit badge. Taught it for 15 years. I was referring to it becoming a required merit badge the end of the year.
The new Magic Merit Badge Requirements (2014):
1. Discuss with your merit badge counselor the history of stage Magic. Explain the difference between stage Magic and magic in folklore and legend.
2. Identify and describe first aid for injuries commonly associated with the performance of magic:
a. Flash-paper burns
b. Dove and Rabbit bites
c. Hand cramps from excessive practice of a false Faro Shuffle
3. Perform at least 3 of the following for your merit badge counselor:
a. Three effects using playing cards, involving at least 1 force and 1 false shuffle
b. Two effects using rope
c. A mentalism effect
d. An illusion involving an assistant, whom you must teach to help perform the effect.
e. An effect involving making something appear
f. An effect involving making something disappear
4. Discuss the meaning of the following terms with your merit badge counselor, and describe how each was demonstrated in the performance of your effects:
a. Misdirection
b. Patter
c. Audience involvement
d. Humor
5. Discuss the following ethical considerations for a magician
a. Not revealing how an effect is done
b. Not using magic to defraud or claim actual supernatural powers
c. Ensuring the safety of yourself, your assistant, and the audience
6. With the approval of your merit badge counselor, perform a magic show that is at least 15 minutes long for a troop meeting or campfire event, Cub Scout den, school, or charitable group for young children (such as a hospital) using the effects you demonstrated in Requirement #4.
7. With your parents or guardian, attend a live magic performance. Afterwards, discuss what effects were performed with your merit badge counselor and discuss how the magician maintained audience interest, and how you could apply the same principles to your own performance.
8. Research the life of at least 3 famous magicians, and provide an oral report on one to your merit badge counselor.
One error, requirement 1 is always “know first aid for the ways you could injure yourself doing this merit badge”. You have it as requirement 2.
Otherwise, amazing! astonishing! unbelievable! never before seen!
I know all! I see all! I even knew you were going to comment!