In some ways, Scouting America’s merit badge program exemplifies everything our organization has to offer youth. It’s a way for Scouts to discover a new hobby — or even a future career — while also giving them the opportunity to advance up the ranks of the Scouts BSA program.
It gives Scouts the opportunity to work with adults and, depending on the subject, maybe get outdoors … or in an airplane … or on a boat … or on a pair of skis.
There’s no getting around it: A Scout must earn six merit badges to earn the rank of Star, five more to earn the rank of Life and 10 more on top of that to achieve the rank of Eagle.
There are more than 135 merit badges out there, including the most recent one: Multisport.
Anyone who’s been around Scouts BSA-aged youth knows they aren’t all the same. I would argue this is even more so for 10- and 11-year-olds, the most common ages for brand-new Scouts BSA members.
Just as it was important to introduce Cub Scouts to camping without frightening them off, it is also important to introduce Scouts BSA members to the merit badge program without making it seem intimidating or unachievable.
All of which begs one question: Where do you start?
What are the rules for earning merit badges?
It’s important to note that any registered Scouts BSA member (or qualified Venturer or Sea Scout) can work on the requirements for any merit badge at any time.
The Scouts BSA national leadership team notes that a Scout must meet with their unit leader before beginning work on a merit badge, as spelled out in section 7.0.0.3 of the Guide to Advancement. This is the adult’s opportunity to provide guidance on the wisdom of pursuing a selected badge and to discuss with the Scout how work might be approached and what kind of challenges may be encountered along the way.
In the end, though, it’s the Scout who gets to decide.
This story contains just a few suggestions of merit badges that might be good for new Scouts to look into as they begin their merit badge journey. Ultimately, it’s all going to come down to what’s best for the Scout, not what we say on this blog.
Having gotten that out of the way …
What are the best merit badges for new Scouts BSA members?
I reached out to a handful of people I know — some Scouting America employees, some national-level volunteers and some I’ve met during my own time as a volunteer in my community — and you won’t be shocked to learn that there are a lot of different opinions on this.
However, I did notice a few commonalities.
In short, some merit badges are more complicated and take longer than others. Personally, I don’t like using the term “easy” because it reduces the entire merit badge program into the realm of homework assignments and final exams.
But the fact remains that some merit badges can be earned in an afternoon while others take weeks or months. And just as you might not want to introduce a Cub Scout to camping by sending them on a weeklong backpacking trek, so too you might not want a brand-new Scouts BSA member to dive right in with a merit badge that’s going to take them months to complete.
When asked to choose an entry-level merit badge that might be best for a lot of new Scouts, one badge in particular kept coming up.
Consider Fingerprinting
The Fingerprinting merit badge was mentioned by almost everyone I spoke with as a good place to start. While it’s an interesting enough topic to keep young Scouts engaged (What is Touch ID other than fingerprint recognition?), it’s also simple (and, fine, maybe even easy) enough for a Scout to earn to boost their confidence before they embark on the trail to more challenging, complex merit badges.
Reminder: Every merit badge pamphlet is now online and free to download.
Click here to download Fingerprinting.
What are some other good entry-level badges?
Most of the people I spoke with referred me to the most basic rule of merit badges: Start with what you’re interested in. Later in their journey, Scouts are required to earn certain badges to earn the rank of Eagle, whether they’re interested in those topics or not. So why not start with a few that they already care about?
A few ideas:
- Collections. Great for Scouts who are already interested in collecting things such as sports cards, toys, rocks and any kind of memorabilia. Keep in mind that stamp collectors and coin collectors have their own merit badges; therefore, those collections are not eligible for the Collections merit badge.
- Music. A great choice for kids who are already in their school band or have taken piano or singing lessons. Any kid with any kind of formal music training will definitely have a head start on this merit badge. (Buglers, trumpet players or cornet players should also look into the Bugling merit badge.)
- Pets. Great for kids who — you guessed it — already own pets. Dog owners should look into Dog Care as well.
- Sports. Great for kids who are already involved in two of the following sports: badminton, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross-country, diving, field hockey, flag football, flag team, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, spirit/cheerleading, swimming, tackle football, table tennis, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo or wrestling. (Any sport not on this list must be approved in advance by a merit badge counselor.)
- Chess: One of the most popular merit badges of those not required for Eagle Scout. This will be very straightforward for anyone who already plays.
Are we overthinking all of this? Which merit badge do you suggest to new Scouts? Let us know!
Photo by Shutterstock/Everilda
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