merit badges Archives - Aaron On Scouting

Merit badge test lab turns 1. We ask an expert how it’s working.

March 23, 2026 1

Nine concepts are currently in the Scouts BSA Test Lab. Here’s how the lab is shaping future of Scouting.

First Aid is first — again. 2025 merit badge rankings are here.

March 18, 2026 6

The latest merit badge rankings show First Aid is still popular. Golf made the biggest jump for the second consecutive year. What else is trending?

An image of the merit badge logos for Cybersecurity and AI

Scouting America launches merit badges in Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence

October 15, 2025 1

Scouting America’s merit badge program continues to expand, this time with the launch of two badges aimed at giving Scouts some of the skills to be successful in our constantly evolving digital world.

Two new merit badge concepts join the Scouts BSA Test Lab

September 10, 2025 8

As promised, the Scouts BSA Test Lab is growing! Two exciting new concepts are now available for Scouts to explore and provide feedback on. A Sewing and Needlework merit badge and a Physics merit badge

Scouting can help youth find a career in this field that desperately needs workers

September 3, 2025 0

Earning one or more of these merit badges could be a Scout’s first step into a rewarding — and highly paying — career in shipbuilding.

An image of three fingerprint types on white background

Is this the best merit badge for new Scouts BSA members?

July 17, 2025 12

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.

In case you missed it: Every merit badge pamphlet is now available for free online

July 9, 2025 4

Almost as soon as it began, Scouting America’s merit badge program began to evolve to better meet the needs of the Scouts of the time. Now, the latest evolution of the program is here: All merit badge pamphlets are available as free PDFs on the official Scouting America Merit Badge Hub.

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