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Click to Begin. Merit Badge Counselor Training. This training module will guide new and potential merit badge counselors through their responsibilities and will give them an understanding of the methods of counseling Scouts.

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  2. Merit Badge Counselor Training This training module will guide new and potential merit badge counselors through their responsibilities and will give them an understanding of the methods of counseling Scouts. It is intended as a short orientation course for new merit badge counselors before they begin working with Scouts. The course is based on the instructor-led course created and offered by the National BSA. The course will take about 60 minutes to complete. PREV NEXT

  3. Training Objectives At the end of this lesson, you will be able to: • Understand the aims of Scouting, the BSA advancement process, and the role of the merit badge counselor. • Know a merit badge counselor's duties and responsibilities to the BSA and to the Scout. • Understand and complete the requirements to be a registered merit badge counselor with the BSA. • List methods of counseling and coaching. • Successfully guide a Scout through the merit badge process. PREV NEXT

  4. Before we start… Let's take a short quiz to see what you already know about the Boy Scout Merit Badge program. Click Next. PREV NEXT

  5. Quiz Take out a piece of paper and jot down your answers to the next twelve short questions: • True or False: A merit badge counselor may be a counselor for only up to six merit badges. • True or False: A merit badge counselor may not coach his own son or close relative (i.e., nephew) unless he is part of a group of Scouts all working on the same merit badge. • True or False: A merit badge counselor who works only with a single unit needs only the unit committee’s approval before being approved by the Scout executive. PREV NEXT

  6. Quiz • True or False: Persons serving as merit badge counselors must be registered as a merit badge counselor with the Boy Scouts of America. • True or False: A Scout may earn no more than five merit badges from the same merit badge counselor. • True or False: Once a Scouter is approved as a merit badge counselor, he is approved for life and never has to be reapproved. • True or False: A Scout must complete all the requirements for a merit badge within 12 months or he must start over. PREV NEXT

  7. Quiz • True or False: A merit badge counselor may require the Scout to work beyond the specific requirements of the merit badge so he may discover more about the subject and continue the learning process. • True or False: Due to the BSA policies related to Youth Protection and two-deep leadership, a merit badge counselor must have another adult present during all merit badge counseling sessions. • True or False: If the weather, locale, or some other condition makes meeting all of the conditions of the merit badge requirements impractical, the merit badge counselor may substitute requirements for those stated for the merit badge. PREV NEXT

  8. Quiz • True or False: Merit badge counselors must be at least 18 years old. • True or False: If the requirements for a merit badge differ between the merit badge pamphlet and the current edition of Boy Scout Requirements, the requirements in the Boy Scout Requirements book supersede all others. Set your answers aside for now. We will come back to them a little later and see how you did. PREV NEXT

  9. The Aims of Scouting Before we get to deep into this training, what is Scouting all about? Fun, adventure, fellowship, and more! That is what the youth and most parents are in Scouting for. But Scouting is more than that. The Scouting program is an educational program aimed at teaching youth character development, citizenship, and mental and physical fitness. PREV NEXT

  10. The Aims of Scouting These aims of Scouting are accomplished by the use of eight fundamental methods: • The ideals of Scouting (Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, Scout slogan) • The patrol method • The outdoors • Advancement • Association with adults • Personal growth • Leadership development • The uniform PREV NEXT

  11. The Aims of Scouting • The Ideals of Scouting • The ideals of Boy Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan. • The Boy Scout measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve. • The goals are high, and, as he reaches for them, he has some control over what and who he becomes. • Scout Law • A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. • Scout Motto • Be Prepared! • Scout Slogan • Do a good turn daily. • Scout Oath • On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. PREV NEXT

  12. The Aims of Scouting • The Patrol Method • The patrol method gives Boy Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship. It places responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys how to accept it. • The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in small groups where they can easily relate to each other. These small groups determine troop activities through their elected representatives. PREV NEXT

  13. The Aims of Scouting • The Outdoors • Boy Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. It is in the outdoor setting that Scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with one another. It is here that the skills and activities practiced at troop meetings come alive with purpose. • Being close to nature helps Boy Scouts gain an appreciation for God's handiwork and humankind's place in it. • The outdoors is the laboratory for Boy Scouts to learn ecology and practice conservation of nature's resources. PREV NEXT

  14. The Aims of Scouting • Advancement • Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. • The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. • The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. • The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others. PREV NEXT

  15. The Aims of Scouting • Association with Adults • Boys learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. Scout leaders can be positive role models for the members of their troops. • In many cases a Scoutmaster who is willing to listen to boys, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives. PREV NEXT

  16. The Aims of Scouting • Personal Growth • As Boy Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. • Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. • The religious emblems program also is a large part of the personal growth method. • Frequent personal conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Boy Scout to determine his growth toward Scouting's aims. PREV NEXT

  17. The Aims of Scouting • Leadership Development • The Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills. • Every Boy Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. • Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership role of others and guides him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting. PREV NEXT

  18. The Aims of Scouting • The Uniform • The uniform makes the Boy Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. • Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Boy Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. • The uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. • The uniform is practical attire for Boy Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished. PREV NEXT

  19. About Advancement Advancement is the process by which a Scout progresses from rank to rank in the Scouting program. It is simply a means to an end and not an end in itself. Everything done to advance and earn higher ranks is designed to help the Scout have an exciting and meaningful experience. PREV NEXT

  20. More About Advancement The advancement method is designed to encourage a young man to accomplish a progressive series of fun and educational tasks. Earning merit badges allows Scouts to explore many fields, helps them round out their skills, and perhaps introduces them to subjects that will become lifelong interests and rewarding careers. PREV NEXT

  21. What is a Merit Badge? A special part of a Scout's learning adventure, merit badges are awards presented to a Scout when he completes the requirements for one of the merit badge subjects. There are more than 100 merit badges a Scout may earn. The subject matters range from vocational and careers introduction to personal development, hobbies, sports, high adventure, citizenship, and life-skills development. PREV NEXT

  22. What is a Merit Badge? Every merit badge is designed to teach the Scout new skills while outwardly encouraging him to challenge himself and have fun in the process. Merit badges offer a range of difficulty over a breadth of subject matters, and a Scout is free to pursue any merit badge he wishes. The merit badge itself is a simple embroidered patch, but the intangible end result of earning it is that the Scout gains self-confidence from overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal. PREV NEXT

  23. Why Does the BSA Use Merit Badge Counselors? One of the methods of Scouting is association with quality adults. Besides a Scout's parents and relatives, his schoolteachers, his religious leaders, and possibly his sports coaches, most Scout-age youth do not have much contact with many other adults or professionals. Merit badge counselors provide an excellent means for a Scout to grow through his exposure to outstanding adults who serve as examples and mentors to them. PREV NEXT

  24. Why Does the BSA Use Merit Badge Counselors? The opportunity to deal with business leaders, trained specialists, and experienced hobbyists while in the pursuit of a merit badge offers the Scout a chance for personal growth and possibly a life-altering experience. If you were a Scout, did any of the merit badges you earned influence you in your choice of careers? If not, did you wish you had something like the Merit Badge Program? How would that have had an impact on your choice of careers? PREV NEXT

  25. Why Does the BSA Use Merit Badge Counselors? The BSA recognizes that the merit badge counselor is the cornerstone to the merit badge program. By offering their time, experience, and knowledge to guide Scouts in one or more merit badge subjects, counselors help shape the future of our country. By assisting as the Scout plans projects and activities necessary to meet the merit badge requirements, and by coaching the Scout through interviews and demonstrations, the quality adult contact fostered by this working relationship can only enhance the Scout's self-confidence and growth. PREV NEXT

  26. What Is a Merit Badge Counselor? A merit badge counselor is both a teacher and a mentor to the Scout as he works on the merit badge. Merit badge counselors should be satisfied that each Scout under their guidance meets all the requirements set forth for the merit badge. In this sense, a merit badge counselor is an examiner. PREV NEXT

  27. What Is a Merit Badge Counselor? In a larger sense, the real opportunity for a counselor lies in coaching—helping Scouts over the different hurdles of the requirements and helping make them aware of the deeper aspects of the subject from their knowledge and experience. PREV NEXT

  28. What Is a Merit Badge Counselor? The merit badge counselor may help a Scout by providing instruction and guidance on the subject matter. However, the counselor must not complete the Scout's work on the requirements. The counselor needs to test the Scout to ensure that he has completed all the required work but may not modify the merit badge requirements in the process. This standard ensures that the advancement requirements are fair and uniform for all Scouts. PREV NEXT

  29. What Is a Merit Badge Counselor? A merit badge counselor must always ensure that a Scout has a "buddy" present at all instruction sessions. Working on merit badges is especially enjoyable when Scouts work together, and the BSA encourages this by making the buddy system a part of the merit badge program. Together the two meet with merit badge counselors, plan projects, and keep their enthusiasm high. The Scout's buddy could be another Scout, a parent or guardian, brother or sister, relative, or friend. The Scout should bring a buddy to all his appointments with his counselor. PREV NEXT

  30. Keeping to the Standards Earlier we said that the counselor may not modify the merit badge requirements in the process. This standard ensures that the advancement requirements are fair and uniform for all Scouts. Let’s look at a conversation between two Scouts getting ready to work on a few merit badges. PREV NEXT

  31. Keeping to the Standards Scout 1: “Know any good counselors for the Citizenship merit badges? They are the only ones I have left for Eagle Scout.” Scout 2: “Oh cool. I am getting ready to work on those too. I just got a list of a few counselors from our Scoutmaster.” Scout 1: “Who is on the list?” Scout 2: “Mr. Jones over in South City, Mrs. Fredrickson from the high school, and Mr. Grey.” PREV NEXT

  32. Keeping to the Standards Scout 1: “Mr. Grey? I know he is here in our own troop, but he is the last one I would go to. He always adds requirements and makes a merit badge so much harder than is should be. He says we get extra learning that way.” Scout 2: “That isn’t right. But we could always go over to Mr. Grey. I went to him for First Aid last year. He was about the easiest merit badge counselor I could have gone to. Even though I knew everything, he pretty much didn’t ask me to demonstrate anything. All I needed to do was to tell him the general ideas of bandages and how they were used.” PREV NEXT

  33. Keeping to the Standards Scout 2: “That isn’t right. But we could always go over to Mr. Grey. I went to him for First Aid last year. He was about the easiest merit badge counselor I could have gone to. Even though I knew everything, he pretty much didn’t ask me to demonstrate anything. All I needed to do was to tell him the general ideas of bandages and how they were used.” Scout 1: “Wow! You’d think a First Aid merit badge counselor would want to make sure you did all the requirements.” PREV NEXT

  34. Keeping to the Standards Scout 2: “Yeah, but since I did know all of the stuff, I was okay with it. But think of the guys that go to him that don’t! He signs them off anyway.” Scout 1: “Geez… wonder what he would think if a kids he signed off used a first aid skill wrong and hurt someone worse than they already were?” PREV NEXT

  35. Keeping to the Standards Scout 2: “Some of these merit badge counselors should listen to the words of the Scout Oath and Law. And then follow the rules to be a counselor.” Scout 1: “I guess all we can do is to not go to the bad counselors – and maybe spread the word about them too. “ PREV NEXT

  36. Keeping to the Standards What kind of counselor will you be? PREV NEXT

  37. Merit Badge CounselorRequirements and Registration • To qualify as a merit badge counselor, a volunteer must: • Register annually with the Boy Scouts of America. • Be at least 18 years old. • Be of good character. • Be proficient in the merit badge subject by vocation, avocation, or special training. • Be able to work with Scout-age youth. • Be approved by the district/council advancement committee. PREV NEXT

  38. Merit Badge CounselorRequirements and Registration To register with the Boy Scouts of America, a potential merit badge counselor must complete the BSA's Adult Application form (No. 28-501Y; available in Spanish as No. 28-502S) and submit it along with the BSA Merit Badge Counselor Information form (No. 34405) to the BSA local council office. PREV NEXT

  39. Merit Badge CounselorRequirements and Registration Renewal of this registration annually is necessary to continue as a merit badge counselor. Each year, around April, you will be contacted by a Mount Baker Council district advancement chair. This person will ask you if you wish to continue as a merit badge counselor for another year. If you do not hear from them by the beginning of May, contact the council office and let them know if you wish to continue. PREV NEXT

  40. Merit Badge CounselorYouth Protection • The Boy Scouts of America requires that merit badge counselors take BSA Youth Protection training. This program addresses strategies for personal safety awareness for youth as well as adults. • BSA Youth Protection policies include • Two-deep leadership • No one-on-one contact • Respecting privacy • Reporting problems PREV NEXT

  41. Merit Badge CounselorYouth Protection The BSA Youth Protection guidelines have been adopted primarily for the protection of our youth members; however, they also serve to protect our adult volunteers and leaders from false accusations of abuse. BSA Youth Protection training is available online at http://myscouting.scouting.org. PREV NEXT

  42. What Happens After You Turn in an Application to Become A Merit Badge Counselor? The Process: The Boy Scout Adult Application, the Youth Protection passing record, and the Merit Badge form are all delivered to the local Boy Scout district executive who then validates and checks the information on the form. An email is sent from either the Mount Baker Council registrar or the district executive to the applicant stating the application material has been received. PREV NEXT

  43. What Happens After You Turn in an Application to Become A Merit Badge Counselor? After the adult application has been approved, the Merit Badge Application and supporting documents scanned and emailed to the local district advancement committee. The district advancement committee approves or denies each merit badge on the application. The decisions are based primarily on need and the number of counselors currently signed up for a badge. PREV NEXT

  44. What Happens After You Turn in an Application to Become A Merit Badge Counselor? The district advancement committee communicates with the council registrar as to their decisions. The registrar then posts the approved counselor and their selected badges to Scoutnet (the Scout database). The district advancement committee finally communicates with the applicant about the final decision and ensures that this merit badge counseling training has been taken. Once all the forms are approved, and the training all completed, the merit badge counselor is ready to meet with kids. PREV NEXT

  45. What Happens After You Turn in an Application to Become A Merit Badge Counselor? • Or in other words: • You submit an application and take Youth Protection training. • The application process goes through the approval process. • You are contacted on the status of the application. • If approved, you can start working with Scouts as a merit badge counselor. PREV NEXT

  46. What is the Merit Badge Process? The next few pages are presented to give you an overview of the entire merit badge process, from the time a Scout decides to work on a merit badge to the time when he completes the merit badge. By the way, the requirements for each merit badge appear in the current BSA merit badge pamphlet for that award and in the current edition of the Boy Scout Requirements book, available at Scout shops and council service centers. A good merit badge counselor will always have the current requirements on hand. PREV NEXT

  47. What is the Merit Badge Process? When a Scout has decided on a merit badge he would like to earn, he obtains from his Scoutmaster the name and phone number of the district/council-approved merit badge counselor. At this time, the Scoutmaster also issues the Scout a signed Application for Merit Badge (blue card). PREV NEXT

  48. What is the Merit Badge Process? The Scout telephones the merit badge counselor to make an appointment, and together they schedule a date and time for the Scout and his buddy to meet. The counselor suggests that the Scout bring the merit badge pamphlet, the Application for Merit Badge, and any work that he has started or accomplished, and that he prepare by reading over the requirements. PREV NEXT

  49. What is the Merit Badge Process? At their first meeting, the merit badge counselor and the Scout decide upon a tentative schedule for completing the requirements. They should keep the Scout's other obligations (Scouting, school, worship, etc.) in mind, and set the dates, times, and locations for future meetings. The counselor will explain the requirements for the badge and help the Scout plan ways to fulfill these requirements so that he can get the most out of the experience. PREV NEXT

  50. What is the Merit Badge Process? Merit badge counselors help Scouts meet the requirements for the merit badge. They may expand on the information in the merit badge pamphlet based on their knowledge, experience, and expertise in the subject. They are encouraged to tell about their own experiences that positively reinforce the subject matter, but new requirements or additional work may not be added. The Scout is expected to meet the requirements for the merit badge as stated—no more and no less. PREV NEXT

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