1. Troop 82 Guide to Merit Badges

2. HP Troop 82 – Merit Badge Overview
The following information is provided for Scouts and Parents to gain a clearer understanding of the process to earn Merit Badges for Advancement with the Ultimate goal of becoming an Eagle Scout.
What are Merit Badges all about, an Introduction.
What are the Merit Badges I need to earn for Eagle?

3. Plan for Your Son’s Success
21 merit badges required for Eagle
13 required
11 taught at Troop 82
Camping and Swimming have to be done at summer camp
10 taught at TRJ Summer Camp
Citizenship in the Community, Family Life and Personal Management not available – take at Troop 82 or outside
8 optional
Salesmanship earned by selling movie tickets
Disability Awareness and one more at Carry The Load – Memorial Day
Scout camp, Scout and Perot Museums, or outside
Mix of eagle required and optional badges required for each rank advancement

4. A Strategy for Troop 82 Scouts
Understand WHICH badges to pursue WHERE
Summer Camp
Complete Camping and Swimming at Summer Camp
Go to camp twice and complete 7 eagle required badges
Troop 82
Complete one eagle required badge spring and fall, grades 6-8 for 6 badges; can still take badges in high school to catch up
Citizenship in the Community, Family Life and Personal Management are T82 but not TRJ
Salesmanship badge by selling movie tickets for T82
Outside sources for remaining badges
CTL Memorial Day
Scout or Perot Museum
Outside on your own
21 merit badges + Eagle Project = Eagle Scout

5. Realize all Merit Badges are not Created Equal
Always read the requirements in advance for the badge your son is working on no matter where he is doing it
Easy
Family life, All the Citizenship Badges, Emergency Preparedness, and First Aid
Moderate
Camping, Personal Management, Personal Fitness
Difficult
Hiking (extensive requirements), Cooking (2 periods at camp)
Some badges cannot be completed during the current semester (personal management, personal fitness, sometimes cooking)
Use Troop Master to understand mix of eagle required and optional badges required for advancement for each rank and create a written plan (next slide)

6. Merit Badge Planning Guide
Troop 82 Merit Badge Planning Guide
Year1
Year2
Year3
Year4
Year5
Year6
Year7
Fall:
N/A
Spring:
Summer:
Outside:
Projected Ranks:
Arrow of Light
2nd Class
Star
Life
Eagle
Scout
First Class
Eagle Palms
Tendefoot
Eagle Required Merit Badges
Eagle Required 1
First Aid* 2
Citizenship In The World* 3
Citizenship in The Nation* 4
Citizenship in The Community*
Elective 5
Cooking* 6
Camping 7
Personal Fitness* 8
Personal Management* 9
Family Life* 10
Communication* 11
Swimming or Cycling or Hiking 12
Life Saving or Emergency Preparedness* 13
Environmental Science* or Sustainability
Bold = Course TRJ Summer Camp
Asterisks * = Course Monday Meeting

7. 3 Ways to Earn Merit Badges
Monday Night Troop Meetings – Eagle Required Merit Badges are taught by parent volunteers (required to take youth training (on line) and merit badge training course (in person))
Official Boy Scout Summer Camp, Jamboree or other advancement gathering
Outside Merit Badges – On your own, group, coach or instructor

8. 1. Monday Night Merit Badge Classes
The troop will teach Eagle required merit badges for First Class Scouts and above for 5 weeks on Monday Nights in the Fall and Spring.
A sign up sheet is passed out to the Scouts 3 weeks before the class asking them for their top 3 choices for Eagle Required badges they have not yet completed. The badges offered are:
Citizenship in the Nation Citizenship in the Community
Citizenship in the World Communication
First Aid Family Life
Emergency Preparedness Cooking
Personal Fitness Personal Management
Environmental Science
If merit badge is completed or partially completed, Instructor will sign off and information will be put in Troop Master.

9. Monday Night Merit Badge Sign Up Sheet
Merit Badge Class Sign Up Sheet
FIRST Class AND ABOVE ONLY
Scout Information:
Name:
Company:
Patrol:
Rank:
The following Merit Badges will be offered Monday Nights for 6 weeks this SPRING 2015.
CLASSES START March 2, 2015
You have three choices. Mark your top choice as 1, second choice as 2 and
third choice as 3.
We will make every effort to give a scout his first choice, but it is not always
possible. In some cases it will be necessary to award the third choice, due to
class demand and prerequisites for a class.
Choice # (Select only 3)
Class Offered
Required for Eagle
Citizenship in the Nation
Yes
Citizenship in the Community
Citizenship in the World
Communications
Emergency Preparedness
Environmental Science
Family Life
First Aid
Personal Fitness
Personal Management
Cooking

10. A little more about Monday Night Merit Badges
Regular Scout meetings start at 7:30 PM. Merit Badge Classes are from 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM in the assigned classrooms. Scouts are then dismissed back down to the scout room for meeting announcements and close. Not all scouts will make all classes and full attendance is not part of completing the badge however we strongly encourage scouts to make all the classes. 
Scouts will be provided a Merit Badge Booklet (require $5 for a deposit) and the badge worksheet. It is expected the scouts keep up with their worksheet weekly ahead of class BUT class time will be given to discuss the topics and time to fill in parts of it. The purpose of the class is to teach at a high level the material and facilitate discussions with the scouts. In essence this is a guided book report with scout participation in certain requirements.
Some badges have outside requirements or a 13 week activity tracking chart. What this means is that the scout will not get the badge in the 6 weeks of Monday night classes and they will have to follow up with their Merit Badge instructor for completion or they can always see me for final signoff. At the end of the 5 weeks, we will take the attendance/tracking log and upload all the information in Troop Master for either full or partial completion of the badge.
The most important thing for all to remember is that the worksheet is like their scout book, NEVER lose it as this tracks all your progress. Bring the worksheet and booklet to every class.

11. Summer Camp
For those Scouts choosing to attend Summer Camp in June there are numerous merit badges offered and taught by Boy Scout of America trained staffers. Typically the Scout will choose 4 – 5 merit badges for the week.
The troop recommends pursuing eagle required badges at camp. Not all eagle badges are taught at camp. Click here for a link for TRJ 2016 summer camp offerings.
Eagle badges currently taught at TRJ for Summer 16 are as follows: camping, citizenship in the nation, citizenship in the world, communication, cooking (2 periods), cycling, emergency preparedness, environmental science, first aid, hiking, life saving, personal fitness, swimming
Eagle required citizenship in the community, family life and personal management are not taught at TRJ as of Summer 16.
Completed or partially completed merit badges will be loaded into Troop Master.

12. Outside Merit Badges
Here the scout chooses badges of strong interest to him. There are 2 ways to earn these badges.
1. TheNational Scout Museum, Perot Museum or Jamboree
Obtain a Blue Card for participation from the merit badge desk. The card is required in ADVANCE of the merit badge class.
The scout may independently pursue under the guidance of a ‘counselor’ who mentors them through the badge. This counselor may be a parent or a professional with expertise in the badge subject matter.
Scouts are required to complete the Merit Badge Worksheet per the badge found at and to use merit badge booklet.
Badge is signed off at the merit badge desk, not by an ASM, although an ASM can sign off elements of the badge. After it is approved by the merit badge desk a yellow card will be issued and the badge will then be entered into Troop Master.
Obtain permission from the the Troop 82 Scout Master before beginning a badge that is eagle required. Troop 82 strongly encourages eagle merit badges be done on Monday nights, at summer camp or through an approved BSA provider.

13. Boy Scout Required Blue Card

14. My Son has a Partially Completed Merit Badge
Happens frequently, whether it is a partial completion from Monday nights or summer camp.
Print out requirements for badge.
Got to Troop Master print off the completed requirements.
Bring documentation to show how the scout completed the requirements.
No partial listed in Troop Master? Bring your completed worksheet to your ASM or Merit Badge Counselor for sign off or further coaching.

15. Other Information
To track the progress of your Scout for Advancement and Merit Badge Completions and Partials: Go to “Existing Scout Login” ______________________________________________ Harold Hickey Robert Manley Jeff Graham

16. BSA Mission Statement
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.