General Merit Badge Information

 

The Troop generally offers several merit badges each year.  These merit badges usually get started because the adult merit badge counselor has a special interest that he or she would like to share with the Troop OR a Scout has approached the Troop Advancement Chair with his interest in a particular merit badge and needs a counselor. Usually when the Troop Advancement Chair directs the Scouts to a MB Counselor that counselor will in turn open that merit badge to the entire Troop to see if anyone else is interested. Please refer to the Merit Badge Counselor requirements on the BSA website.

 

For more details view the listing of Arrowhead District/VAC Merit Badge Counselors in the Merit Badge notebook in the Scout Room (a current listing is also maintained at the Council).

If a boy went to Tomahawk Camp last July, he was issued the merit badges earned at camp. Please contact Dave Johnson with any questions. Your scout will want to discuss with the advancement chair how to get any "partial" merit badges completed. 

 

View the Eagle required Merit Badges at the BSA website: http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/EagleScouts.aspxView the most current Arrowhead District / VAC Merit Badge Counselor list at the Voyageurs Area Council or contact the Troop Advancement Team for more information. A Merit Badge Counselor listing is also maintained in the Merit Badge Notebook in the Scout Room at Glen Avon.​

 

PARTIAL MERIT BADGES:

Once a boy receives his merit badge patch and the Applicant's Record of the signed blue merit badge form, it is very important to retain the applicant copy. Sometimes a merit badge will get recorded in the troop software but due to human error, it may not have been recorded in the Council software. For rank advancement, it is what is on the applicant copy that rules if there is a conflict between Troop and Council software. So if a merit badge is missing from the Council software, it can easily be solved if the boy can produce the Applicant's Record of the signed merit badge form (there are other solutions, but these take more time). For merit badges that are completed at Tomahawk, the records are available for replacement merit badges for about two years - but no guarantees.

 

 

• • Click HERE for the most updated merit badge information   (Merit Badge Introduction)

    HERE is the Guide for Merit Badge Counselors   (Guide for Merit Badge Counselors)

  • Here is a webiste with PDF Scout Merit Badge worksheets.

  • Click HERE for Merit Badge Counselor Forms (if you are willing to be a merit badge counselor). You will also need to have an ADULT BSA APPLICATION also completed.  

  • The troop strongly encourages boys to try to complete a merit badge within one year of the date that they started the badge. This prevents the potential loss of the "partial" merit badge form and the need to complete the work over again. This is also the most respectful approach to the merit badge counselor who has volunteered their time to assist.

  • BSA policy is that the boys have until they are age 18 to complete any partial merit badges 

  • Note that a Scout's MB information is "Off the books" until they are signed and recorded in troop and Council software. 

  • Tomahawk partials are held by the Troop Advancement Chair until the boy asks for an internal troop merit badge counselor to be arranged. 

  • MBC partials (or the Council-run separate First Aid Merit Badge Camp) are sent home with the boy so they can check in with their own Troop Advancement chair on how best to get the merit badge completed, signed off by a merit badge counselor, and "on the books". 

  • Merit Badges that are offered by the troop internally are usually held by that merit badge counselor (for safekeeping) until the merit badge is completed.