Prior to Beginning a Merit Badge
The Scout first obtains a pamphlet on the badge he is interested in (either from the troop library, the public library, or the Scout Council) and reads it thoroughly. He next obtains a Blue Merit Badge Card (known as a Blue Card) from the Advancement Chair.  The blue merit badge card needs to be filled out properly, printed neatly in ink, and signed and dated by a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster before beginning the merit badge or contacting a Merit Badge Counselor. Any Assistant Scoutmaster can sign a card for a merit badge. Next, the Scout then meets with the Counselor to determine the specific things he must do to complete the badge requirements.

Upon Completion of a Merit Badge
After satisfactorily completing the requirements, the counselor will sign the Blue Card. The merit badge form has three parts. One part (Counselor’s Record) is retained by your counselor, one part (Applicant’s Record) is retained by you, and one part (Application for Merit Badge) is given to the Advancement Chairperson. The Scout then turns in the Advancement Record portion to the Advancement Chairperson. If you do not provide the Application for Merit Badge to the Advancement Chairperson one week prior, the merit badge will not be awarded at the next Court of Honor. The personal record is kept by the boy. These records should be kept in a very secure place since they are the final way a boy has of verifying his merit badge work.

Merit Badge Requirements
You are expected to meet the requirements as they are stated — no more and no less. You are expected to do exactly what is stated in the requirements. If it says “show or demonstrate,” that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn’t enough. The same thing holds true for such words as “make,” “list,” “in the field,” and “collect,” “identify,” and “label.” Merit Badge requirements can be found at one of these sites.

• USScouts.org
• BSA Merit Badge

Merit Badge Worksheets
Merit badge worksheets can help Scouts organize notes, listen actively, and document their work. Worksheet for most badges can be found at one of these sites.

• USScouts.org
• BSA Merit Badge

Merit Badge Pamphlets
Merit Bage Pamphlets can be purchased from the local Scout Shop, checked-out from our Troop Library at the Scout House by the Troop Librarian, or found in our library of files. Revision dates for each of the Merit Badge Pamphlets currently in effect, and the date of the last change to the requirements for each badge can be found at the link below.

• USScouts.org