"You can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers as you earn merit badges. There are more than 135 merit badges, and any Scout may earn any of these at any time."
There are four ways to earn a merit badge:
A counsellor registered for each badge guides you through the requirements and signs off on the badge. To earn a badge on your own you need to find a counsellor to meet with. You will probably need to earn some on your own to get enough for Eagle Scout rank.
Talk to the Scoutmaster or Advancement Coordinator to find counsellors in our area. They have access to the on-line counselor directory which is no longer publically available.
When meeting on your own with a merit badge counsellor, there must be at least two Scouts and another adult present, or one Scout and his parent. A good way to manage this, if it works with the counsellor's schedule, is to simply meet in the back of the room during a troop meeting.
This is a great way to earn a merit badge in a day (after prerequisites are completed). Check the council site for Merit Badge Skill Centers (left column). Scouts can register and attend these as individuals without the troop's involvement. Note any pre-work that a given badge may require. Popular skill centers fill up quickly.
The best source of merit badge information is an up-to-date merit badge book. Check with the troop librarian or at the Scout Shop. The county library also has them for free loan, but make sure it's the latest edition. You can check the current requirements from one of the sources below if you don't have the very latest edition of the book.
Interactive on-line merit badge books are now available for many badges, including all Eagle-required badges! These are a great resource. Check them out at ScoutStuff.org.
Information on all merit badges can also be found at:
See the pages below for information that could be useful for some merit badges that you might be working on.