Merit Badge Counselors are Required to be Registered with the BSA. 

NOTICE!

All Merit Badge Counselor Application Forms must now have the applicant's Social Security number on the forms. 

• Even registered leaders must now put their social security numbers on the Merit Badge Counselor application to comply with current BSA policy, according to the Nashville office. 

If you have a volunteer who wants to be only a counselor, and have no other duties within your troop, that person will still need to submit an Adult Application form, have the background check completed and the application form signed off by your unit's leadership. This special case volunteer will not be required to pay the annual registration fee.I

• If this special case volunteer desires to receive the regular publications (Jet Trails etc), registration fee payment will be required.

Unit leaders should submit the form along with the Merit Badge Counselor Application form (signed by the applicant in two places on the form) to the Trail of Tears District, as noted below. There is no fee charged for Counselor-only registrations. 

Usually, counselors will come from the ranks of a unit and, as such, will have already registered with BSA. To become a Merit Badge Counselor, these adults need only to fill out a Merit Badge Counselor’s Application, sign it at the TWO places indicated on the form, and send it to Mike Warren*, Trail of Tears Advancement Chairman. You will find Mike at most monthly Roundtables. He will take care of getting the form submitted to the Middle Tennessee Council office. Within two weeks, the new counselor should receive confirmation from Nashville that the application is complete, and you may begin counseling Scouts. 

*Mike Warren

1607 Parklawn Drive 37130

Murfreesboro, TN 37130

Mike11345@aol.com

Annual Renewal of Counselors:

Unit leaders and Counselors should note that the Council updates the approved list every year. Each counselor receives a card from the Nashville Service Center Office asking if they desire to continue counseling. IF THE MAIL BACK CARD IS NOT RETURNED TO NASHVILLE, the counselor’s name will be removed – and he or she must reregister.

Reminder to Counselors moving to the Middle Tennessee Counsel:

If you have a counselor form on file with your previous Council, you should request that office send your file to the Middle Tennessee Council Office, 3414 Hillsboro Road P.O. Box 150409, Nashville , TN 37215 .