To earn a merit badge, a young person must work with a registered merit badge counselor. Here are some frequently asked questions about these important adult volunteers.
What are the requirements to be a merit badge counselor?
Counselors must be men or women of good character who are 18 or older with skills and education in the subjects they cover. They also must be registered as an adult BSA leader and apply for the position of merit badge counselor (position code 42). They also must have completed Youth Protection Training within the past two years.
What training and expertise must a counselor have?
There are no specific requirements for most badges, although the counselor must be knowledgeable about the topic. (Oftentimes this means involvement in the field as a career or hobby.) For a handful of badges, mostly in aquatics and shooting sports, special qualifications and/or current certifications are required; these are listed in section 7.0.1.1 of the Guide to Advancement.
Who approves merit badge counselors?
The council advancement committee, although responsibility is sometimes delegated to the district advancement committee. Council or district approval is required even for counselors who serve only Scouts in their own units. The advancement committee should maintain a current list of registered and approved counselors and make it available to the leaders of troops, crews and ships.
How does a merit badge counselor get approved?
In addition to submitting an adult application, a potential counselor must submit the Merit Badge Counselor Information form (No. 34405) to the council or district advancement committee, depending on local policies. On this form, the applicant lists which badges he or she wants to counsel, plus relevant training and experience. There’s no fee to register as a merit badge counselor.
Can’t a Scoutmaster counsel any merit badge automatically?
No. A unit leader must register as a counselor and be approved for the merit badges in question.
Does a merit badge counselor have to work with any Scout who asks?
On the Merit Badge Counselor Information sheet, the counselor can specify whether he or she wants to work with any Scouts or just those from specified units.
How does Youth Protection affect merit badge counseling?
As in all Scouting activities, no one-on-one contact is permitted, and two-deep leadership is required. However, in the case of merit badge counseling, one of the Scout’s parents can serve as the second required adult.
Is internet-based counseling permitted?
The preferred method is face-to-face interaction. However, councils can develop procedures to allow counseling via the internet. See section 5.0.8.0 of the Guide to Advancement for more information.
Where can I learn more?
An excellent resource is the pamphlet A Guide for Merit Badge Counseling (No. 512-065).
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