Merit Badges
Scouts must earn merit badges which are small badges received after completing the requirements for that badge. Each badge is a lesson, for example, one merit badge will teach you First Aid and it requires one to use what you have learned and practice it. To get the Eagle rank, scouts must complete 22 merit badges. There is a group of merit badges that are also REQUIRED to get Eagle (they are listed below). There are 18 total Eagle Required but only 15 are needed, and there are 100+ non required but only 7 unrequired merit badges are needed to get Eagle.
All the merit badges one can get and their info: HERE
Eagle Required Merit Badges (& their description):
Camping-
Citizenship in the Community-
Citizenship in the Nation-
Citizenship in the Society-
Citizenship in the World-
Communication-
Cooking-
Cycling- If you completed the Hiking or Swimming Merit badges, Cycling is not required
Emergency Preparedness- Not required if you have completed the Lifesaving merit badge; First Aid Merit Badge needed in order to do this merit badge
Environmental Science- Not required if you have completed the Sustainability merit badge
Family Life-
First Aid-
Hiking- If you completed the Cycling or Swimming Merit badges, Hiking is not required
Lifesaving- Not required if you have completed the Emergency Preparedness merit badge
Personal Fitness- Requires 12 weeks of work for a requirement
Personal Management- Requires 13 weeks of work for a requirement
Sustainability- Not required if you have completed the Environmental Studies merit badge
Swimming- If you have completed Hiking or Cycling Merit badges, the Swimming merit badge is not required
If you would like to start learning a merit badge, here is the process to get started:
1. Email your scoutmaster, before you start a merit badge, you MUST HAVE a bluecard, this card is the way you prove you completed the merit badge when you eventually complete it. Request for a bluecard for the merit badge you want to learn and ask for the contact information of the counselor of that badge. Counselors are people who will help you during your merit badge process and you must report to your counselor to complete a requirement for the badge
2. When contact info of the counselors is received, contact that counselor, mention that you are interested in starting the merit badge and that you want the person to be your counselor.
3. Retrieve a signed bluecard from your scoutmaster
4. Communicate with your counselor and start the merit badge!