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public library. All of them are available from your Scout Shop or Council Trading Post, If you are finished using merit badge pamphlets that you own, many troops encourage you to donate them to the troop library.
Here are the steps to earning a merit badge:
Get a blue merit badge card from the Advancement Chairman, or Scoutmaster, fill in your name, address, and the name of the badge, and ask the Scoutmaster to sign it. Then get the name and phone number of a qualified counselor from the Advancement Chairman or scoutmaster.
Call the counselor and set up an appointment. This can be at any place that is suitable to both of you. Along with a buddy (another Scout, a family member, or a friend), meet with the counselor. The counselor will explain the requirements for the merit badge and help you get started.
Work on the badge requirements until you complete them, meeting with the counselor (along with your buddy) whenever necessary. You must complete the stated requirements and satisfy the standards of each merit badge. The merit badge counselor may encourage you to do more than the requirements state but he or she may not require it. YOU (not the counselor, Scoutmaster, or Advancement Chairman) keep the merit badge card until you have completed the requirements and the counselor has signed the card. If you lose this card, you will have to start the badge over unless the counselor is willing and able to vouch for what you already completed.
If you change counselors for any reason, it is up to the new counselor whether or not he or she will accept the work you did with the previous counselor. Normally the new counselor will ask you a few questions, and if the counselor is satisfied that you actually did the work that was signed off, he or she will accept it.
After you complete the merit badge and the counselor signs your merit badge card, he or she will keep the Counselor's section and return the rest of the card to you. Bring the rest of the card to the Advancement Chairman, who will keep the troop section and return the Scout section to you.
RECORD-KEEPING
Your advancement records are kept in three places -- your Council office, the troop Advancement Chairman, Eric Marshall, and yourself. The Council office keeps records supplied to them by the troop Advancement Chairman, who also keeps copies of these records for the troop. Many troop Advancement Chairmen also maintain their advancement information on computers. You will receive three kinds of documents that you need to KEEP IN A SAFE PLACE UNTIL AFTER YOU TURN 18 (or receive your Eagle Scout Award, whichever is later)! These documents are:
your Scout Handbook with requirements signed off
your portion of completed blue merit badge cards,
and the wallet-sized certificate cards for rank advancement and merit badge completion.
Make sure all of them are signed or initialed by the appropriate Scout leader. All of the cards are the same size and can be safely kept in plastic protector pages IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KEEP THESE DOCUMENTS IN A SAFE PLACE AND DO NOT LOSE THEM!!! If it should happen that there is a discrepancy or missing records, your personal records are your most important ally in proving what you completed and when.
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