Merit Badges

There are over 131 merit badges currently approved by the BSA. Merit badges encourage Scouts to explore areas that interest them and to teach them valuable skills in Scoutcraft. Scouts earn a merit badge by satisfying specified criteria and receive their badge at the next a Court of Honor. Scouts must earn a total of 21 merit badges for the Eagle Scout rank, 13 of which must be from a mandatory list.

You can start a merit badge either (1) by yourself, (2) with a Troop 990-run program, (3) at a BSA camp, or (4) at an approved Scout program like Merit Badge University.

Starting on merit badges yourself:  

1. Contact the Merit Badge Coordinator to begin your merit badge.

2. The merit badge  coordinator will suggest a merit badge counselor for your merit badge. (You can use that counselor or any other approved counselor for that badge. Approved merit badge counselors for all badges can be found in the list above.) Inform the counselor of your interest in the badge; their contact information can be found in the Troop Directory.

3. Work on the requirements of the MB under the guidance of the counselor. (Scouts can and are encouraged to work on the requirements on their own after initially contacting the MB Counselor.)

4. Keep track of all progress, preferably by using a Merit Badge Worksheet (you will find this simplifies things!) and inform the counselor (or go to merit badge completion night, see below) when all requirements have been met.

5. The counselor will inform the advancement chair that you have completed your merit badge. 

6. Receive credit for the badge upon approval from the counselor and display it with pride on his Merit Badge Sash

Merit badges, particularly a number of Eagle required merit badges will be offered by Troop 990 on a rotating two year schedule. Watch for email annoucements of merit badge programs which will also be posted in the events section on the troop calendar.

Approved Scout merit badge programs in addition to the Troop 990 program: 

• Merit Badge University (once a year in February): http://www.utmbu.org/

• Hornaday Weekend (environmental merit badges, twice per year): http://www.hornadaybsa.org/

• Lost Pines Summer Camp (Troop 990 attends the first week camp is offered in June): Boy Scouts Summer Camp

• Personal Management Merit Badge with A+ Federal Credit Union

• Merit Badges with Microsoft

Print & Use MB Workbooks:  Print and fill out the Merit Badge Workbooks for badges you are working on.  They will help to keep your work in order and will facilitate faster counselor reviews.  Here's the link to all workbooks:  Merit Badge Worksheets

Merit Badge Completion Nights:  Attend Merit Badge Completion nights offered by Troop 990 to meet with Merit Badge Counselors who will review/approve completed requirements &/or badges.  The announcement of an upcoming Merit Badge Completion night is a great "flag" to go to work and finish up partials..and get them finished! More information:  MB Completion Night How It Works

List of ALL Merit Badges, including list of Eagle Required Merit Badges: Merit Badges

Troop 990’s Guide for Earning Eagle Required Merit Badges

Scouts working on obtaining the rank of Eagle must earn 21 merit badges.  13 of these must come from the list below. 

List of Eagle Required Merit Badges

• Camping

• Citizenship in the Community

• Citizenship in the Nation

• Citizenship in the World

• Communication

• Cooking

• Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving

• Environmental Science or Sustainability

• Family Life

• First Aid

• Personal Fitness

• Personal Management

• Swimming or Hiking or Cycling

Scouts can earn Eagle required merit badges on their own under the guidance of a counselor, but T990 recommends the following venues based on past experience.

Troop900 Merit Badge Jump Start