Current MB Requirements

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Just received this letter from our Council Advancement Chair:

 

All,

 

Recently I have encountered an alarming number of instances where Merit Badge Counselors were using outdated Merit Badge requirements. In one instance, boys who attended a MB Fair spent more than a month working on invalid requirements for Citizenship in the Community and were virtually at ground zero when the error was uncovered and they met for their follow-up session. This year alone, there are revised requirements for 22 Merit Badges and updated requirements for six. These changes affected almost 30 percent of all Merit Badges. Most counselors have told me that they have the latest Merit Badge pamphlet. Please note that the inside cover of the 2006 Boy Scout Requirements book reads, The requirements listed in this book may not match those in the merit badge pamphlets because the pamphlets may not have been recently revised. The requirements in the book are the official requirements of the Boy Scouts of America.

 

I realize that for the past several years, there has been an annual update of the requirements book. However, it is incumbent on each Counselor to verify each year that he/she has the latest requirements listing. Also, we should be publishing at Roundtable or other appropriate training venues the lists of recently updated Merit Badges.

 

If the wrong requirements have been used, the badge is NOT earned until the correct requirements have been completed. The only exception is if the old requirements have been grandfathered. Normally, grandfathering does not exceed about 6 months.

 

Please ensure MB Counselors are remaining current on requirements.

 

Thanks,

 

Council Advancement Chairman