completion deadlines for merit badges???

[scoutmom25]

We're having a discussion (again) within our committee about completing merit badges.

WE have some boys who started merit badges at summer camp a couple of summers ago, and only have 1-2 requirements left to go. They are working on finishing these up.

However, since they started the merit badge, the requirements have changed.

So, the question is.... is there a time limit for a scout to complete a merit badge once he has started it? (official BSA policy only please)

Also, if a scout started a badge and only did 1-2 requirements, then picked it back up 3 years later, is he required to re-do the requirements? or start fresh with the new set of requirements?

 

Thanks for any and all help.

 

Scoutmom25 in SC

[mschwartz]

We've had the same discussion. While the BSA official website doesn't seem to address the question, we did come up with the following:

 

USScouter (usually a pretty good source of correct policy) says this:

 

Note: There is NO DEADLINE for earning Merit Badges, except the Scout's 18th Birthday. Once a Scout has started working on a Merit Badge (i.e. obtained a signed "Blue Card" Application for Merit Badge from his Scoutmaster, had an initial discussion with a merit badge Counselor, and started working on the requirements), he may continue using those requirements until he completes the badge or turns 18.

 

THERE IS NO ONE YEAR LIMIT ON SO-CALLED "PARTIALS".

 

In contrast to the rule for rank advancements, which imposes a specific deadline for using the old requirements, The rule for Merit Badges is as follows:

 

If the requirements change while a Scout is working on the badge, he may continue to use the OLD requirements until he completes the work, or he may use the new requirements if he wishes. It is HIS choice, and his alone.

 

If a Merit Badge is discontinued, Scouts working on the badge when it is removed from the Boy Scout Requirements booklet may continue to work toward completing the badge, and get credit for earning the badge, until they turn 18. However, it may not be possible to obtain an actual merit badge patch, once the local council's supply is exhausted.

 

If a discontinued Merit Badge is replaced with one or more other Merit Badges covering the same or similar topics (such as Rifle and Shotgun Shooting MB which was replaced by Rifle Shooting MB and Shotgun Shooting MB), a Scout that has earned the discontinued badge may also earn the new badge or badges. If the badge is simply renamed (such as Firemanship MB which was changed to Fire Safety MB), Scouts may NOT earn the badge again. If the badge number in BSA's numbering system is the same before and after the change, it is a renaming. If a new number is assigned, it is a replacement.

 

And meritbadge.net had this:

 

I just attended a Council Advancement Training Course.

THERE IS NO TIME LIMIT ON COMPLETING A BADGE AS LONG AS IT IS

COMPLETED BEFORE THE 18th BIRTHDAY.

We were also told that if a boy starts the badge on one

requirement book and after he starts the badge the

requirements change he can chose to complete the original

requirements of use the new requirements. He can not mix the

two.

 

To be absolutely certain, you might call your district representative and see what they have to say (it's lunchtime in my time zone so they didn't answer the phone).

 

Hope that helps!

YIS

Marietta

[Lisabob]

Nope, no deadlines. We just had a boy who began the mammal study MB when he was a new scout, 11 years old, and finished it at camp this summer about a month shy of his 18th birthday.

 

If the requirements change then the boy has an option of completing the badge under the requirements he started with, or of switching to the new requirements. In the latter case, this really takes a little work sometimes to figure out how what he already did may, or may not, coincide with the new requirements. But sometimes those changes are very minor too.

 

About the only sticking point might be that a boy could end up working with more than one counselor. Some counselors take the view that they want to make sure the boy actually understands the material he did in the past, esp. if a lot of time has gone by. In some cases this makes a lot of sense if the unfinished requirements build upon skills developed in other (previously completed) requirements. In the interim those skills might have deteriorated, making it hard or impossible to complete the remaining items. So there is a grey area there for figuring out how to handle sign-offs. Some counselors might ask a scout if he'd like an opportunity to "refresh" himself on those skills, for example. But generally, once it is signed, it is done and scouts can't be required to re-do it. At the same time, if the un-finished portion isn't done to the satisfaction of the MB counselor (and within the rules of the requirements) then there's nothing stating that the MB Counselor must sign for those portions of the MB either.

 

Hope that helps. The third paragraph is where the debates usually take place but I *think* the first two points are pretty standard.

 

Lisa'bob

[scoutmom25]

I ended up finding the answer on another forum board...

 

 

But it confirms what I believed.

 

Thanks again

[Beavah]

A boy who starts a merit badge with a counselor can finish under the old requirements or can switch to the new requirements.

 

In the BSA system there is no such thing as a "partial" merit badge. The Merit Badge Counselor who approves earning of the badge is approving that the boy has met all of the requirements. It's the MBC's discretion whether to take the word of the scout/another adult/blue card for any requirement, keeping in mind that the BSA policy is that a "badge represents what a boy is able to do (i.e. a current skill), not what he has done (i.e. a task fulfilled a long time in the past which doesn't reflect current ability).

 

All that havin' been said, many good troops will impose deadlines as a way of helping kids "finish up," and as a way of ensuring kids get a good MB experience given that many summer camps and some counselors don't "follow the program" in terms of requirements or expectations. So I'm usually supportive of a Committee that sets some (reasonable, flexible) deadlines for boys. After all, if the boy is really "able to do", it's not goin' to hold him up to make him demonstrate a requirement again, eh?

 

But there are no BSA deadlines for MB completion. Just like ranks, boys keep workin' until they can do all the requirements.

 

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[acco40]

Beavah is correct. Keep in mind, the MBC is "God" wrt the merit badge. He may accept or not accept past requirements if signed off by someone else.

 

So official policy - time limit is before 18th birthday.

[yelruh]

The only time I've ever seen that you can't finish with the older requirements that you started with was when they updated a required one several years ago. There was a push on in our troop to get the boys finished with the old requirements before the deadline. Other than that one MB, I've never seen a time limit.

 

Also if the requirements change it's the Boy's option if he goes with the old or the new, not the MBC!

[SWScouter]

The requirements for the Athletics MB have just recently been revamped. My understanding is that either the old or new requirements can be used through the end of this year and as of 1/1/2007, only the new requirements can be used.

 

SWScouter