INTRODUCTION

Most Scouts and Scouters will agree that the best method of earning a merit badge is with a merit badge counselor that you can interact with face to face. However, with our busy modern lifestyle, it is often more prudent to provide merit badge instruction in a class like atmosphere to a dozen or more Scouts at a time. Once this route is taken, it becomes more difficult for the merit badge counselor to verify completion of requirements, especially for requirements that are supposed to be discussed or told about.

For example, if twenty Scouts were attending a session on Camping merit badge, it would take a lot of time if the counselor asked each of them, one after another, to explain care of the feet. This is where merit badge worksheets come in. By filling out these sheets, Scouts can demonstrate their understanding of each of the requirements.

However, there's a downside to using these forms. It could be considered adding to the requirements to ask a Scout to write something down that the requirements say only needs to be discussed or explained. You'll have to decide for yourself how best to meet the needs of your Scouts and still comply with BSA policies.

FILES

These worksheets were contributed by several different volunteer Scouters, people just like you. The willingness of these people to spend their time and efforts creating these valuable tools is another indicator of why Scouting is such a great volunteer movement. If you'd like to contact the individual authors, their information is usually included in the documents themselves.