Scouting offers Merit Badges in almost every conceivable area of interest there is. To attain the Rank of Eagle a minimum of 21 Merit Badges must be earned and 12 of these must come from the list of specific Eagle Merit Badges.. www.meritbadge.org is a great site to review all available Merit Badges and you may find a special interest you’d like to pursue. Many things done in your every day life can be part of a Merit Badge, from pet care to reading. Review the requirements and you may find you are doing everything needed to earn the badge
The troop maintains a list of Merit Badge Counselors registered to Troop 285 (current as of 01-Jan-2017) for help with Merit Badge advancement. Please take advantage of these volunteers and their expertise. If you are interested in a Merit Badge that no one in the Troop covers, the Greater Niagara Frontier Council (GNFC) maintains a complete list of Counselor for the entire Council. Earning a Merit Badge starts with the Scout attaining an Application for Merit Badge form, commonly called a “Blue Card”. It is not hard to successfully complete a Merit Badge but if the paperwork is not done properly, it can greatly impact your ability to attain the rank of Eagle
Steps to Successfully Complete a Merit Badge
1. Choose a Merit Badge from the list of Merit Badges available
2. Review the Merit Badge Counselor (MBC) list and select a Counselor, either from the Troop or Council
3. Request a Blue Card from the Scoutmaster, fill out the appropriate information (your name Troop information and name of Merit Badge) and have the Scoutmaster sign it.
4. Talk to the Counselor to see if they are available and willing to help with the badge
5. Work with the Counselor to completed the badge, make sure requirements are recorded on the Blue Card as they are completed .This will prevent having to start over if there is a change of Counselors.
6. Upon completion of the Merit Badge, have the Blue Card signed by the Counselor. Make sure the MB Counselor keeps the MB Counselor section of the Blue Card
7. Turn in the remaining 2/3rds of the Blue Card to the Advancement Chairman. Scout section of Blue Card will be returned to Scout with Merit Badge patch during quarterly Advancement Ceremony
Contact Information
Scoutmaster
George Boller
Scoutmaster@Troop285.com
(C) (716) 989-1537
