Merit Badges
You can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers as you earn merit badges. There are more than 135 merit badges, and any Scout, or any qualified Venturer or Sea Scout may earn any of these at any time.
All Merit Badges
Earning the American Business Merit Badge can help Scouts learn practical business matters that will be useful throughout life. Learning how businesses function will help you understand society and uncover a number of career options.
The United States is a nation of immigrants. Every person came to America from somewhere else—or their ancestors did—and understanding these various cultural backgrounds can help Scouts to live in harmony with others in our varied and increasingly multicultural society.
Every Scout swears to an oath that includes duty to his country. A better understanding of American heritage, the ways in which the past has lead to our present nation, is key to truly knowing what it means to be an American.
The labor movement in America seeks to ensure that the civil rights of laborers are protected in the workplace, especially in regard to wages, hours, and working conditions.
Earning the American Business Merit Badge can help Scouts learn practical business matters that will be useful throughout life. Learning how businesses function will help you understand society and uncover a number of career options.
Every Scout swears to an oath that includes duty to his country. A better understanding of American heritage, the ways in which the past has lead to our present nation, is key to truly knowing what it means to be an American.
Architecture is not just the special buildings like cathedrals, museums, or sports stadiums we read about or see on television; it is as normal as the homes, places of worship, schools, and shopping malls where we live, worship, work, learn, and play every day. However, architecture is more than just common shelter; building has always satisfied the human need to create something of meaning. Even the simplest form of architecture is a work of art that requires thought and planning.
In learning about astronomy, Scouts study how activities in space affect our own planet and bear witness to the wonders of the night sky: the nebulae, or giant clouds of gas and dust where new stars are born; old stars dying and exploding; meteor showers and shooting stars; the moon, planets, and a dazzling array of stars.
Modern automobiles are important to many aspects of American life. Those who service automobiles must understand each principle, and how these principles interact to provide smooth, efficient performance. Owners of cars also benefit by understanding how their vehicles operate. This enables them to understand why certain periodic maintenance is required to keep their vehicles in tip-top shape.
For most of history, people have dreamed of flying, imagining how it would feel to soar through the sky like an eagle or hover in midair like a hummingbird, to float on unseen currents, free of Earth’s constant tug, able to travel great distances and to rise above any obstacle. Today, through aviation, we can not only join the birds but also fly farther, faster, and higher than they ever could.
Earning the Backpacking merit badge will be demanding but rewarding. Scouts will learn what equipment to carry on their backs and what knowledge to have in their heads. In addition. Scouts will discover how to protect the environment by traveling and camping without leaving a trace. By mastering the basics of backpacking, Scouts will develop an even deeper respect for the outdoors.
Basketry is a handy skill for a Scout. A basket can be a sturdy companion on campouts, carrying clothes snugly and efficiently, holding potatoes and corn for roasting over a campfire, or carrying the day’s fishing catch back to camp for dinner. Baskets and basket-weaving projects also make great gifts for family and friends.
Birds are among the most fascinating creatures on Earth. Many are beautifully colored. Others are accomplished singers. Many of the most important discoveries about birds and how they live have been made by amateur birders. In pursuing this hobby, a Scout might someday make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the natural world.
What would summer camp be without the bugle sounding “Reveille” in the morning and “Taps” in the evening? Camp and the bugle go together. The bugle is an ideal instrument for the beginning musician because most of the music uses only four notes. The ability to read music is not necessary, because the tunes are familiar and can be played ear.
Camping is one of the best-known methods of the Scouting movement. When he founded the Scouting movement in the early 1900s, Robert Baden-Powell encouraged every Scout to learn the art of living out-of-doors. He believed a young person able to take care of himself while camping would have the confidence to meet life’s other challenges, too.
Chemistry explores how substances react with each other, how they change, how certain forces connect molecules, and how molecules are made are all parts of chemistry. Stretch your imagination to envision molecules that cannot be seen—but can be proven to exist—and you become a chemist.
Realize the benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical leadership with the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge. Scouts will research any individual who has demonstrated positive leadership while making an ethical decision, explain what options the leader had when faced with a problem, why they believe they chose their final course of action, and the outcome of the leader’s decision.
A nation is a patchwork of communities that differ from each other and may be governed differently. But regardless of how local communities differ, they all have one point in common: In the United States, local government means self-government. Good citizens help to make decisions about their community through their elected local officials.
As Scouts fulfill the requirements for this merit badge, they will learn how to become active citizens are aware of and grateful for their liberties and rights, to participate in their governments and protect their freedom, helping to defend their country and standing up for individual rights on behalf of all its citizens.
Scouts who earn the Citizenship in the World merit badge will discover that they are already a citizen of the world. How good a citizen each person is depends on his willingness to understand and appreciate the values, traditions, and concerns of people in other countries.
Coin collecting is one of the oldest of all hobbies. Hoards of ancient coins found in excavations indicate that coins were one of the first collectibles. From earliest times, people valued coins not only as a means of trading and storing wealth, but also as miniature works of art.
Discover how collecting can be an educational and financially rewarding pastime with the Collections Merit Badge. Scouts will prepare a brief written report, give a detailed description, and explain the development of their collection while demonstrating the knowledge of preserving and displaying their most prized possessions.
This clear and concise definition comes from the U.S. Department of Education: “Communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. The field of communication promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication.”
Composites can be found just about everywhere: in airplanes and sports cars, golf clubs and guitars, boats and baseball bats, bathtubs and circuit boards, and even bridges. Composites make bicycles and skis lighter, kayaks and canoes stronger, houses warmer, and helmets tougher.
The Cooking merit badge introduces principles of cooking that can be used both at home or in the outdoors. Scouts who earn this badge will learn about food safety, nutritional guidelines, meal planning, and methods of food preparation, and will review the variety of culinary (or cooking) careers available.
Preventing crime, which can be as simple as reducing the opportuntities for crime to occur, is far less costly than apprehending and bringing legal action against those who break the law and it helps save people from the anguish of being victims.
Since 1911, hundreds of thousands of Scouts have made the most of their two-wheel adventures by earning the Cycling merit badge. Whether you just got your first bicycle or have been cycling for years, you will learn more about your bike and what it can do by working on the requirements for this badge.
Comprehend how electronic devices work and how to use them effectively with the Digital Technology Merit Badge. Scouts will give a brief history of the changes in digital technology and discuss how technology today compares with the technology available to previous generations—all while imagining what kinds of devices might be available to them in the future.
Understand various disabilities and how they affect your friends, family, and community members with the Disability Awareness Merit Badge. Scouts will learn about the experiences of someone with a disability, explain the significance of disability etiquette, and how it may differ depending on the specific disability.
The love and interdependence between humans and dogs has endured for thousands of years. Evidence suggests that dogs and humans started relying on each other thousands of years ago. Today, dogs are our coworkers and companions. They assist search-and-rescue teams, law enforcement officers, hunters, farmers, and people with disabilities. They also play with us and keep us company.
Learn why electricity plays a significant role in the economy and how energy consumption impacts our daily lives with the Electricity Merit badge. Scouts will demonstrate how to respond to electrical emergencies, explain how a fuse blows or a circuit breaker trips, and complete an electrical home safety inspection. The Electricity Merit Badge is an excellent opportunity for Scouts to learn how to read an electric meter and determine their household’s energy cost from meter readings.
The Electronics Merit Badge is a fun, STEM-based merit badge that will inspire Scouts to pursue a possible career in Electronics. Scouts will learn about capacitors, transistors, and resistors while grasping the basic principles of digital techniques and demonstrating how to build a control device circuit. Understand the behaviors of electrons and learn safety precautions when using, building, altering, or repairing electronic devices with the Electronics Merit Badge.
Scouts are often called upon to help because they know first aid and they know about the discipline and planning needed to react to an emergency situation. Earning this merit badge helps a Scout to be prepared by learning the actions that can be helpful and needed before, during, and after an emergency.
Saving, producing, and using energy wisely will be critical to America’s future. If we are to leave future generations with a world in which they can live as well or better than we have, Scouts and other potential leaders of tomorrow must begin the hard work of understanding energy and the vital role it will play in the future.
Engineers use both science and technology to turn ideas into reality, devising all sorts of things, ranging from a tiny, low-cost battery for your cell phone to a gigantic dam across the mighty Yangtze River in China.
By earning the Entrepreneurship merit badge, Scouts will learn about identifying opportunities, creating and evaluating business ideas, and exploring the feasibility (how doable it is) of an idea for a new business. They will also have the chance to fit everything together as they start and run their own business ventures.
While earning the Environmental Science merit badge, Scouts will get a taste of what it is like to be an environmental scientist, making observations and carrying out experiments to investigate the natural world.
Discover the history and importance of various kinds of exploration by earning the Exploration Merit Badge. Scouts will study real-life explorers who made their mark either in the wild or in a scientific lab, then plan, prepare and go on an expedition that could be nearby or far away.
The family is the basic unit of society and is important to both individuals and communities. The world is rapidly changing, making today’s society much more complex than ever before. As Scouts earn this merit badge, they will realize why it is important to know more about family life and how to strengthen their families.
From the mattock and hoe to the horse and mule, the cotton gin and reaper, the tractor and air seeder—this is the story of farm equipment. Today, most farms are mechanized and farmers can do most of their own maintenance work and make the adjustments needed on their many intricate farm implements.
In earning the Fingerprinting merit badge, Scouts will learn about and use an important technique that is used by law enforcement officers, along with other materials like matching dental records and DNA sampling, to help identify amnesia victims, missing persons, abducted children, and others.
The ability to use fire safely is essential to human survival. By earning this merit badge, Scouts will learn to uses fire safely and responsibly, how to prevent home fires, and how to handle fire safely, as well as burn prevention, and camping safety.
First aid—caring for injured or ill persons until they can receive professional medical care—is an important skill for every Scout. With some knowledge of first aid, a Scout can provide immediate care and help to someone who is hurt or who becomes ill. First aid can help prevent infection and serious loss of blood. It could even save a limb or a life.
Learn how animal diversity impacts the planet and the longevity of communities across the globe with the Fish and Wildlife Management Merit Badge. The Fish and Wildlife Merit Badge is a conservation-based merit badge recognizing our ecological impact and responsibility to preserve and protect animal life. Scouts will learn the purpose of fish and wildlife conservation while listing at least three significant problems threatening fish and wildlife resources in their community.
In earning the Fingerprinting merit badge, Scouts will learn about and use an important technique that is used by law enforcement officers, along with other materials like matching dental records and DNA sampling, to help identify amnesia victims, missing persons, abducted children, and others.
The ability to use fire safely is essential to human survival. By earning this merit badge, Scouts will learn to uses fire safely and responsibly, how to prevent home fires, and how to handle fire safely, as well as burn prevention, and camping safety.
First aid—caring for injured or ill persons until they can receive professional medical care—is an important skill for every Scout. With some knowledge of first aid, a Scout can provide immediate care and help to someone who is hurt or who becomes ill. First aid can help prevent infection and serious loss of blood. It could even save a limb or a life.
Games come in almost every shape, size, format, and flavor imaginable. Games can be fast-paced, slow, or anything in between. Some are competitive. Some are cooperative. They may be for individuals, small groups, or thousands of players at a time. They might take seconds to complete or last for years. However you slice it, everyone has played games, and games help make us who we are.
Humans have been growing plants for thousands of years. Farmers and horticulturists make their living growing food and other plants, while other people grow gardens for pleasure. Becoming a good gardener requires a Scout to understand the science of growing plants—how to prepare the soil, how to select and plant seeds, and how to care for the growing plants.
The word geocache is a combination of “geo,” which means “earth,” and “cache,” which means “a hiding place.” Geocaching describes a hiding place on planet Earth—a hiding place you can find using a GPS unit.
Golf is unique because the players police themselves. Other sports depend upon referees or umpires to apply penalties when there are infractions of the rules. In golf, every player is expected to act honorably, and the welfare and integrity of the game rely on every player’s honesty. This is why golf often is referred to as a “gentleman’s game.”
The field of graphic arts includes many kinds of work in the printing and publishing industries. Graphic arts professionals are involved in the creation of all kinds of printed communication, from business cards to books to billboards. The scope of printing communications is huge.
Explore the different types of the healthcare fields and professions with the Health Care Professions Merit Badge. Scouts will learn how professionals in different health care fields work together to keep people healthy. The Health Care Professions Merit Badge generates excitement for a possible career in the healthcare industry.
Hiking is a terrific way to keep your body and mind in top shape, both now and for a lifetime. Walking packs power into your legs and makes your heart and lungs healthy and strong. Exploring the outdoors challenges you with discoveries and new ideas. Your senses will improve as you use your eyes and ears to gather information along the way.
Successfully completing this badge’s requirements can lead to a lifetime of personal and financial rewards: Doing basic home repairs provides a sense of personal pride in one’s achievements and increased self-confidence. In addition, safe and successful do-it-yourselfers can easily save a family thousands of dollars in repair bills over the years.
In addition to learning how to safely ride and care for horses, Scouts who earn this merit badge will gain an understanding of the instincts and behaviors of horses and humane and effective methods for training horses.
Far different from the stereotypes or common images that are portrayed on film, on television, and in many books and stories, American Indians have many different cultures, languages, religions, styles of dress, and ways of life. To learn about these different groups is to take an exciting journey of discovery in which you will meet some of America’s most fascinating peoples.
In earning the Insect Study merit badge, Scouts will glance into the strange and fascinating world of the insect. There, they will meet tiny creatures with tremendous strength and speed, see insects that undergo startling changes in habits and form as they grow, and learn how insects see, hear, taste, smell, and feel the world around them.
Inventing involves finding technological solutions to real-world problems. Inventors understand the importance of inventing to society because they creatively think of ways to improve the lives of others. Explore the world of inventing through this new merit badge, and discover your inner inventiveness.
One thing is for sure about journalism: It is never boring. For a reporter, almost every day is different from the last. One day you might interview the mayor of the city, the next day report on a car accident, and the day after that preview a new movie.
Kayaking has become one of the fastest-growing paddlesports in the United States. An estimated nine million Americans enjoy this sport. The most popular style of kayaking is recreational kayaking, followed by touring/sea kayaking, and whitewater kayaking. This merit badge will introduce you to recreational kayaking and help prepare you for advanced paddlesports such as tour/sea and whitewater kayaking.
Landscape architects design and plan the various outdoor spaces in modern communities – neighborhood parks, soccer fields, school grounds, places of worship, office parks, shopping malls, cemeteries, and lakes – creating outdoor places that people will care about and want to visit.
Scouts who complete the requirements to earn the Leatherwork merit badge will explore leather’s history and its endless uses. They will learn to make a useful leather item using the same types of raw materials that our ancestors used; be challenged to master skills like hand-stitching, lacing, and braiding.; and learn how to preserve and protect leather items so they will last a lifetime and beyond.
No Scout will ignore a plea for help. However, the desire to help is of little use unless one knows how to give the proper aid. The main purpose of the Lifesaving merit badge is to prepare Scouts to assist those involved in water accidents, teaching them the basic knowledge of rescue techniques, the skills to perform them, and the judgment to know when and how to act so that they can be prepared for emergencies.
A mammal may weigh as little as 1/12 ounce, as do some shrews, or as much as 150 tons, like the blue whale. It may spring, waddle, swim, or even fly. But if it has milk for its young, has hair of some kind, is relatively intelligent, and has warm blood, then it is a mammal.
Scouts will begin their work on this merit badge by learning about the properties of metal, how to use simple metalworking tools, and the basic metalworking techniques. Then they will practice using these tools and techniques before concentrating on the more intricate skills of one of four metalworking options.
The Mining in Society merit badge covers the history of mining, explores the status of mining in the 21st century, and introduces Scouts to modern mining careers.
Model making, the art of creating copies of objects that are either smaller or larger than the objects they represent, is not only an enjoyable and educational hobby: it is widely used in the professional world for such things as creating special effects for movies, developing plans for buildings, and designing automobiles and airplanes.
The Motorboating Merit Badge is a fun merit badge for Scouts interested in Sea Scouts. The Motorboating Merit Badge allows Scouts to learn about different types of motorboats and motors, so they can safely navigate the open waters. Scouts will get hands-on experience driving and handling a motorboat while learning about the various types of personal floatation devices and explaining the rules and laws that apply to recreational boating in their communities.
Moviemaking is a way to tell stories visually through the art and science of motion picture photography.
Nuclear science gives us a simple explanation of the natural world. The ultimate goal of nuclear science is to find out if there is one fundamental rule that explains how matter and forces interact. Earning the Nuclear Science merit badge is a chance for Scouts to learn about this exciting field at the cutting edge of science today.
The oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet and are the dominant feature of Earth. Wherever you live, the oceans influence the weather, the soil, the air, and the geography of your community. To study the oceans is to study Earth itself.
Orienteering, the use of map and compass to find locations and plan a journey, has been a vital skill for humans for thousands of years. Orienteering is also a recognized sport at the Olympic Games, and thousands of people participate in the sport each year in local clubs and competitions.
Personal fitness is an individual effort and desire to be the best one can be. Regardless of their current levels of personal fitness, in the twelve weeks it will take Scouts to complete the athletic requirements for this merit badge, they will be in better shape, feel better about themselves, have more energy, and gain self-confidence in their overall abilities.
Personal management is about mapping a plan for your life that will involve setting short-range and long-range goals and investigating different ways to reach those goals. Education, training, and experience all help make your goals become a reality. To achieve your goals, you will choose the best path and make a commitment to it, while remaining flexible enough to deal with changes and new opportunities.
Pet ownership is a mixture of fun, excitement, responsibility, commitment, expense, and learning. Besides providing a window into the animal world, owning pets gives us opportunities to participate in activities that strengthen the human-animal bond. Pet ownership teaches us about the responsibility we have to the other living beings on this planet, and pets can be just plain fun.
Beyond capturing family memories, photography offers a chance to be creative. Many photographers use photography to express their creativity, using lighting, composition, depth, color, and content to make their photographs into more than snapshots. Good photographs tell us about a person, a news event, a product, a place, a scientific breakthrough, an endangered animal, or a time in history.
Pioneering—the knowledge of ropes, knots, and splices along with the ability to build rustic structures by lashing together poles and spars—is among the oldest of Scouting’s skills. Practicing rope use and completing projects with lashings also allow Scouts to connect with past generations, ancestors who used many of these skills as they sailed the open seas and lived in America’s forests and prairies.
Plant scientists use their curiosity and knowledge to develop questions about the world of plants. Then they try to answer those questions with further observations and experiments in the laboratory and in the field. To earn this merit badge, Scouts will explore three of the most important plant science specialties: agronomy, horticulture, and field botany.
Plumbing, including pipe fitting, is an important and well-paid occupation. The industry is quite broad. It covers installations and repairs in homes, commercial properties, and factories. Plumbing pipelines are used for water supply, waste drainage, natural-gas heating, and many other purposes.
Programming merit badge will take you “behind the screen” for a look at the complex codes that make digital devices useful and fun.
The field of public health deals with maintaining and monitoring the health of communities, and with the detection, cure, and prevention of health risks and diseases. Although public health is generally seen as a community-oriented service, it actually starts with the individual. From a single individual to the family unit to the smallest isolated rural town to the worldwide global community, one person can influence the health of many.
A lot happens during the course of every person’s life and your ability to communicate your feelings and ideas is the best way to connect to the larger world. Even if you haven’t stood at a podium on the stage and find the whole idea scary, sooner or later, someone is going to ask you to get up and say a few words. If you are prepared, it won’t be scary. It can even be fun.
Here’s an astonishing number to digest. Each person in the United States uses about 700 pounds of paper each year. Paper is everywhere in our lives. Every year in the United States, more than 2 billion individual books, 24 billion newspapers, and 350 million magazines are published on paper.
By earning this badge, Scouts can learn about the history of railroading, its place in modern society, careers in railroading, and hobbies related to railroading.
​If you have ever wanted to go back in time or wished you could visit the future, if you are curious about the world, or if you are interested in how things work or like to learn new things, these are all reasons why you should want to read. Reading is fascinating. It’s full of surprises. And it will take you places you can’t get to in any other way.
Kids always have been interested in snakes, turtles, lizards, and alligators, as well as frogs and salamanders. Developing knowledge about these captivating creatures leads to an appreciation for all native wildlife; understanding the life cycle of a reptile or amphibian and keeping one as a pet can be a good introduction to natural history; and knowing about venomous species can help Scouts to be prepared to help in case of an emergency.
The Rifle Shooting merit badge shows you how a rifle works, how to handle it safely, and how to care for it. There is much more to shooting than squeezing the trigger. Once you have learned the fundamentals of rifle shooting, you can begin to apply them to various rifle-shooting sports and activities.
By studying salesmanship, Scouts can learn self-confidence, motivation, friendliness, and the persistence necessary to overcome obstacles and solve problems. Sales can offer a challenging and rewarding career for those who enjoy interacting with people from all walks of life.
​Working on the Scholarship merit badge provides Scouts with a great opportunity to become more successful in school. They will learn how to improve their skills in the classroom, develop good study habits, and master techniques for writing reports and taking tests.
Rowing is the use of oars as a means of propelling boats, has grown from a basic method of transportation to a competitive sport and an enjoyable method of exercising.
Explore a whole new environment under the sea with the Scuba Diving Merit Badge. Be Prepared to handle diving-related injuries and illnesses, learn the importance of diving responsibly, study underwater ecosystems, and wrap it all up by earning your open-water diving certification.
A search is an emergency situation requiring a team of trained searchers to locate a missing person. A rescue is an emergency situation where a person’s location is known – perhaps having just been found by searchers – and he or she must be removed from danger and returned to safety. By working on the Search and Rescue merit badge, you will learn and practice many skills that may someday save a life.
Learning to shoot is like mastering any other skill — it takes study and practice. The Shotgun Shooting merit badge is an introduction to safely using basic skills to hit the target. Once you have mastered the fundamentals, you can begin to apply them to a variety of shotgun activities.
The Signs, Signals and Codes merit badge covers a number of the nonverbal ways we communicate: emergency signaling, Morse code, American Sign Language, braille, trail signs, sports officiating hand signals, traffic signs, secret codes and more.
Sailing is one of the most enjoyable pastimes on the open water. The quiet and peacefulness of the water can provide a pleasant break from everyday life. However, smooth sailing requires paying careful attention to safety.
Skiing and snowboarding are the fastest and most thrilling ways to travel on foot in snow country. These sports also provide the physical benefits of fresh air, rhythmic action, and strenuous exercise. Many games and contests give snow sports variety and added rewards.
Conservation isn’t just the responsibility of soil and plant scientists, hydrologists, wildlife managers, landowners, and the forest or mine owner alone. It is the duty of every person to learn more about the natural resources on which our lives depend so that we can help make sure that these resources are used intelligently and cared for properly.
Space is mysterious. We explore space for many reasons, not least because we don’t know what is out there, it is vast, and humans are full of curiosity. Each time we send explorers into space, we learn something we didn’t know before. We discover a little more of what is there.
​Millions of people participate in sports every year. For some the appeal is the close friendships that come with being part of a team. Some revel in the joy of victory and lessons of defeat. For some, the personal fitness is so important that exercise becomes a daily need. And still others desire the feeling of achievement, that feeling of measurable improvement that comes with dedication to a sport.
The world’s most popular hobby, stamp collecting is enjoyed by millions throughout the world. Through this hobby. you can experience history: postage stamps are like tiny windows that introduce the people of the world to the country’s leaders, customs, history, products, and environment.
While earning this merit badge, Scouts will discover how land is measured and how it is described so that others can know where boundary lines are. They will have a chance to use some fine measuring instruments, apply advanced mathematics, operate computing equipment, and create a survey map.
Learn to reduce waste and teach sustainable practices to others so you can help conserve Earth’s resources with the Sustainability Merit Badge. Scouts will develop and implement a plan to reduce their water usage, household food waste, and learn about the sustainability of different energy sources, including fossil fuels, solar, wind, nuclear, hydropower, and geothermal.
People use countless fibers and fabrics in their everyday lives: clothes, carpets, curtains, towels, sheets, upholstered furniture. Add to that list boat sails, book bindings, bandages, flags, sleeping bags, mailbags, airbags, seat belts, backpacks, parachutes, umbrellas, basketball nets, and more.
Staying safe in traffic wherever you live is getting more difficult all the time, as more and more people take to the road. Earning the Traffic Safety merit badge and will give Scouts some crucial tools to stay safer, when driving a car on a highway, riding a bike across town, or jogging across a busy street.
Trucking is a large and important industry. No matter where you live, a day is unlikely to go by when you will not see a truck. We use these vehicles to deliver almost every material item we buy. Without trucks, our economy would not work efficiently.
The field of veterinary medicine in the 21st century is one of the most exciting medical professions in which to work. The skills of a veterinarian are practiced with cutting-edge technology and treatment options, and the profession offers a wide range of career choices.
Water sports are a fun and exhilarating way to enjoy being outdoors while developing strength, coordination, and fitness. By developing experience with water sports and practicing good judgment, Scouts will gain skills that will serve them well for a lifetime and have extreme fun while they do.
Meteorology is the study of Earth’s atmosphere and its weather and the ways in which temperature, wind, and moisture act together in the environment. In addition to learning how everyday weather is predicted, Scouts can learn about extreme weather such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes, and how to stay safe.
​Welding is the process of joining with a weld – joining or combining similar pieces of metal by heating them with a flame torch or an electric current, then hammering or pressing them together while they are soft. Welding plays a major role in our modern world, and mastery of the skill can lead to exciting career opportunities. Someday, you may have an opportunity to experience exciting new career paths in welding.
Canoeing or kayaking through whitewater rapids can be a thrilling experience. Safe whitewater fun requires each participant to understand the the equipment and techniques and to have a firm respect for the power of nature’s waterways.
In their outdoor activities, Scouts learn to bring the clothing and gear they need, to make good plans, and do their best to manage any risks. But now and then, something unexpected happens. When things go wrong, the skills of wilderness survival can help make everything right again.
As with any art, wood carving involves learning the basics of design, along with material selection and tools and techniques, as well as wood-carving safety. The requirements of the Wood Carving merit badge introduce Scouts to an enjoyable hobby and that can become a lifetime activity.
