BellaOnline Forums Family Boy Scouts how hard is it to get all 121 merit badges

my son wants to earn them all...(oh my) do you have to have a merit badge councelor for all of them?

It's been years since I have been in Scouting, but I think you do need a counselor for all of them. Each badge earned has to have a merit badge card that is signed off on by a counselor. That certifies that the requirements have been met.

I am in Heart of America Council. The council used to maintain a list of merit badge counselors. Also, each troop should maintain a cadre of counselors. You don't have to use a counselor in your own troop, but often it is easier that way.

One way to make sure that your son has access to a good selection of merit badge counselors is to become the Merit Badge Counselor Coordinator for your son's troop. This person recruits people to become counselors. It's not difficult becoming a counselor. You need to know something about the subject, and you must have some training from the BSA. Simple!

Hope this helps!

yes it does, but we live in a small town (nebraska) so it is hard to get people involved.. but i will do what i can

I've found that when it comes to getting people involved, the worst thing is to make an announcement in a meeting. The best thing is to do some research about peoples' hobbies and interests, then approach them to become merit badge counselors for badges that interest them. Appeal to their self-interest. They will share their knowledge with kids who are ready to learn. They will be building their community. This approach really worked for me in our troop. We had 95 (as I remember it) merit badges covered in our group alone.

Have a blessed week,
Connie

There are actually 124 current merit badges, and yes, your son has to be approved by a merit badge counselor specific to each badge.

I suggest your son - not you - talk to his Scoutmaster about his goal of earning all the merit badges. Between him and his Scoutmaster, they should be able to work out a plan to get him started on that long trail.

A number of Scouts (a very small number) have earned all of the merit badges that Scouting offers. There is an article where I interviewed one of those Scouts in the Advancement section on the Home page.

The problem with a remote location is getting the proper merit badge counselor involved. Parents can be merit badge counselors but you have to have some specific knowledge or training in the area for which you want to be a counselor. Often you will find some "Not-usual" merit badges offered at merit badge colleges. The advice mentioned above about merit badge counselor lists for the council is good. Councils are supposed to update their councilor list every year.

It is quite a challenge. I would be interested in keeping up with how your son is doing.

Wow. I've never heard of anyone doing that. How old is your son?

My husband and I have been involved for Boy Scouts for 6 or 7 years now and right when we joined there was someone who had gotten some extra number beyond what is required for Eagle Scout and I remember them saying at the Eagle Award ceremony that even that was very unusual.

You may want to consider identifying the merit badges that are required for Eagle Scout and making those a higher priority. That way if your son's ambition shifts from doing all the badges to making it to Eagle Scout, he will be in a good position to do so.

Good luck. Oh the other thing to consider in needing merit badge counselors is that YOU can apply to be a merit badge counselor. Though again... how much time you have makes a huge difference in whether this is realistic.

Anne

There's a lot of fun in the idea of "gotta get them all" so I understand the drive. Like AnneE said, priorities may shift over time. Tell him that you absolutely will support him. Then start with the ones he really loves. If his interest changes over time, that's fine! It's how things go in life. He starts with motivation and then realizes his true goal is somewhere else, and that is quite ok.