MERIT BADGE COUNSELOR GUIDELINES:

TROOP 514

Training, qualifications, approval:

• In order to be approved as a MB Counselor, adult must complete MB Counselor training, Youth Protection training, and Virtus training
• To be approved as a MB Counselor, adult must complete a BSA Adult Leader application listing “42” as the position code. There is no charge for this registration. This is true even if the person is already a registered adult leader.
• Term of office is for 12 months, annually renewable at the request of the troop.
• Merit Badge Counselors must list on their application the badges for which they wish to act as counselor and the reasons they are qualified to counsel for these if specialized skills or education are required. These may be updated annually.
• Council policy is that adults counsel for a maximum of 10 merit badges, so that Scouts are forced to seek adult association with a greater number of adult counselors. Adult Association is one of the 8 methods of Scouting and giving Scouts the opportunity to work with many different adults as he earns merit badges enhances the program.

Procedures for working with the Scout:

• A Scout should make contact with the Merit Badge Counselor himself, and if a parent approaches a MBC to make the initial contact, the parent should be told that the Scout must make the contact.
• At the first meeting with the MBC, the Scout should already have a blue card for that merit badge signed by the Scoutmaster, indicating the SM’s approval for the Scout to work on that merit badge.
• The Merit Badge Counselor should make certain that the Scout has a copy of the appropriate Merit Badge Pamphlet, and that the Scout understands that he should read the entire pamphlet as he completes the badge.
• In the case of a Merit Badge Workshop, the MBC should announce the prerequisites for earning the badge at least 4 weeks before the workshop. It should be made clear that the Scouts must read the pamphlet prior to the workshop as well.
• Remember that in all cases, the TWO DEEP LEADERSHIP rules apply to Merit Badge Counselors as well. There must always be a third person present while the MBC meets with the Scout. This third person can be another Scout, a sibling of the Scout, a friend of the Scout, or another adult.