The history of merit badges in Scouting America has been tracked by categorizing them into a series of merit badge types. In addition to Scouting America, many other Scouting and Scouting-like organizations around the world, such as Pathfinders, Baden-Powell Scouts and Royal Rangers, issue merit badges or their equivalent; though they are sometimes called honors or proficiency badges. Other organizations, such as fire brigades, issue badges or awards that they refer to as merit badges, but that is in some respects different from the badges awarded by Scouting America.
Merit badges has been an integral part of the Scouting program since the start of the movement in the United Kingdom on August 1, 1907, and is an important part of the uniform and insignia of Scouts BSA. Scouting came to the United States in 1910; Scouting America quickly issued an initial list of just 14 merit badges but did not produce or award them. In 1911, Scouting America manufactured the first official 57 merit badges and began awarding them. The number of badges available has been as high as 127 in 1975 and again in 1987. As of February 2017, the number of badges available is 137. Merit badge types are identifiable by the cloth and manufacturing process used to make them. The classification of badges into types came about as a way for collectors to categorize and classify their collections. Merit badge collectors often collect other Scouting memorabilia as well.
Purpose of merit badges Merit badges exist to encourage Scouts to explore areas that interest them and to teach them valuable skills in Scoutcraft. The award of merit badges sometimes leads to careers and lifelong hobbies. Scouts earn a merit badge by satisfying specified criteria; a Court of Honor is then held to present the badge. Scouts can earn badges at any point in their Scouting career, although this was not always the case — in the 1960s, Scouts first had to earn the rank of First Class before being allowed to work on and earn badges. The higher ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle require merit badges be earned. Certain badges are mandatory to receive these higher ranks. For a few years during the 1980s and 90s, First Aid merit badge was a requirement for the First Class rank. Other mandatory badges include Citizenship in the Community and Environmental Science (see full list). The number of merit badges required for each of these higher ranks has varied historically, as has the ratio of mandatory merit badges and non-mandatory badges for those ranks. Since 2005, Scouts must earn a total of 21 merit badges for the Eagle Scout rank, 14 of which must be from the mandatory list. Once Scouts attain the Eagle rank, they can earn Eagle Palms, a core requirement of which is earning more merit badges.
Badge history
The BSA changes the design, name, and availability of merit badges depending on various factors such as their popularity, shifts in the focus of the Scouting program, and changes in society. Of the original 57 merit badges from 1911, only 11 are still available that also still have the same basic design motif (Architecture, Art, Athletics, Chemistry, First Aid, Lifesaving, Music, Plumbing, Public Health, Scholarship, and Surveying). Of those 11, only five were made available in each "generation" of the 10 merit badge types (these are Architecture, Art, Chemistry, Plumbing, and Public Health). The remaining six were not reproduced in a short-lived "generation" of merit badges, Type I. There are another 21 merit badges still available that are essentially the same as 1911 merit badges but with different designs: American Business (was Business), Archery, Astronomy, Aviation, Bird Study (was Ornithology), Bugling, Camping, Cooking, Cycling, Electricity, Fire Safety (was Firemanship), Fishing (was Angling), Forestry, Gardening, Horsemanship, Painting, Photography, Pioneering, Sculpture, Small Boat Sailing (was Seamanship), and Swimming.
Examples of merit badge change due to the degree of popularity/interest in a subject include "Interpreting", which only existed from 1911 to 1952, when it was dropped; and "Genealogy" which was added in 1972 when interest in that subject increased.
An example of merit badges reflecting changes in the focus of the Scouting program is "Civics", which was originally the only citizenship-related merit badge. In 1947 the name was changed to "Citizenship." In 1952, the BSA split "Citizenship" into four separate badges, which were in turn modified several times. Since 1991, the badges in this group are "Citizenship in the Community", "Citizenship in the Nation", "Citizenship in the World", and "Family Life", all four of which are currently on the mandatory list for Eagle Scout.
The "First Aid to Animals" and "Plant Science" merit badges have both evolved due to societal changes. "First Aid to Animals" was one of the original merit badges in 1911 but was dropped in 1972. It was resurrected as "Veterinary Science" in 1973 with a focus on small pet-type animals vs. farm animals. It was renamed "Veterinary Medicine" in 1995. Merging of merit badges can be seen in "Plant Science", into which all crop growing merit badges were merged in the 1970s. Similarly, most of the merit badges related to animal husbandry were merged into "Animal Science".
The "Personal Health" merit badge was an original 1911 badge with a heart motif. It was merged with the "Physical Development" badge and was replaced in 1952 with the "Personal Fitness" badge. It was redesigned in 1969, displaying a youth in gym gear doing what appears to be a jumping jack exercise.
The merit badges on the mandatory list for Eagle Scout have changed several times; "First Aid" is the only merit badge that has always been on the mandatory list for Eagle Scout. In 1969, the BSA began manufacturing those merit badges that are required in order to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout with a silver border instead of the green border used on other merit badges. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the BSA, a historical merit badge program was announced by BSA. Scouts could earn any of the four merit badges: Carpentry, Pathfinding, Signaling, and Tracking. Each had been previously retired in 1952, except Signaling, which was discontinued in 1992. These could be used as electives for Star Scout, Life Scout, and Eagle Scout, and had to be started and completed during 2010; after which these badges would again be retired. There have been a number of discontinued merit badges over the years.
A new merit badge for Robotics was jointly announced by NASA and the Boy Scouts of America in July 2011. This new badge recognizes the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and the 'wide-reaching impact of robotics'. The BSA worked for 14 months to develop this new badge, collaborating with organizations such as iRobot, VEX Robotics, the Boston Museum of Science, Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy and NASA. The BSA currently has 31 STEM-related merit badges.
Boy Scouts who have earned all merit badges There have been 621 confirmed Boy Scouts who have earned all the merit badges. The first Boy Scout to do so was Stephen Porter in 1914. The first Boy Scout to earn all the merit badges before earning his Eagle was David R. Schulze in 2004. Both of his younger brothers Lance Schulze and Aaron Schulze would follow in his footsteps making them one of four families where all three sons earned every merit badge. The other trios are the Kunz brothers from San Diego, the Pugh brothers from Ferndale, and the Weeks brothers from South Ogden. The first Boy Scout to earn all the merit badges and go on to travel to every sovereign country was Indy Nelson in 2011, with the latter achieved in 2017.
A record of Boy Scouts who have earned all available merit badges can be found at Merit Badge Knot.com. This record may be incomplete, but it is the best record currently available. Additionally, scouts who have earned all the merit badges may receive a square knot patch from Merit Badge Knot.com.
Types of merit badges According to collectors and badge historians, there have been 11 major styles of merit badges: Types A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K.
Type A Front/Reverse(Gardening) Essential facts Description Nickname: square Years of Issue: 1911–1933 Background Type A merit badges were manufactured in rolls and then cut into squares approximately square, hence its nickname square. Front Type A badges are known for their square or rectangular-shaped cloth with circular embroidered design. During one period of time, these badges were distributed in a roll containing many badges, with each individual badge being cut from the roll. Uncut rolls are said to exist. Reverse Some Type A, B, and C badges bear black watermarks or partial watermarks of the BSA emblem on the back as these were printed on the back of the rolls at certain intervals.
Type B Front/Reverse(Public Health) Essential facts Description Nickname: wide border Years of Issue: 1934–1935 Unusually large size Background Some Type B and C badges retained the same cloth color as Type A, but most came in a darker tan/brown cloth. Front Type B merit badges were the first badges to be manufactured with a smooth, round shape, which the manufacturer produced by folding the badge's edge under the back and crimping it. Type C, D, and E badges were also manufactured in this manner, hence Types B–E are referred to as crimped. Type B badges have a diameter of about after crimping. Type B has a margin of between the edge of the badge and the embroidered green ring; because this margin is wider than in the Type C badge. Reverse As with Type A, some Type B badges bear watermarks on the back.
Type C Front/Reverse(Civics) Essential facts Description Nickname: narrow border, narrow tan Years of Issue: 1936–1946 Background Type C merit badges were made from the same type of cloth as Type B badges, but were a little smaller in width. Front The diameter of a Type C badge from outer edge to the outer edge is about , with the distance from the crimp to the outer edge of the green ring being . Size is the only difference in Types B and C; hence the nicknames narrow border and narrow tan. In fact, all Type C, D and E badges are the same sizes. Compare Types B and C side-by-side; the difference in the distance from the outer crimp edges to the green rings is obvious. Beginning with Type C, all merit badges have been made with a diameter of , except for a few Type I designs (see below). Most Type C badges were not made after 1942 (see Type D section below); only the Air Scout aviation blues, which came in four designs, were made in Type C from 1942 to 1946. These had the standard Type C cloth but were fully embroidered with blue backgrounds inside a blue ring. This is the only time badges were made with blue rings. Reverse As with Type A, some Type C badges bear watermarks on the back. Type C, D, and E merit badges all have to size on the back, which serves as a stiffener to help the badge retain its crimp.
Type D Front/Reverse(Camping) Essential facts Description Nickname: fine twill, sand twill Years of Issue: 1942–1946 Background Type D merit badges were made from a lighter weight cloth with a much finer weave and lighter tan color than Type C badges because the heavier, thicker weave material that Type C badges were made from was needed to make uniforms needed during World War II. This is the only difference between a Type C and Type D. FrontBecause of its finer weave twill material, Type D badges are called fine twill. Another name for them is sand twill because of their sandy color. The only Type C badges made during this era were the aforementioned Type C aviation–blues. Because sand twills were made such a short time many decades ago; they are rather rare. Reverse As with Type C, Type D badges have to size on the back.
Type E