Top 5 Merit Badges Earned in 2024
We’ve crunched the numbers, and are excited to share the Top 5 Merit Badges earned by Heart of Virginia Council Scouts in 2024! 
Heart of Virginia Council Scouts earned a total of 8,569 merit badges in 2024! Here’s the breakdown…
| Merit Badge | Earned |
|---|---|
| Citizenship in the World | 246 |
| Swimming | 242 |
| First Aid | 225 |
| Cooking | 219 |
| Personal Fitness | 216 |
| Citizenship in the Nation | 209 |
| Camping | 197 |
| Personal Management | 197 |
| Emergency Preparedness | 191 |
| Citizenship in Society | 189 |
| Communication | 186 |
| Citizenship in the Community | 182 |
| Fingerprinting | 180 |
| Environmental Science | 179 |
| Family Life | 155 |
| Rifle Shooting | 151 |
| Archery | 146 |
| Chess | 140 |
| Scouting Heritage | 137 |
| Leatherwork | 136 |
| Robotics | 129 |
| Soil and Water Conservation | 124 |
| Wood Carving | 115 |
| Sustainability | 114 |
| Weather | 114 |
| Welding | 110 |
| Kayaking | 105 |
| Bird Study | 102 |
| Fishing | 96 |
| Art | 95 |
| Automotive Maintenance | 92 |
| Shotgun Shooting | 88 |
| Archaeology | 87 |
| Nature | 87 |
| Mammal Study | 86 |
| Astronomy | 83 |
| Animation | 81 |
| Chemistry | 79 |
| Canoeing | 75 |
| Basketry | 74 |
| Geology | 74 |
| Engineering | 73 |
| Space Exploration | 71 |
| Wilderness Survival | 69 |
| Traffic Safety | 68 |
| Digital Technology | 67 |
| Salesmanship | 64 |
| Fish and Wildlife Management | 63 |
| Public Speaking | 63 |
| American Heritage | 59 |
| Metalwork | 59 |
| Moviemaking | 59 |
| Electricity | 58 |
| Nuclear Science | 58 |
| Woodwork | 58 |
| Climbing | 57 |
| Pottery | 57 |
| Indian Lore | 53 |
| Music | 53 |
| Law | 52 |
| Small-Boat Sailing | 50 |
| Snow Sports | 50 |
| Aviation | 48 |
| Electronics | 48 |
| Game Design | 48 |
| Photography | 48 |
| Search and Rescue | 48 |
| Signs, Signals, and Codes | 45 |
| Pioneering | 44 |
| Lifesaving | 43 |
| Forestry | 41 |
| Geocaching | 41 |
| Pulp and Paper | 41 |
| American Cultures | 39 |
| Pets | 38 |
| Graphic Arts | 36 |
| Public Health | 35 |
| Fire Safety | 34 |
| Motorboating | 34 |
| Entrepreneurship | 33 |
| Mining in Society | 33 |
| Stamp Collecting | 30 |
| Crime Prevention | 29 |
| Golf | 29 |
| Horsemanship | 28 |
| Radio | 27 |
| Reading | 27 |
| Scholarship | 27 |
| Sculpture | 27 |
| Railroading | 26 |
| Dentistry | 25 |
| Programming | 25 |
| Fly Fishing | 23 |
| Hiking | 23 |
| Model Design and Building | 23 |
| Orienteering | 23 |
| Oceanography | 22 |
| Reptile and Amphibian Study | 22 |
| Safety | 20 |
| Animal Science | 19 |
| Theater | 19 |
| American Business | 18 |
| Architecture | 18 |
| Coin Collecting | 18 |
| Drafting | 18 |
| Rowing | 18 |
| Energy | 16 |
| American Labor | 15 |
| Cycling | 15 |
| Backpacking | 14 |
| Truck Transportation | 13 |
| Painting | 12 |
| Disabilities Awareness | 11 |
| Insect Study | 11 |
| Landscape Architecture | 11 |
| Exploration | 10 |
| Collections | 9 |
| Plant Science | 9 |
| Skating | 9 |
| Genealogy | 8 |
| Home Repairs | 6 |
| Journalism | 5 |
| Scuba Diving | 5 |
| Sports | 5 |
| Surveying | 5 |
| Farm Mechanics | 4 |
| Athletics | 3 |
| Dog Care | 3 |
| Health Care Professions | 3 |
| Inventing | 3 |
| Water Sports | 3 |
| Gardening | 2 |
| Textile | 2 |
| Plumbing | 1 |
| Veterinary Medicine | 1 |