Merit Badge Counselor Guidelines

There seems to be some questions concerning the number of Merit Badges a person is authorized to instruct. All Merit Badge Counselors are to be approved by the Council Advancement Committee, according to the Guide to Advancement. Here are some Merit Badge Counselor Guidelines for clarification.  First, they must be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America and have completed Youth Protection Training.

National does not limit the number of Merit Badges a person may teach. Keeping in mind that a Merit Badge Counselor needs to have more than casual knowledge in the subject, the Council Advancement Committee has set a guideline that an individual may not register as a counselor for more than 8 Merit Badges.

I urge you to view section 7.0.0.0 in the Guide to Advancement to learn more about the Merit Badge program. Section 7.0.1.0, specifically deals with the qualifications for a Merit Badge Counselor. It reads that an applicant must be “recognized as having skills and education in the subjects they cover”. This would mean that a person’s vocation, hobbies, and interests are influencing factors in whether a person is qualified to teach a particular Merit Badge.

Keeping this in mind, Council Advancement Committee concluded that it was unlikely that an individual would maintain a significant level of expertise in more than 8 subjects. We want our children to be counseled by the most qualified instructors, whether it be in an individual or group setting, or at a Merit Badge weekend experience, or summer camp. For example, your English teacher at school would obviously be qualified to be a Counselor for Scholarship or Reading, but it is highly unlikely they are qualified to teach Dentistry.

If a person feels they are qualified to instruct a number greater than 8, they just need to appeal their case to the Council Advancement Committee with sufficient documentation to support their request.

If you have specific questions, or concerns, please contact Chuck Sullivan, VP of Program Support, at chucks0672@gmail.com, or 804-291-7998.

Check out our new Merit Badge displays in the Scout Shop at 8090 Villa Park Drive in Henrico!