Dear faculty, staff, and students,
You are all experts in one field or another and many of you experts in multiple fields of study. The Boy Scouts of
America would like to present each of you with the opportunity to be Merit Badge or Belt Loop consolers and
share that expertise with the Scouts of our community!
The Merit Badge Counselor works with Boy Scouts or Venture Scouts 11-18 years old
The Belt Loop Counselor works with Cub Scouts 7-11 years old
What is a Merit Badge?
There are 126 Merit Badges as part of the Scouting program. Each of these address a hobby, sport, vocational,
or avocation specialty. 12 of these are “required” for a Boy Scout to earn his Eagle Scout Rank. These include
Swimming, Camping, Lifesaving, Physical Fitness, Citizenship in the Community, Communication, and 6 others.
There are varying numbers of requirements for each but more information the requirements can be found at
http://usscouts.org/meritbadges.asp.
What is a Merit Badge Counselor?
A merit badge counselor is both a teacher and a mentor to the Scout as he works on the merit badge.
Merit badge counselors should be satisfied that each Scout under their guidance meets all the
requirements set forth for the merit badge. In this sense, a merit badge counselor is an examiner. In a
larger sense, the real opportunity for a counselor lies in coaching—helping Scouts over the different
hurdles of the requirements and helping make them aware of the deeper aspects of the subject from their
knowledge and experience.
The merit badge counselor may help a Scout by providing instruction and guidance on the subject
matter. However, the counselor must not complete the Scout's work on the requirements. The counselor
needs to test the Scout to ensure that he has completed all the required work but may not modify the
merit badge requirements in the process. This standard ensures that the advancement requirements are
fair and uniform for all Scouts.
The requirements for each merit badge appear in the current BSA merit badge pamphlet for that award
and in the current edition of the Boy Scout Requirements book, available at Scout shops, council service
centers, and online at websites such as http://usscouts.org/meritbadges.asp.
When a Scout has decided on a merit badge he would like to earn, he obtains from his Scoutmaster the
name and phone number of the district/council-approved merit badge counselor. At this time, the
Scoutmaster also can issue the Scout a signed Application for Merit Badge (blue card).
The Scout contacts the merit badge counselor (you) to make an appointment, and together you and the
Scout schedule a date and time for the Scout and his buddy to meet. The counselor suggests that the
Scout bring the merit badge pamphlet, the Application for Merit Badge, and any work that he has started
or accomplished, and that he prepare by reading over the requirements.
At their first meeting, the merit badge counselor and the Scout decide upon a tentative schedule for
completing the requirements. They should keep the Scout's other obligations (Scouting, school, worship,
etc.) in mind, and set the dates, times, and locations for future meetings. The counselor will explain the
requirements for the badge and help the Scout plan ways to fulfill these requirements so that he can get
the most out of the experience.
What is a Belt Loop?: A Belt Loop is an age appropriate program from Cub Scouts 7-11 years of age.
It is a basically a scaled back, simpler merit badge program for younger Scouts. These teach youth
about various vocational and hobby fields.
What is a Belt Loop Counselor?: These folks help guide Cub Scouts normally as packs or dens using
the Belt Loop Counselors expertise. The Cub Scouts Belt Loops are fairly simplified requirements but
introduce these Cub Scouts to topic in academics and sports they most likely would otherwise not have a
chance to learn about. Similar to Boy Scouts’ Merit Badges, these Belt Loops introduce youth to topics
that may spruce a lifelong interest or passion.
How do I get started?: Please review the current Belt Loops below and decide which ones you would be
comfortable teaching Cub Scout aged youth. Then, fill out the contact information and list those Belt Loops you
are interested in teaching. Once you submit this back to the Boy Scouts of America, you will be contacted by a
representative that will register you in this position, get you more information, and answer questions. Finally,
we will put you on our Belt Loop Consoler list and Cub Scout groups will being contacting you.
Current Merit Badges:
American Business, American Cultures, American Heritage, American Labor, Animal Science,
Archaeology, Archery, Architecture, Art, Astronomy Athletics, Automotive Maintenance
Aviation, Backpacking, Basketry, Bird Study, Bugling, Camping, Canoeing, Chemistry,
Cinematography, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World,
Climbing, Coin Collecting, Collections, Communications, Composite Materials, Computers, Cooking,
Crime Prevention, Cycling, Dentistry, Disabilities Awareness, Dog Care, Drafting, Electricity,
Electronics, Emergency Preparedness, Energy, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Science,
Family Life, Farm Mechanics, Fingerprinting, Fire Safety, First Aid, Fish and Wildlife Management,
Fishing, Fly Fishing, Forestry, Gardening, Genealogy, Geocaching, Geology, Golf, Graphic Arts,
Hiking, Home Repairs, Horsemanship, Indian Lore, Insect Study, Inventing, Journalism, Landscape
Architecture, Law, Leatherwork, Lifesaving, Mammal Study, Medicine, Metalwork, Model Design and
Building, Motorboating, Music, Nature, Nuclear Science, Oceanography, Orienteering, Painting,
Personal Fitness, Personal Management, Pets, Photography, Pioneering, Plant Science, Plumbing,
Pottery, Public Health, Public Speaking, Pulp and Paper, Radio, Railroading, Reading
Reptile and Amphibian Study, Rifle Shooting, Rowing, Safety, Salesmanship, Scouting Heritage
Scholarship, Scuba Diving, Sculpture, Shotgun Shooting, Skating, Small-Boat Sailing, Snow Sports,
Soil and Water Conservation, Space Exploration, Sports, Stamp Collecting, Surveying, Swimming,
Textile, Theater, Tracking, Traffic Safety, Truck Transportation, Veterinary Medicine, Water, Sports,
Weather, Whitewater, Wilderness Survival, Wood Carving, Woodwork
Current Belt Loops:
Archery, BB-Gun, Badminton, Baseball. Basketball, Bicycling, Bowling, Fishing, Flag Football, Golf,
Gymnastics, Hiking, Hockey, Horseback Riding, Ice Skating, Kickball, Marbles, Physical Fitness,
Roller Skating, Skateboarding, Snow Ski and Board Sports, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis,
Tennis, Ultimate, and Volleyball
Art, Astronomy, Chess, Citizenship, Collecting, Communicating, Computers, Disabilities Awareness,
Family Travel, Geography, Geology, Good Manners, Heritages, Language and Culture, Map and
Compass, Mathematics, Music, Nutrition, Pet Care, Photography, Reading and Writing, Science, Video
Games, Weather, and Wildlife Conservation
Go to http://usscouts.org/advance/cubscout/a-sindex.asp for requirements and more information.
Next Step:
Please fill out the information below and we will add you to our Belt Loop/Merit Badge Consoler list. Scouts will
be contacting you shortly to start absorbing your knowledge. You might inspire a Scout’s future hobby or
vocation. Steven Spielberg contributes his merit badge experiences in photography and cinematograph in
inspiring him to be a film director.
Name:____________________Address:________________________City:___________St.____Zip:________
Phone:________________Email:______________________Age:____
Please list the merit badge/belt loop subjects from the list above that you are interested in participating in
below:
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*Please contact Matt Stuchlik, Wheatland District Executive at 316-641-6899; matthew.stuchlik@scouting.org or
Johnnie Roberts, Wheatland District Advancement Chair at 785-324-0494; johnnievicki@gorhamtel.com with
questions or comments. Please send your complete contact information and topic expertise and interest to
Matt Stuchlik for review and so that we can follow up with you to register you as a merit badge/belt loop
consoler.
Thanks for your consideration in working with the future leaders of America.