First Class & Above Merit Badges Offered – Please Note: Candidates Need to Complete the Pre-Reqs, to Earn the Merit Badges at the Clinic

• American Heritage (Pre-Reqs – 1, 2, 4, & 5)
• Genealogy (Pre-Reqs – 2, 3, 4, 6, & 7)
• Law (Pre-Reqs – 4, 6, & 7)

Other Merit Badges Offered:

• Archaeology (Pre-Reqs – 7,8,9) – Colonial American Focus
• Art (Pre-Reqs – 4,5,6,7)
• Citizenship in the Community (Pre-Reqs – 3,4,5,7,8)
• Citizenship in the Nation (Pre-Reqs – 5,6,7,8)

• Animation
• Archeology
• Chess
• First Aid
• Genealogy
• Music
• Mining in Society
• Space Exploration
• Sustainability
• Weather

Merit Badge Requirements Changes - What’s a Scout to Do?

The requirements posted at https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/merit-badges/ are the most current, accurate, and official. This will always be the best place to find the most up-to-date requirements.

If a new edition of a merit badge pamphlet is introduced with updated requirements after the Scouts BSA Requirements book has been released, a Scout who is starting the badge may choose to follow either set of requirements until the end of the year. At the start of the new year, Scouts who are beginning must use only the new requirements.

If a Scout has already started working on a merit badge when a new edition of the pamphlet is introduced, they may continue to use the same pamphlet and fulfill the requirements therein to earn the badge. They need not start over again with the new pamphlet and revised requirements.

Requirements Updated 2022

Merit badge requirement updates from 2022 Scouts BSA Requirements (33216) and announced since:

• Animation (3b)
• Archaeology (4b; requirements 8-11 reordered)
• Astronomy (1c, new 1d)
• Athletics (1b, 3d)
• Canoeing (4a, added 5c, deleted 13)
• Citizenship in the Nation (requirements substantially rewritten)
• Citizenship in Society (new)
• Climbing (1b)
• Coin Collecting (6, 7, 10a)
• Collections (1, 5a, 5c, 5e, 5f; deleted 7; added 3d)
• Dentistry (1b, 6d)
• Digital Technology (5b)
• Disability Awareness (1a, 1b)
• Electricity (10)
• Electronics (5c)
• First Aid (4, 5b, 8c, 10, 11, 12)
• Fish and Wildlife Management (3)
• Fishing (10)
• Fly-Fishing (10, 11)
• Health Care Professions (was Medicine, new requirements)
• Lifesaving (1, 2, 15, 16)
• Medicine (now Health Care Professions)
• Mining in Society (4)
• Motorboating (1a, 2a, 3a, 4, 5a, 5c)
• Photography (1a, 1b)
• Pioneering (2a, 2b, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 eliminated) [for an excellent online resource and one of the few places you can access the 2022 Pioneering Merit Badge pamphlet, see https://pioneeringmeritbadge.org].
• Programming (note following 5a)
• Public Health (1)
• Railroading (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
• Reading (1e, 3, 3a, 4, 5)
• Rowing (2)
• Sports (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4)
• Theater (5, added 3j
• Traffic Safety (1a, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 5b, 5d deleted)
• Woodwork (7)

Minor Changes to Scouts BSA Rank Requirements

Minor modifications to Scouts BSA rank requirements are in effect. In addition to Citizenship in Society becoming the 14th Eagle-required merit badge (already announced) effective July 1, 2022, there are a handful of changes to the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class and Star. [ added language in red]: 

Scout 1e: Repeat from memory the Outdoor Code. List the seven principles of Leave No Trace. Explain the difference between the two.

Scout 5: Tell what you need to know about using a pocketknife safely and responsibly.

Scout 6: With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide and earn the Cyber Chip Award for your grade or view the Personal Safety Awareness videos (with your parent or Guardian's permission).

Tenderfoot 1c: Explain how you demonstrated the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace on campouts or outings.

Tenderfoot 5a. Explain the importance of the buddy system as it relates to your personal safety on outings and where you live. Use the buddy system while on a troop or patrol outing.

Tenderfoot 5c: Explain the rules of safe and responsible hiking, both on the highway and cross-country, during the day and at night.

Second Class 1b: Recite the principles of Leave No Trace from memory. Explain how you follow them on all outings. [ deleted: This outing must be different from the one used for Tenderfoot requirement 1c.]

Second Class 2b: Use a pocketknife, and a saw or axe if needed, to prepare tinder, kindling, and fuel wood for a cooking fire.

Second Class 2c: Using a minimum-impact method, and at an approved outdoor location and time, use the tinder, kindling, and fuel wood from Second Class requirement 2b to demonstrate how to build a fire. Unless prohibited by local fire restrictions, light the fire.

After allowing the flames to burn safely for at least two minutes, safely extinguish the flames with minimal impact to the fire site.

Properly dispose of the ashes and and charred remains.

First Class 1b: Explain the potential impacts of camping. both on the environment and on other outdoor users. Explain why the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace principles are important for protecting the outdoors.

For a chart comparing the old and new language see https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Scouts-BSA-rank-requirements-side-by-side.pdf.

For the ranks of Scout through Star, the changes took effect August 1, 2022. Between August 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022, Scouts may continue to use the existing ("old") requirements for the rank on which they are currently working as of August 1st, OR they may choose to use the new requirements. Scouts MUST USE the new requirements once they advance to their NEXT rank. Effective January 1, 2023, ALL SCOUTS MUST USE ONLY THE NEW REQUIREMENTS.

Cub Scouting 2022-2023 Badges of Rank Requirements Sheet

The newly updated Cub Scouting 2022-2023 Badges of Rank Requirements sheet is now available at Required-Adventures-Chart-for-Ranks.pdf The chart shows what the Scouts need to accomplish each grade year to earn the Badge of Rank so leaders can plan their calendar year and prepare to easily order items for immediate recognition. This sheet was created in the ongoing effort to review program helps and make it “Fun, Simple, & Easy” to read, use, and deliver the program. It can also be a great tool to help train new leaders, for Commissioners who are helping units and leaders, and for Cub Pack leadership as they mentor and guide Pack leadership.