Awards and Merit Badges

2016-2017 Merit Badge Calendar

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LEARNING AND ADVENTURE
Scouts want to experience new adventures and accomplish new tasks. Scouting gives direction, helps to establish goals, and rewards the scout for his efforts. While working on their Merit Badges and their rank advancement, Scouts are learning different and increasingly more involved skills that will benefit him throughout life.

Troop 112 strictly adheres to the “No More – No Less” policy, as applied toward awards and achievements. That is, no leader will require more than the official requirements for the completion of an award or achievement and no leader will require less than the official requirements for an award or achievement.

RANK ADVANCEMENT
Troop 112 places a priority on rank advancement over the earning of Merit Badges. Troop 112 does not permit Scouts to earn Merit Badges prior to the rank of First Class Scout (except for those earned at summer camp). Even then, the actual Merit Badge is not presented to the Scout until the Scout achieves the rank of First Class. This approach has been adopted to encourage Scouts to work on basic skills that will broaden their interest in and their appreciation for Scouting. Consider the following:

The Scout who attains the rank of Tenderfoot has a 10% likeliness of reaching Eagle Scout.

The Scout who attains the rank of 2nd Class has a 15% likeliness of reaching Eagle Scout.

The Scout who attains the rank of First Class has a 40% likeliness of achieving Eagle Scout.

The Scout who attains the rank of Star Scout has a 60% likeliness of achieving Eagle Scout.

The Scout who attains the rank of Life Scout has an 80% likeliness of achieving Eagle Scout.

MERIT BADGES
Merit Badges are earned by completing academic and skills tests in any of 123 different Merit Badge subjects. Each Merit Badge requires the Scout to work with a Merit Badge Leader and be able explain materials, present information and pass tests.

It is assumed that all Scouts will work toward the rank of Eagle Scout. Thus, how many Merit Badges a Scout must earn for each rank is based on the total number of Merit Badges required for the rank of Eagle Scout. Of the 123 Merit Badges offered, thirteen particular Merit Badges are required for the rank of Eagle Scout. These are:

Beyond First Class Scout, in addition to other requirements, a Scout must work with intention to complete a certain number of Merit Badges for each rank earned.

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