Historical merit badges help Boy Scouts celebrate Scouting’s past

BSA Announced today, via the Scouting Magazine Blog at http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org that in honor of the BSA’s 100th Anniversary, today’s generation of Scouts will get the unique opportunity to experience some of the activities their predecessors enjoyed. That’s possible thanks to the BSA’s new Historical Merit Badge Program, a set of four discontinued merit badges that today’s Scouts can earn.

Boys can earn any or all of these merit badges:

Signaling

• First offered in 1910 (as Signaller merit badge) and discontinued in 1992.

Tracking

• First offered in 1911 (as Stalker merit badge) and discontinued in 1952.

Pathfinding

• First offered in 1911 and discontinued in 1952.

Carpentry

• First offered in 1911 and discontinued in 1952.

The US Scouting Service Project has posted the requirements for these badges and Scouts can start working on them NOW.

The basics of the 2010 Historical Merit Badge program include:

• The merit badges will closely resemble the original designs of the merit badges with the exception of the borders. The borders will be embroidered with a shiny gold thread that will be immediately identifiable as a 2010 Historical Merit Badge.
• The original merit badge requirements will be used wherever possible. Exceptions will be made when current safety or social standards dictate. Adaptations can also be made for special needs Scouts.
• The merit badges will count for towards a boy’s rank advancement.
• Work on the badges is not to commence prior to January 1, 2010 and is to be finished no later than December 31, 2010.
• The Supply Division will not create or reprint pamphlets for the merit badges. Any and all material will be posted to a special section of the 100th Anniversary web site that can be accessed by the interested boys and their merit badge counselors.