Merit Badges - Troop 86

Merit Badges – Focused Advancements

Merit badges are different from rank advancements. They focus on a specific topic. Scouts can choose the ones that interests them the most!

In addition to rank advancements, Scouts will work on various Merit Badges throughout their Scouting career.

The rank advancements are the same for every Scout. Each contains a listing of requirements that the Scout must complete on their own or with the troop. The first 4 ranks can be worked on simultaneously, while the remaining ranks must be completed in order.

Merit Badges work much differently. There are over 135 different merit badges that each focus on a specific topic. Scouts can pick the ones that interest them the most, and they can be worked on in any order. Whether it be something they are familiar with, or something they’ve never done, there’s always something new to learn!

For more info on, check out our New Scout pages. You can also get a listing of all of the current merit badges offered by the BSA.

Merit badges must be reviewed and approved by a registered merit badge councilor. Scouts can work with a councilor individually, or they can complete them at organized events such as Merit Badge Workshops or at Summer Camp.

Information About Specific Merit Badges

Most merit badges are pretty self-explanatory, and there is a lot of info available from the BSA and at other places online.

Click the links below for more information that we try to share with our Scouts regarding specific merit badges.