Merit
Badges
“You can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades,
business, and future careers as you earn these merit badges. There
are more than 100 merit badges. Any Boy Scout may earn any merit
badge at any time. You don't need to have had rank advancement to
be eligible.” – scouting.org
Merit Badges are the second main area of the Boy Scout
advancement program. Unlike ranks, there is a degree of choice in
the merit badge program. A sub-group of merit badges are known as
Eagle required merit badges. To earn Eagle Scout, most of these
badges must be earned although some are "either/or" badges. The
remainder of the badges help with earning ranks as well as Eagle
Palms after the Eagle Scout award has been earned.
Geocaching Merit
Badge
Geocaching - Here are a few highlights of what Scouts will learn
while earning Geocaching merit badge: Precautions necessary to have
a safe time while searching for geocaches; Geocaching etiquette and
how the principles of Leave No Trace apply; Geocaching terms; How
GPS technology works; Steps for finding and logging a cache and How
to use geocaching.com, the official online home of geocaching. But
it isn't all "classroom work." The majority of the merit badge
involves Scouts searching for geocaches. They'll also have the
opportunity to create and hide their own caches.
Merit Badge
Midways
The best-known Merit Badge Midway is held at the National Boy
Scout Jamboree held every four years. More than a hundred booths
will fill the Merit Badge Midway featuring the many exciting
hands-on activities for Scouts. While they have the opportunity to
practice many skills related to the merit badges, they meet some of
the requirements of the badge(s) at the jamboree and then complete
the requirements at home. By the same token, some merit badge work
begun at home may be completed at the jamboree.