Merit Badge Counselor Training
Share your inspiration and experience, and spark a Scout’s lifelong interest.
The merit badge counselor is a key player in the Scouts BSA advancement program. Whatever your area of expertise or interest—whether it is a special craft or hobby (basketry, leatherwork, coin collecting), a profession (veterinary medicine, aviation, engineering), or perhaps a life skill (cooking, personal management, communications)—as a merit badge counselor, you can play a vital role in stirring a Scout’s curiosity about that particular topic. By serving as a merit badge counselor, you offer your time, knowledge, and other resources so that Scouts can explore a topic of interest.
Four Steps to Become a Merit Badge Counselor
Safety first! To become a merit badge counselor, a volunteer must complete Youth Protection Training (YPT) which can be found on My.Scouting.org. Once complete, you will be offered the opportunity to print a completion certificate. Please print it as you must submit this proof of completion with your application to be a merit badge counselor.
Complete a new adult application. This form is required in addition to your current registration with your unit or District. Please pay special attention to filling in the “Council/District Position” as “Merit Badge Counselor”. The signature blocks for the unit committee chairman and chartered organization representative do not have to be signed since those approvals are for unit leaders only. The adult application must be submitted with the Merit Badge Counselor Information Sheet. NOTE: The entire application form must be filled in and signed, including the Disclosure/Authorization page located before the application form page itself. All applicants and currently Registered Scouters go through a background check – as noted and authorized on the Disclosure/Authorization page of the Adult Application form.
The Merit Badge Counselor Information Form is used by the District to know which merit badges you want to teach, to show why you are qualified to teach the listed merit badges, and to approve your request. Before filling it out, read both sides of the form. If you have any questions or need assistance, please talk with your unit MB coordinator, the District MB Dean, or the District Advancement Chair. If you plan to only counsel within your unit, remember to check the “Only with Scouts in these units (indicate whether troop, team, or crew)” and fill in your unit number. If you wish to counsel Scouts outside the unit please check the “All Scouts in these districts” and fill in the District(s). MBCs are authorized to counsel anywhere within the NCAC.
Turn in all of your paperwork to Council, attention Kathy Wasserman. Email is fine!
Special Merit Badge Counselor Roles
Nova STEM
By becoming a Nova counselor, you’ll introduce Scouts to the basic principles of STEM and help them discover how fun and fascinating science, technology, engineering and math can be. You’ll help guide them as they earn the Nova awards as Cub Scouts, Webelos, Scouts, Sea Scouts or Venturers.
Link to Nationals https://www.scouting.org/stem-nova-awards/volunteer-support/
Citizenship in Society
Merit Badge Counselors must complete two additional steps for this specific merit badge:
- Fill out Citizenship in Society Merit Badge Counselor Attestation of Understanding.
- After review of application, Applicant will need to take NNJC training to be listed as a MBC for the Badge.
