Merit Badge time limit

[halfpint]

Is there a time limit on the time that can be spent earning one merit badge? If there is, could you give me the scout reference material from which you got your information. I believe in our council that a boy not finishing a merit badge at camp has to complete that badge before going to camp the next summer. Otherwise, the camp staff will have the boy start the merit badge over.

[Scoutmaster Ron]

The only time limit that I am aware of is the scouts 18th bday. He can start a MB at age 11 and not finish until to be technical the day before his 18th bday regardless of where he started it. Sorry I cant quote book and page numbers.

[benny]

There is a one year time limit from the time of the receipt of the card and starting on the requirements to the completion of the merit badge.

[Bob White]

Sorry benny but Ron is closer.

A Boy Scout can begin work on a merit badge at any age (not 11) and has until his 18th Birthday to complete it. See the Advancement Policies and Procedures manual, or attend Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training.

[OldGreyEagle]

Try this link, the last line states the only deadline for completion of a merit badge is before the scouts 18th birthday.

 

BTW: It also says there is no rule against a counselor signing for a son, relative, ward, etc as well

 

Now, this is not an "official" BSA site, but I find it accurate

 

 

http://meritbadge.com/bsa/info/policy1.htm

[firstpusk]

Just trained merit badge counselors a few months ago - no time limit other than the 18th birthday.

[rlculver415]

The thing about the summer camp re-do is that most summer camps - at least the ones I know of personally - do not accept partially finished merit badges. The reason I was given is that the staff have no idea if or how well the scout actually did the work. The summer camps will send home a partial for the scout to finish at his own pace with a local MB counselor.

[halfpint]

Thank you all for your prompt responses.

[red feather]

Welcome, halfpint. Keep them coming.. 18 is the only limit I know of.

 

YIS

[evmori]

rlculver415,

I have a real issue with your post. If the counselors at summer camp won't accept partials, then I would take it to the program director. If you get no satisfaction there, then go to the camp director.

 

I can understand if the counselor wants to go over the completed requirements on a partial merit badge but not accepting a partial is not in line with the merit badge program.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[yarrow]

Pretty sure my boy earned merit badges at summer camp when he was 11. Must be able to. I know he was working on Eaglebound but also earned canoeing that summer.

 

Our troop policy is a year, but it is unenforcible by BSA. We recommend a year because it is hard to imagine what a scout is doing not finishing a badge within a year (camping, cycling, hiking, backpacking notible exceptions).

[KoreaScouter]

Respectfully to Yarrow;

 

There are probably as many circumstances that would require more than a year as there are Scouts. Here's a couple: where we live, private ownership of weapons such as rifles and bows/arrows is prohibited. Consequently, the only time our Scouts can earn Rifle Shooting & Archery is at Summer Camp. If there's more than a year between Summer Camps due to scheduling, and a Scout got a partial the first year, a one-year rule would force him to start over. I have a Scout who started Forestry early this year, and will finish it next year when we're scheduled to visit a public forest with an English-speaking ranger.

 

Personally, I think the requirements, rules, etc., are complicated enough without having one-year requirements for some badges and not for others. I like the 18-year old rule...

 

KS

[rlculver415]

Ed -

 

I'll check into it, but understand the policy was the camp's not the counselor's. It's worth the investigation, though.