Test Your Merit Badge Counselor Knowledge

A merit badge counselor may be a counselor for only up to six merit badges. 

A merit badge counselor may not coach his own son or close relative (i.e., nephew) unless he is part of a group of Scouts all working on the same merit badge. 

A merit badge counselor who works only with a single unit needs only the unit committee’s approval before being approved by the Scout executive. 

Persons serving as merit badge counselors must be registered as a merit badge counselor with the Boy Scouts of America.

A Scout may earn no more than five merit badges from the same merit badge counselor.

Once a Scouter is approved as a merit badge counselor, he is approved for life and never has to be reapproved. 

A Scout must complete all the requirements for a merit badge within 12 months or he must start over. 

A merit badge counselor may require the Scout to work beyond the specific requirements of the merit badge so he may discover more about the subject and continue the learning process. 

Due to the BSA policies related to Youth Protection and two-deep leadership, a merit badge counselor must have another adult present during all merit badge counseling sessions. 

If the weather, locale, or some other condition makes meeting all of the conditions of the merit badge requirements impractical, the merit badge counselor may substitute requirements for those stated for the merit badge. 

Merit badge counselors must be at least 18 years old. 

If the requirements for a merit badge differ between the merit badge pamphlet and the current edition of Boy Scout Requirements, the requirements in the Boy Scout Requirements book supersede all others.