Discovering Merit Badges

I spoke yesterday with a recent Eagle who was working with my son and one other scout on the Veterinary Medicine merit badge.  "I didn't know there was a Veterinary Medicine merit badge," he said.  I had heard the same type of statement from a dozen scouts across the last few years.  Despite my efforts, these scouts don't really know about the breadth of opportunities available to them.
At this moment there are 128 merit badges available.  Two of these badges, Inventing and Scouting Heritage, are new this year.  One of the badges, Bugling, will be retired at the end of 2010 and the requirements rolled in with the Music merit badge.  Four of the badges are available only during 2010.  They are reissues of previously retired merit badges and are Carpentry, Pathfinding, Tracking, and Signaling.
In addition to this list there are two more merit badges announced for this year.  These are Geocaching and Robotics.
Each scout should take the time to review the possible merit badges to find what they might be interested in.  The BSA Introduction to Merit Badges page is the best place to start.  Scroll down for a list of badges and pictures of the available badges (Bugling isn't pictured but is still available for a few more months).

Why Earn Merit Badges

Employment is rapidly changing in our world.  Gone are the days where a student graduated from college and found a large, secure company, then stayed with them for thirty or so years until retirement.
Nowadays it is clear that there is no security in a specific job or company.  The way we do business is rapidly changing.  Security is a myth, but being prepared isn’t.  We should work at developing skills and talents that are in demand and learning to market and network so we can provide those skills as needed.  We must realize that we are all salesmen and we are in control of our destiny.  Our future doesn’t reside in a college diploma, but in our ability to learn, produce, and sell.

Add to that the great opportunities that exist to match our vocation with our avocations and we have the possibilities of a great future ahead of us.  Imagine taking what really interests us and turning it into a marketable skill, one where we can excel, help others and even be highly compensated.

But how do we find our interests?  How does a young boy in Kansas learn that Marine Biology is what he really enjoys?  How does another boy, growing up on a farm in Indiana learn he would excel and really enjoy being a musical therapist?
And how can we prepare our youth for this emerging world where we must all be salesmen and marketers in addition to fulfilling our other callings?
One tool I love to use with those youth I work with are the Merit Badge program.  There are more than 122 different merit badges and while it doesn’t come close to touching on all opportunities in the world the program can help boys learn more about the opportunities around us.  A tour of a high-tech manufacturing plant while working on the Composite Material merit badge might awaken within the scout a desire to design and create.  The Basketry merit badge might help another scout understand that they want to work with their hands.  Salesmanship is an awkward subject for many youth and adults but it is a skill we all need.
What I plan to do is write additional information on specific badges.  Hopefully you will find the useful as you work on the badges or help teach your boys.