2011-2012 New Merit Badges

[SoCal76]

Remember to get a new badge some group out there is sponsoring it.

It appears thet the sponsor is Dr Jeanne Sinquefield of the St. Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center.

I think I read that the pamphel will be available around August 5. I'm curious about the requirements.

It might be a fun merit badge to counsel.

[smtroop168]

I saw a note in the new Scouting Magazine that refers to a Search and Rescue MB coming out in 2012.

[sjolly75]

There is also a Kayaking merit badge coming out this year. I wonder if the Kayaking BSA award will be going away. I do look forward to seeing the merit badge requirements for it!

Steve

[wagionvigil]

There is also a Kayaking merit badge coming out this year. I wonder if the Kayaking BSA award will be going away. I do look forward to seeing the merit badge requirements for it!

Steve

No I think they are keeping it.

[cdwscout]

They kept SCUBA BSA after making SCUBA Merit Badge, so they'll probably keep Kayaking BSA. I hope Kayaking MB has a trip, or something making it harder than Kayaking BSA, which could be earned in a few hours of (relatively) hard work.

[orthogonal]

Here is my favorite joke from the Edinburgh joke festival

"I was playing chess with my friend and he said, ‘Let’s make this interesting’. So we stopped playing chess."

I think people make fun of chess because it is cool. I'm excited to try chess out with my unit.

[scoutaholic]

Search and Rescue - Saw a new post forwarding info from a BSA press release today. Search and Rescue MB was being introduced and the National Search and Rescue Conference. They have a picture of the badge, but are not specific about requirements or release date. Elsewhere (http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/merit-badge-calendar/) I've seen a release expected for "Early Summer 2012".

Kayaking - The same website listed above shows the release date for Kayaking MB as June 13, 2012. They also have a picture of the badge and a link to the cover-art for the pamphlet.

Animation - I missed any announcements about this one, but when I was at the scout shop last week, they have a place for it on the shelf. Shop staff was surprised when the new display arrived. They had not heard of this new one either. The website listed above shows expected release for "2013-2014?".

Game Design - I missed any announcements about this one, but when I was at the scout shop last week, they have a place for it on the shelf. Shop staff was surprised when the new display arrived. They had not heard of this new one either. The website listed above shows expected release for "2013".

Programming - I missed any announcements about this one. The website listed above shows expected release for "2012-2013".

[Billiken]

Search and Rescue - Saw a new post forwarding info from a BSA press release today. Search and Rescue MB was being introduced and the National Search and Rescue Conference. They have a picture of the badge, but are not specific about requirements or release date. Elsewhere (http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/merit-badge-calendar/) I've seen a release expected for "Early Summer 2012".

This would make sense as a search and rescue exercise is part of the NAYLE ciriculum at Philmont.

[lifescoutforlife]

Kayaking - The same website listed above shows the release date for Kayaking MB as June 13, 2012. They also have a picture of the badge and a link to the cover-art for the pamphlet.

Today is June 13th. Any news?

[John F.]

In the web site for scouting.org they list the requirements for the kayaking merit badge.


http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Boy ... adges.aspx

[AquilaNegra2]

My son did the Kayaking option for whitewater, and the BSA Kayaking award. His counselor says that everything except 3b, 4, 5ab are already covered.

I guess I'm not seeing why this needed to be a separate badge -- OR, are they planning to discontinue Whitewater in favor of the Kayaking and Canoeing badges?

[PaulSWolf]

There are no plans to discontinue the Kayaking BSA award (patch). Scouts that earn both the patch and the merit badge will be able to wear the merit badge on the uniform (sash) and the patch on their swim suit. As noted, most of the requirements are similar or identical (but arranged differently), but there are a few items unique to the patch that aren't required for the merit badge and some required for the merit badge that aren't needed for the patch. A Scout can work on both simultaneously, but earning one does NOT automatically qualify him for the other.

I've added the Kayaking merit badge requirements to the USSSP (USScouts.org web site, and have prepared a workbook for the merit badge. (see http://usscouts.org/mb/mb149.asp). They'll be added to meritbadge.org as soon as Bob can get to it.

The workbook includes the requirements for both the Merit Badge and the patch and identifies the items needed for the patch that aren't already covered in the merit badge and vice-versa, so Scouts will have all requirements for both awards in one place.

====================
As a side note, the latest info I have for the next badge - Search and Rescue - is to look for an August release date. I'll hopefully have more info next week.

[Rhodyman]

On http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Search_%26_Rescue Search and Rescue Merit Badge is listed with ID: 148

However, ID 148 is Welding. The next available ID is 150, so when it does come out, chances are that is what it will be.

Steve Henning
http://scouters.us/homemb.html

[RWSmith]

Steve,

Welcome to the forums.

Pls ck your e-mail in a few minutes. (PMs are disabled here.)

[PaulSWolf]

Steve was right. I've corrected the page. Of course, the requirements and workbooks won't be available until August.

[smtroop168]

I had one of my scouts earn Kayaking MB at summer camp this week.

[Troop450_Sarge]

Signed up to teach both the Chess and Search and Rescue merit badges.

[smtroop168]

Welcome to the forum.

I wonder how you signed up to ba a counselor for S&R since you don't know what the requirements are and if you would be qualified?

[lifescoutforlife]

Any news on the release date of Search and Rescue merit badge?

[RWSmith]

Any news on the release date of Search and Rescue merit badge?

Estimated: 20 Aug

Ref: Bryan On Scouting's 'Calendar of New Merit Badges' -- part of Scouting magazine's official blog