Question on the "Eagle Required" Badges.

[Trp210ScoutNC]

On the meritbadge listing on meritbadge.org I looked at Lifesaving and it says "This badge is an Option for Eagle Scout Rank" I know you can get Emergancy Prepardness instead for Eagle.
But say I got Emergancy Prep and had it listed down for Life Scout on my book (I just made Star Scout in my troop) would I have to get Lifesaving for Eagle Scout?

[Quailman]

Not sure how that works in your book, but in Troopmaster I'm pretty sure it would bump it down to the Eagle section once you earned another elective badge to replace it.

We don't encounter that much, because most boys earn enough electives as they go. I know you can count five ER MBs when it says "Earn seven merit badges, four of which must be Eagle-required."

[Quailman]

Oops! I hit submit when I meant to minimize while I checked the GTA. It mentions earning both E Prep and Lifesaving, and one counts as an elective. I could not find the case of what to do if the scout earns, say, three Citizenship MBs, plus Env. Sci., Pers. Mgmt. And Pers. Fitness all for Star. Maybe I was mistaken and you can't count extra ER badges unless, like E Prep, it can be an elective.

Or did I read your question correctly? I understood you to mean that you listed E Prep as an elective for Life. If you list it as a required badge, then no, you do not have to earn Lifesaving later. You may use one as an elective if you earn the other as ER.

[PaulSWolf]

On the meritbadge listing on meritbadge.org I looked at Lifesaving and it says "This badge is an Option for Eagle Scout Rank" I know you can get Emergancy Prepardness instead for Eagle.
But say I got Emergancy Prep and had it listed down for Life Scout on my book (I just made Star Scout in my troop) would I have to get Lifesaving for Eagle Scout?

No. So long as you have EITHER Lifesaving OR Emergency Preparedness, you're fine. Same with Hiking, Swimming, and Cycling - So long as you have ONE of those 3, you're fine.

If you have BOTH Lifesaving AND Emergency Preparedness, or if you have two or all three of Hiking, Swimming, and Cycling, you can use them all for Star and Life, then for Eagle, You choose one (from each group) for the Eagle Required badge(s), and list the other(s) as elective badge(s).

It (the GTA) mentions earning both E Prep and Lifesaving, and one counts as an elective. I could not find the case of what to do if the scout earns, say, three Citizenship MBs, plus Env. Sci., Pers. Mgmt. And Pers. Fitness all for Star. Maybe I was mistaken and you can't count extra ER badges unless, like E Prep, it can be an elective.

No. What the rules mean (although not stated this way) is this: (RED is additional wording, PURPLE is words to be deleted.)

STAR: "Earn AT LEAST 6 merit badges, including AT LEAST 4 from the required list for Eagle."

LIFE: "Earn AT LEAST 5 more merit badges (so that you have AT LEAST 11 in all), including any 3 more (so that you have AT LEAST 7) from the required list for Eagle."

EAGLE: "Earn AT LEAST 10 more merit badges, for a total of AT LEAST 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following: ..."

[Trp210ScoutNC]

Nevermind, I asked someone in my Troop who was an Eagle Scout I asked if I were to record E-Prep down in the Life requirements I would NOT have to get Lifesaving for Eagle.

[Quailman]

Paul - That's how I thought it worked. Theoretically a Scout could earn twelve ER badges, with only one from the "earn one of" groups, and make it to Life with one to spare. Then he can start in on electives for the remaining nine. The book makes it appear that you'd have to list a given number of ER badges at each level.

With most Scouts I know, they have part, if not all, of the elective badges filled in for Eagle before they complete the ER MBs for Star, so this question never comes up.

[Nuts4Scouts]

Nevermind, I asked someone in my Troop who was an Eagle Scout I asked if I were to record E-Prep down in the Life requirements I would NOT have to get Lifesaving for Eagle.

Yep, as was stated above - it is EITHER E-Prep OR Lifesaving.

If a badge is required for Eagle it does not matter when you take it - whether a Tenderfoot or Life Scout, you have STILL completed an Eagle required merit badge.

If you decide at some later time to ALSO complete an alternative MB, and on your Eagle application to use that alternative badge as your Eagle requirement instead of the original one (turning the original into an elective badge) is completely up to you. It has no impact at all on your rank advancement (past or future).

[Nuts4Scouts]

The book makes it appear that you'd have to list a given number of ER badges at each level.

You do.

A Scout must earn at LEAST 4 Eagle required badges for Star. The remaining 2 badges can be ER or not.
He must have earned at LEAST 3 MORE Eagle required badges for Life. Since he can not re-use the 4 earned for Star for this requirement that means at this point he must have earned at LEAST 7 Eagle required badges. The remaining 4 badges can be ER or not.
For Eagle he must have earned 12 Eagle required badges. That is 5 MORE than were previously required.

A Scout can earn all 12 ER merit badges before he reaches 1st Class if he wants to. Or, he can earn them only when he is required to for rank. Completely up to him.

[PaulSWolf]

BTW, I forwarded my suggested wording to the Advancement Team at BSA. Their response was:

Thanks for your suggestions. We will include them in the material the GTA revision task force will review later this spring. The next edition of GTA will be released in early 2013.

Of course, those changes should really go into Boy Scout Requirements, not the Guide to Advancement, but at least they responded and said they'll consider them.