Upcoming Merit Badges

[PaulSWolf]

Scuba Diving Merit Badge is official as of Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

Four other new merit badges will appear over the course of the coming year:

* Inventing (First quarter 2010)
* Geocaching (Second quarter 2010)
* Scouting Heritage (Second quarter 2010)
* Robotics (Fourth quarter 2010)

The Geocaching badge is obviously the GIS\GPS badge that had been rumored over
the last year or so.

Nothing on any merit badges being dropped. Of course, come January, we'll have
to wait until the new Boy Scout Requirements booklet comes out to see what else
changes, including any clarifications on the new rank requirements in the new
Handbook.

[lifescoutforlife]

Thanks for the update!!!!

[smtroop168]

Thanks Paul..i've seen info about all but Inventing. The dates seems to keep moving around on the actual release times though.

The original Invention MB was around supposedly from 1911-1917 and only 10 were awarded. You had to get a patent! Wonder what the requirements will be this time?

[mt_goodrich]

Thanks Paul..i've seen info about all but Inventing. The dates seems to keep moving around on the actual release times though.

The original Invention MB was around supposedly from 1911-1917 and only 10 were awarded. You had to get a patent! Wonder what the requirements will be this time?

Thanks for that history lesson. That is fascinating about having to get a patent.

[jr56]

Makes me wish I was a kid again so I could have fun earning them.

[kwildman]

i am bummed if they turned the GIS merit badge to Geocacheing. One is a science and the other is game. If they did this, it seems like they are really working hard at dumbing down scouts. I heard that there was now a video game belt loop for the webelos too.

[scoutaholic]

Makes me wish I was a kid again so I could have fun earning them.

You can still have fun earning them ... you just can't receive and wear them.

[Aaron A]

There is a video game beltloop for Webelos. When my son found out about it, he was excited. We sat down and looked at the requirements, then he wasn't so excited. IIRC, to get the belt loop you had to know, understand and explain the ESRB rating system, set up a schedule or a limit on how much you can play and something else. It's not too bad, I think they did a fine job of balancing that belt loop between playing games and learning some responsibility.