Scouts and scouters, here is the link to the Council website to look up every merit badge and counselors for that merit badge. If you email a merit badge counselor and they reply that they are no longer a merit badge counselor, please forward the email to our zone commissioner. Periodically this may occur and we are assisting council in updating the site.
Attention adults, would you like to share your passions and skills with scouts, be a Merit Badge Counselor. As a merit badge counselor, your mission is to join fun with learning.
Requirements to become a Merit Badge (M.B.) Counselor:
1. Fill out and submit BSA Adult Application. Use position code 42 (no fee required). Adult Application may be found at https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/524-501.pdf
2. Fill out and submit BSA Merit Badge Counselor Application, found at https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34405.pdf
3. Complete M.B. Counselor Position-Specific training. It is online, easily accessible at any time and takes approximately 33 minutes. Go to https://my.scouting.org/. Log in or create an account. Scroll down and click on the BSA LEARN CENTER to access Position Specific Training. Click on ScoutsBSA. Click on M.B. Counselor/. Take Training: “Before First Meeting (SCO_472, SCO_474, SCO_486) and Position Trained” (SCO_471).
4. Be current in YPT. Go to https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/
5. Adults wishing to counsel Citizenship in Society M.B. must complete the requirements found at https://www.sdicbsa.org/Advancement/Docs/CitizenshipInSocietyCounselorApplication.pdf
6. Submit all forms to SDIC Registrar susan.miller2@scouting.org
7. AB506 requires that volunteers are required to complete child abuse and neglect reporting training (aka mandated reporter training) to undergo LiveScan fingerprinting and a background check. This includes anyone 18 years of age or older who has direct contact with youth for more than 16 hours a month or 32 hours per year.
Step one: Take State Mandated Volunteer Training
Step two: Take a LiveScan Background Check
If a volunteer has less than 16 hours a month contact with youth, they must complete the “Declaration of Exception” .