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Golden Gate Area Council thanks you for volunteering as a Merit Badge Counselor (MBC) and for sharing your time and talents with the scouts of our Council. As a counselor, you can teach skills and introduce concepts that may change the course of a boy’s or girl’s life. Many scouts have been guided to their chosen careers or discovered lifelong hobbies through the BSA merit badge program. This opportunity would not exist without adult volunteers giving of their knowledge and time selflessly to help shape the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you for your support.
To be a Merit Badge Counselor (MBC) you must be at least 21 years of age and complete the following documentation. Registration is done online.
Submit your application to the Council Advancement Committee when you have a complete set of documentation.
Note: The Citizenship in Society Merit Badge has a separate procedure. Contact your District Advancement Chair for more information.
Use this form to provide contact information for our Council’s Merit Badge Counselor list and explain what experience you have that relates to the merit badge(s) you choose to counsel.
Certain Merit Badges require additional qualifications. They are summarized below. You can find additional information in Section 7 of the Guide to Advancement. Be sure to include copies of any requested paperwork.
Watch the video for a step by step guide through the steps you need to follow. There’s also a detailed guide to completing the Information Form below. When you’re ready, follow the link below to get started.
For current Merit Badge Counselors who want to change the merit badges they counsel or who need to upload a certificate – follow the link below. In the section ‘What do you want to do today’, click on the arrowhead to display the choices you can see in the image here.
Update for 2023 renewal coming in September.
Scouts may only take Merit Badge classes from those Out of Council sources that are listed in the
‘Approved Out of Council Merit Badge Classes’ section below.
“With the rise of virtual merit badge classes, a world of new opportunities has opened up for Scouts. They can earn all kinds of unusual merit badges on all kinds of schedules, well beyond those available through in-person meetings with counselors in their home council.
However, with this new freedom come renewed responsibilities—for the Scout, for the Merit Badge Counselor, and for the Unit Leader—to ensure that all BSA policies and procedures are still being followed.”
Advancement News, July-August 2022
The following extracts from the Guide to Advancement (GTA) provide guidance.
GTA topic 7.0.0.3 The Scout, the Unit Leader, and the Merit Badge Counselor
“. . . before working with a counselor or attending a group or virtual merit badge opportunity, a Scout should meet with his or her unit leader.“
GTA topic 7.0.3.2 – Group Instruction
GTA topic 7.0.4.9 – MB opportunities with Non-Scouting Organizations or Businesses
GTA topic 5.0.8.0 – Using Technology-Based Tools in Advancement
Procedures for using web-based tools in advancement are established by the council advancement committee in compliance with national procedures.
GGAC procedures
We are updating this section and expect to publish in early August.
© 2022 All rights reserved, Golden Gate Area Council, BSA
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