Merit Badge Days are an advancement opportunity open to Scouts in troops, crews, and ships to work on merit badge requirements. The merit badge classes are interactive and require active participation by each Scout. Merit badge class sizes are limited so that each Scout can learn about future careers, trades, citizenship, hobbies, and life skills while working on merit badge requirements.
Registration
Registration is completed online using a credit card or electronic check. There is no onsite registration. Council refund policy. (How to register.)
- Classes that are full will not show in the registration system.
- Important: Before registering, check the school and troop calendars for conflicts. Check which merit badges the Scout has already completed. Scouts must confer with their unit leader before participating in the class.
- Member ID Number: Have the Scout's member ID number ready before registering. The correct ID number is critical to ensure the Scout gets credit for requirements completed in Scoutbook. The ID number can be found • scoutbook.scouting.org (login —>click on "My Dashboard"—>click on name of Scout—>click on "Edit Profile"); • My.Scouting.org (click on "My Profile"); • Membership card; or • ask the unit leader to check the unit roster.
- Changes: Class changes can be made after registering if space is available.
Date
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Class or Event
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Prerequisites / Notes
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Status
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Location
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Register
(click link to register)
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Contact
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| District Merit Badge Event |
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| Coming Soon |
District Merit Badge Fair |
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Opens Soon |
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| Council Merit Badge Day |
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| March 1, 2025 |
TBD |
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Opens Soon |
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| October 4, 2025 |
TBD |
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Opens in Fall |
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| December 13, 2025 |
TBD |
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Opens in Fall |
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| Camp Camping Events |
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| Dates vary |
Full Throttle |
~12 theme-related merit badge classes |
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Camp Strake |
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| November |
STEM Camp |
~20 STEM-related merit badge classes |
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Camp Strake |
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| December |
Winter Camp |
~80 merit badges classes |
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Camp Strake |
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| March & July |
Trail to Eagle Camp |
~14 Eagle Scout-required merit badge classes |
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Camp Strake |
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| June/July |
Summer Camp |
~45 merit badges classes |
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Camp Strake |
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| August |
Aquatics Day |
aquatics-related merit badge classes and more |
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Camp Strake |
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| September |
Angler Classic |
fishing-related merit badge classes |
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Camp Strake |
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*Class sizes are limited. Full classes will not show in the registration system. Find additional merit badge classes sponsored by our community partners.
How to Register or Update a Registration
What to Bring
Bring a copy of your Annual Health and Medical Record (do not bring the original). Parts A, B1 and B2 are required for all participants.- For each merit badge class, bring:
⇒ Merit badge book (available from the Scout Shop); read prior to the class
⇒ Proof of completed prerequisites and any items noted to bring
⇒ Documentation of any completed requirements is optional, but highly recommended. (Learn more about partials.)
⇒ Some events require Blue Card (Application for Merit Badges)
- Note-taking materials and writing utensils
- Field uniform (Scout uniform) or activity uniform (Scout t-shirt) is encouraged
- Eat breakfast before arriving
- Sack lunch
- Water bottle
- Healthy drinks and snacks, optional
Partials and Completions
Attending a merit badge class does not guarantee that a Scout will complete the merit badge, but it is an opportunity for Scouts to meet with qualified counselors and to help them work on the requirements needed to complete a merit badge. Scouts should come prepared to participate. The counselor's job is to encourage self-discovery and then check that each Scout has the minimum knowledge and does the requirements. Scouts should be ready to take notes and come prepared with notetaking materials and writing utensils. Remember one goal of the merit badge advancement system is to develop individual growth and initiative.
Prerequisites: For all classes, the Scout must read the merit badge book prior to the event. Merit badge books can be purchased at an area Scout Shop. Scouts are to be prepared to answer the questions to each of the requirements before the merit badge fair. These unofficial merit badge worksheets are helpful to prepare: http://usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/worksheets/list.asp
Some merit badges require additional prerequisites to be completed before Merit Badge Days.
Requirements not covered: Some of the requirements cannot be completed during the class. The Scout should bring documentation of requirements not covered. If the Scout does not complete the requirements not covered and bring documentation to the class, the Scout will receive a partial completion of the merit badge.
Partials: If the Scout does not complete the requirements not covered and bring documentation to the class, the Scout will receive a partial completion of the merit badge. The partial completion will be noted on the blue card and given to the Scout at the completion of the class. Scouts will need to complete the badge with a registered merit badge counselor approved for that particular badge back with their unit. Merit badge counselors are not usually available to serve as a counselor after merit badge fair ends, unless arrangements are made. Your unit leader can help you find a list of merit badge counselors by logging into https://scoutbook.scouting.org and clicking on "My Dashboard"—>"Administration"—>your unit—>"MB Counselor List". Remember that a youth member must not meet one-on-one with an adult. Sessions with counselors must take place where others can view the interaction, or the Scout must have a buddy: a friend, parent, guardian, brother, sister, or other relative—or better yet, another Scout working on the same badge.
General Rules
- Scouts need to be prepared for each of the requirements of the merit badge class including reading the merit badge pamphlet before the class.
- Scouts are expected to participate fully during the class in order to receive full credit for the requirements completed onsite.
- Scouts who do not behave appropriately in class will be asked to leave.
- If a Scout is unable to attend once registered, please use the link provided in the emailed receipt to delete the class so a spot can be opened up for another Scout. Council Refund Policy.
Additional Merit Badge Opportunities
Summer Camp
Summer Camp is a week-long council-organized overnight camp for Scouts in troops that operates under council-retained leadership. There are unique programs for first-year Scouts and experienced Scouts. Summer camp is held at Camp Strake, a first-class and state-of-the-art facility for Scouts and their leaders. Program areas include shooting sports (rifle, shotgun, archery, sporting arrows), climbing, rappelling, boating (canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, rowing), swimming, ATV riding, ziplining, cycling, merit badge classes and more.
Learn More
Trail to Eagle Camp
Trail to Eagle Camp is an opportunity for Scouts to earn Eagle-required merit badges along their advancement trail.
Learn More
Winter Camp
Winter camp is a wonderful opportunity for troops to camp and Scouts to earn merit badges and participate in fun evening program and activities There are over 80 merit badge classes taught by Scouters with real-life experiences in the field. Troops and individual Scouts can attend.
Learn More & Register
Full Throttle
Full Throttle is a weekend event for Scouts in troops, crews, ships, and individual Scouts. Scouts spend a half-day participating in program areas such as shooting sports, climbing, swimming, ziplining, and boating. Scouts will spend a half-day working on a merit badge. Full Throttle is a great way for Scouts to have fun, learn new skills, and earn nature and conservation-related merit badges.
Learn More & Register
STEM Camp
STEM Camp is an extraordinary opportunity for troops, crews, ships and individual Scouts to earn STEM-related merit badges and take NOVA activity classes. If you want more in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, this is the week to be out at camp!
Learn More
Aquatics Day
Aquatics Day is an opportunity for Scouts to earn aqautics-related merit badges.
Learn More
Angler Classic
Scouts in troops, crews and ships are invited to the ultimate fishing derby and earn fishing-related merit badges!
Learn More
Merit Badge Classes with Community Partners
Below are all of the outside agencies that have gone through the Sam Houston Area Council approval process and have permission to conduct Scouting programs, such as merit badge classes.
Houston Gem and Mineral Society
The Houston Gem and Mineral Society offers the Geology Merit Badge at their annual show in November and makes good use of their extensive earth science resources. They cover general geology and basic rock types, properties of minerals and fossils, economic uses of minerals, and types of geoscience careers and requirements to enter this profession. They also help start Scouts on acquiring their mineral/fossil collection.
Register
Rosenburg Railroad Museum
Scouts can experience hands-on merit badge workshops (e.g., Railroading Merit Badge and Signs, Signals and Codes Merit Badge). Units can take tours and campout at the museum. The Rosenberg Railroad Museum has a mission of education and preservation of Fort Bend County's rich railroad history
Learn More
The Health Museum
Scouts can take a variety of merit badge classes about medical topics that are both educational and fun (e.g., Health Care Profession Merit Badge, First Aid Merit Badge, Dentistry Merit Badge). The Health Museum inspires passion and curiosity in health, the medical sciences and the human body.
Learn More
Lone Star Flight Museum
Lone Star Flight Museum is an aviation museum and STEM learning center with a mission to celebrate flight and achievements in Texas aviation history. We educate and engage our youth through science, technology, engineering and math; and honor aviation heritage and history. In addition to the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and a Flight Academy, the museum is home to a flying collection of rare and historic commercial, general aviation and military aircraft. Scouts can experience the wonder of flight through merit badge workshops, overnights with warbirds, and troop tours.
Register for Merit Badge Classes Sign up for Overnights
James B Harrison Foundation
The James B Harrison Foundation focuses on nature-based education and conservation. They offer the Bird Study and Nature Merit Badge classes at JBH Long Point Ranch (8200 FM 1994, Whaley-Long Point Rd, Richmond, TX 77469).
Learn More
Bay Area Rowing Club
The BARC (Bay Area Rowing Club of Houston) is offering the Rowing Merit Badge on a sliding-seat rowboat for Scouts age 14 years and older (size and weight restrictions due to boat limitations: at least 5 ft tall and less than 220 lbs) for a max of six Scouts per class. The class is held over two meetings, one off-the-water, and one-on-the water at the BARC boathouse in Clear Lake Park. The off-the-water meeting would be in the afternoon or evening (approx. 2 hrs) and the on-the-water on a Saturday or Sunday morning (approx. 3 hrs). Prior to the course, Scouts must have passed the BSA swim test with Swimmer classification, complete Safety Afloat training online, and know all knots through First Class. The Bay Area Rowing Club of Houston (BARC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of rowing in the Houston/Clear Lake area.
Learn More & Register
Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Museum of Natural Science offers a variety of classes with trained experts and museum specimens at the Hermann and Sugar Land locations and virtually. In-person classes include admission to all permanent exhibits for the Scout and one chaperone.
Learn More
*Class sizes are limited. Full classes will not show in the registration system. Find additional merit badge classes sponsored by our community partners.
Scouting Safely
Scouting America's Commitment to Safety is ongoing and we want you to know that the safety of our youth, volunteers, staff, and employees cannot be compromised. Scouting America puts the utmost importance on the safe and healthy environments for its youth membership. The Sam Houston Area Council takes great strides to ensure the safety of its youth as well as the adult volunteer leadership that interacts with them.
Guide to Safe Scouting policies must be followed. All participants must follow Youth Protection Guidelines at all Scouting events. Highlights include:
- Two-deep leadership on all outings required.
- One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is prohibited.
- The buddy system should be used at all times.
- Discipline must be constructive.
Youth Protection Guidelines Guide to Safe Scouting