January 17, 2026 | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: TBD
University of Scouting is a semi-annual supplemental training program. Sessions are led by experienced volunteers who will help leaders and parents enhance their ability to deliver a fun and exciting program to the Scouts.
Courses include basic training and a variety of supplemental classes for leaders and parents focusing on Cub Scouts, Webelos Scouts, Scouts BSA, outdoors, high adventure, conservation, and advancement that will provide information, techniques, and best practices on how to enhance the Scouting program.
Scouts in troops can take Den Chief and Troop Guide Training (an all-day course) or two merit badge classes.
Registration
The registration fee is $25, plus an optional lunch. At checkout, pay with a credit card or electronic check. There is no onsite registration; register online before arriving. (Registration Instructions. Council refund policy.)
What to Bring
- BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (Part A & B for all Scouting events)
- You do not need to check-in before your first class. Stop by HQ to pick up your event packet with your patch and lunch ticket anytime before lunch.
- Lunch, if not purchased during registration
- Drinks, snacks
- Field or activity uniform, recommended
- Note-taking materials
See additional items to bring:
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About Trainer's EDGE (all-day training for youth and adult training)
Trainer's EDGE is an all-day course and is BSA's trainer development course designed to help Scouters put into practice the EDGE training model and gain self-confidence through hands-on training experiences. Trainer's EDGE brings to life the EDGE model taught in Troop Leadership Training, Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Specific Training, National Youth Leadership Training, and Wood Badge.
What to Bring: copy of BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (Part A & B for all Scouting events); field or activity uniform is recommended; note-taking materials; a five-minute Scouting presentation with any equipment or props; lunch if not purchased when registering, drinks. Optional: snacks and money for the vending machine
Participants must prepare a presentation (about a five-minute duration) before the course and bring the material, equipment, and/or props they need to deliver the presentation. Participants will be given an opportunity to practice this presentation in a small group setting and receive feedback. The topic of the presentation is at the discretion of the presenter, Scouting topics/skills are always good. Additionally, participants will prepare a second presentation during the course, practice it with their small group and receive feedback.
About Den Chief and Troop Guide Training (all-day training for Scouts in troops)
Den Chief Training is basic training for Scouts in troops interested in becoming den chiefs for a Cub Scout den.
Troop Guide Training provides tips and tools for being a successful troop guide.
What to Bring: copy of BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (Part A & B for all Scouting events); field or activity uniform is recommended, closed-toed shoes, note-taking materials; lunch if not purchased when registering, drinks. Optional: snacks and money for the vending machine
About Merit Badge Classes (for Scouts in troops)
Merit badge classes are an advancement opportunity open to Scouts in troops, crews or ships. A Scout has the opportunity to work on requirements for one or two merit badges. These are not give-away merit badges, and this is not a merit badge factory. Each Scout is expected to fulfill all the requirements by reading the merit badge book ahead of time, attending classes and doing prerequisites. Scouts are expected to participate fully during the class in order to receive full credit for the requirements completed.
Before registering: Before registering, "a Scout must meet with their unit leader or their delegate … this meeting is a required part of the merit badge process, and that it should be documented … in Scoutbook Plus or other method.” (Source, p.40, 7.0.0.3) BSA ID Number: Have the Scout's BSA ID number ready before registering. The Scout's name and BSA ID number must match what is listed in Scoutbook to ensure the Scout gets credit for requirements completed. The BSA ID number can be found: • Scoutbook (1. click on My Dashboard, 2. for a Scout - click on name of Scout, 3. select Edit Profile), • MyScouting.org (1. click on the upper right icon 2. select My Profile), • BSA membership card, • ask the unit leader to check the unit roster.
What to Bring for Merit Badge Classes: • BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (Parts A & B for all Scouting events); bring a copy not the original • For each merit badge class,
- Proof of completed prerequisites and any items noted to bring
- Documentation of any requirements that will not be covered is optional, but highly recommended.
- Note-taking materials and writing utensils • Field uniform (Scout uniform) or activity uniform (Scout t-shirt) is encouraged
- Eat breakfast before arriving
- Sack lunch or purchase lunch during online registration
- Water bottle
- Drinks and healthy snacks, optional
- Money for snack machines, optional
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, to help them work on the requirements needed to complete a merit badge. The class should not be considered another school where the pupils sit and stare for hours on end. 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: All Scouts are to read the merit badge pamphlet prior to the Merit Badge Fair. Merit Badge pamplets are available online. Scouts are to be prepared to answer the questions to each of the requirements before the merit badge fair; Scouts can complete the worksheets available at http://usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/worksheets/list.asp to help them prepare. Some merit badges require prerequisites that must be completed before class.
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 advancement report. Scouts will need to complete the badge with a registered merit badge counselor approved for that particular badge with their unit. Merit badge counselors are not usually available to serve as a counselor after the event unless arrangements are made with the counselor. Find a list of merit badge counselors by logging into http://scoutbook.scouting.org with your my.scouting userID and password, click on My Dashboard, Administration, your unit and scroll down the page. 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 relatives—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 that do not behave appropriately in class will be asked to leave.
Merit Badge Completions
A few weeks after the event, all of the completed requirements will be posted in BlackPug, the registration site. The Scoutmaster, committee chair, or registrant contact (i.e., person who registered the unit for the event) can log in to BlackPug and view the reports.
How to Pull Advancemeent Reports
- Go to https://scoutingevent.com/000/Login/
- Click on profile name (top right)
- Click on View Activity (tabs: Summer Camp & Activities or Year Round Camping)
- Select the activity
- Click on Reports Tab (provide these reports to the unit advancement chair)
⇒ Unit Advancement Summary: summarizes all advancements completed at camp (e.g., merit badges, rank advancements)
⇒ Unit Advancement Detail: list of all advancements completed at camp in a grid (one page per Scout)
⇒ Scoutbook Export: is a report of all merit badge completions that can be uploaded into Scoutbook. Note: rank advancements have to be entered manually. This report exports merit badge data in Scoutbook format using Scoutbook's "advancement.csv" template. Chrome Users - an extension is available that allows direct import of this data into Scoutbook. This extension can be obtained here: Feature Assistant Extension for Scoutbook. Firefox Users - a similar extension for Firefox can be obtained here: Feature Assistant - Scoutbook. A document describing the upload process can be found here: Importing Summer Camp Data from Black Pug Software
- Video: How to view Reports
Contacts