Tecumseh Council

Boy Scouts of America

Merit Badge Counselors

Tecumseh Council Merit Badge Counselor Approval Process

While the members of the district and council Advancement Committees look forward to hearing your questions and concerns directly, it is important that all applications to become a merit badge counselor or to add merit badges to the list that you are a counselor for must be submitted to the council office.

To be considered for approval the package must contain the following:

The justification for your being a merit badge counselor for each merit badge must show your specific knowledge, skills, and/or experience to be a counselor for that merit badge. Simply understanding the requirements is NOT an adequate justification to be a counselor for the merit badge.

Note that the Scouting America Guide to Advancement contains specific requirements to be a counselor for some merit badges. The following merit badges have special qualifications or certifications for either the merit badge counselor or the supervisor of certain activities:

  • Climbing
  • Snow Sports
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Lifesaving
  • Motor Boating
  • Rowing
  • Scuba Diving
  • Small Boat Sailing
  • Swimming
  • Water Sports
  • Whitewater
  • Archery
  • Rifle Shooting
  • Shotgun Shooting
  • Black Powder

You must specifically state your certifications including its effective and expiration dates and provide copies of your certificates, if requested.

Limits on Merit Badge Counselors

Tecumseh Council has a limit on the number of merit badges an individual may be a merit badge counselor for. Scouting America’s Guide to Advancement states on page 42 in section 7.0.0.3 that “Ideally, Scouts should work with a variety of adults so that they can gain insights and learn from examples offered from a variety of perspectives and approaches to life.  Earning a large number of merit badges from a small number of counselors, or only from counselors known to the Scout, robs the Scout from the opportunity to learn and grow.”

In keeping with the spirit and intent of this paragraph it is the policy of the Tecumseh Council, Scouting America Advancement Committee that individuals will be approved to be counselors for no more than 25 merit badges. The committee reserves the right to make extremely limited exceptions under extreme and limited circumstances.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact your District Advancement Chair:

Scouting Adventures