Merit Badges and Blue Cards

Completion of the requirements for a merit badge are recorded on a "blue card". The blue card is a blue (surprise) card with three sections: 1) Application for Merit Badge, 2) Applicant's Record, and 3) Counselor's Record.

Scouts wishing to complete a merit badge should follow these steps:

  1. Inform the scoutmaster that you want to work on a particular merit badge. The scoutmaster will give you a signed blue card to start the merit badge process. The scoutmaster may help you find an appropriate merit badge counselor if you do not know whom to contact.
  2. Fill out the details on the blue card: your name and address, troop number, district (Aurora), council (Chief Seattle), etc.
  3. Contact the merit badge counselor and arrange to work on the particular merit badge with him.
  4. Complete the merit badge requirements and have the merit badge counselor sign off on the blue card to indicate that you completed the badge.
  5. When the badge is completed and the blue card signed by the counselor, the section of the card labeled Application for Merit Badge should be turned in to the troop record keeper. The merit badge counselor typically keeps the Counselor's Record part of the card and the scout should keep the Applicant's Record section for his own records. It is recommended that the scout make a copy of both sides of Application for Merit Badge section of the blue card for his own records before turning the card in to the record keeper.

Details and ExceptionsCamp Parsons

Blue cards for merit badges earned through Camp Parsons are initially signed by the scoutmaster and handed out to the scouts. The scouts bring the signed cards to their merit badge class on Monday morning where the counselor collects them. All the completed merit badges are turned over to the scoutmaster at the end of camp week. The scoutmaster will do the final sign off on the cards and give them all to the troop record keeper.

Merit Badge Events

The troop often holds special merit badge sessions e.g. the Bird Study Merit badge in the spring. The merit badge counselor for these events will obtain the initially signed blue cards from the scoutmaster and have the scouts fill them out at the merit badge event.