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Task · part of 1. Meet the groups: choose two of five

1(d). Learn something traditional, and teach it to your friends

Optional May not apply

This may not apply to you. You have not answered "Requirement 1: which TWO of the five?" yet. Answer it and this step will either settle or drop off.

A song, dance, poem or story traditional to one group. THE ONLY OPTION HERE THAT NEEDS NO ACCESS TO THE COMMUNITY, which makes it the dependable one. Teaching it to a group of your friends is half the requirement, not a flourish.

Notes and warnings

Note. THE OPTION THAT NEVER WAITS ON ANYBODY, AND IT HAS A SECOND HALF. Learning a traditional song, dance, poem or story needs a good source rather than access to the community, so it stays open whichever three groups you chose. But you must also TEACH it to a group of your friends, and that is not a footnote: it means understanding the thing well enough to explain it, and getting people in a room. Recordings, published collections and a local library will all serve as sources, and a person from the group is better than any of them if you have one.

Where this step comes from

  1. American Cultures Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-09-19), Requirement 1(d)

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