Scouting Heritage Merit Badge
Nine requirements about the history of Scouting. Several involve other people: researching the history of your unit, council, camp or lodge; interviewing at least three former Scouts over 40; and teaching an old-time Scouting game to other Scouts. Requirement 4 is a jamboree or high-adventure base with a journal, the National Scouting Museum, or a Scouting history exhibit or historian. Requirement 9 is a career or Scouting volunteer service.
The plan behind this
What involves other people
| requirement | who |
|---|---|
| 5 | research the history of your unit, council, summer camp or Order of the Arrow lodge; with a parent or guardian's permission, by searches, interviews with Scout leaders or visits; then a report, presentation or video reviewed with your counselor |
| 7 | reproduce the equipment for an old-time Scouting game, then teach and play it with other Scouts |
| 8 | interview at least three people over the age of 40 who were Scouts, different from anyone you interviewed for requirement 5 |
Requirement 4: ONE of three
| route | what it asks |
|---|---|
| 4(a) | attend a Scouting America National Jamboree, a World Scout Jamboree, or a national Scouting America high-adventure base; keep a journal of your day-to-day experiences while there, then report to your counselor |
| 4(b) | write to or visit the National Scouting Museum, and give a short report on what you think its role in the Scouting program is |
| 4(c) | visit an exhibit of Scouting memorabilia or a museum with a Scouting history gallery, or (with your parent or guardian's permission and counselor's approval) a recognized Scouting historian or memorabilia collector in your council; then a short report |
Requirement 2: TWO of nine, and TWO of four
2(a) a short biographical summary of any two of Daniel Carter Beard, William D. Boyce, Waite Phillips, Ernest Thompson Seton, James E. West, "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt, Frederick Russell Burnham, Dr. Charles Eastman and Edgar Robinson, with their roles in how Scouting developed and grew in the United States.
2(b) the significance to Scouting of any two of Brownsea Island, the First World Scout Jamboree, the Scouts BSA Handbook, and Scout Life magazine (formerly Boys' Life).
Requirement 9: ONE of two
9(a) research one career related to Scouting, or 9(b) explore how you could serve as a Scouting volunteer: training, expenses, the levels at which you could serve, and your short- and long-term goals.
What this page is
The Scouting Heritage merit badge, drawn so the research, interviews and game that involve other people stand out, with requirements 4 and 9 drawn as questions and the interviews of requirement 8 kept apart from those of requirement 5. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Scouting Heritage Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .