NMRA member at the same time) you earn a point. For each
Boy Scout you work with that earns the merit badge, you get
a point. 60 months is five years, but there are ways to shorten
that span.
The first thing to do was to sign up as a merit badge counselor.
As a long time scouter (40+ years), I signed up and the request
was immediately approved. It just so happens that my primary
position in scouting right now (District Advancement Chairman)
includes approving merit badge counselors for my district as 1
of its responsibilities. So I said, self, you are approved. Don’t be
shy. There is always a shortage of qualified counselors. In many
years of approving counselors, I have only turned them down
for three reasons:
1. Completely unprepared to teach the subject matter for a
particular merit badge (in one case, Dentistry).
2. Wanting to make a business out of it and stating in the
application that he was going to do so (once).
3. A criminal record.
Merit Badge Academy
The next step is attracting Scouts to earn the merit badge. I’ve
been signed up for Railroading before, and you can go years
between Scouts coming and asking. The answer to this is Merit
Badge Academy, a program the local council holds twice a year.
Scouts pay a fee which includes lunch and facilities etc. – all
handled by the council, and counselors offer sign-ups for merit
badge help.
Before you jump in, you have to either have prerequisites or
be able to teach the whole merit badge, in about 3 hours,
in a classroom. Railroading can mostly be done with “death
