Top 10 Life Skills Merit Badges

Fulfilling the vision of the BSA to prepare scouts as responsible, participating citizens and leaders is a real challenge. A responsible citizen can take care of himself, his property, and his family. Very few of the boys I've met in Scouting came with a built-in sense of responsibility and none have had an innate ability to fix any problem. In this affluent area where I live, many boys I've dealt with have been protected at home to the extent they are ill-prepared for most any challenge that might rise against them. They are often also under the impression that parents will rescue them from any situation.

Through the outdoors program of Scouting, these scouts receive lots of opportunity to practice and improve their self-sufficiency skills. They learn to plan, prepare, and participate in order to achieve goals, overcome obstacles, and lead others. The patrol and troop program provides a focused agenda - scout skills and leadership - but does not provide much in the way of real life skills.

That's where the merit badge program comes into play. The dozens of merit badge topics allow a scout to try out new things, expand his interests, and possibly develop a career direction. Some merit badge topics are recreational, others are career-oriented, an others are life skills.


To reach the Eagle rank, each scout needs to complete these merit badges: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Nation, and World, Communication, Cooking, Cycling or Hiking or Swimming, Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving, Environmental Science or Sustainability, Family Life, First Aid, Personal Fitness, Personal Management

After that, it's up to him to choose merit badges that interest him. All too often, the badges are done because they are being offered at troop meetings, or at summer camp, or merit badge fair, rather than because they sound interesting to the scout. It's better for the scout to review the topics and choose those he wants.

If I could recommend merit badges with the most useful skills that will most likely help the scout as he leaves home, lives on his own, and starts a family, this would be my list:

• Astronomy - gets the scout in touch with his universe. A little knowledge of constellations, planets, moon, and sun helps with seasons, time, and direction.
• Automotive Maintenance - knowing more than where to stick the gas and the key can save hundreds of dollars and keep a car running many more years. The scout might also recognize and troubleshoot roadside problems.
• Electricity - with electric power in every home, understanding how it works and what might go wrong is good stuff.
• Genealogy - as a young person goes out on their own, a strong tie to family provides support. By recognizing your place in your family's history, and being aware of that history, a sense of belonging helps when loneliness sets in.
• Home Repairs - I think this one is obvious! No scout should ever need to call on a Handyman service to make small repairs around his home or apartment.
• Pets - provides practice in caring for helpless beings that rely completely on you for life. Many scouts will have pets when they are adults, and it's good practice for kids as well.
• Plumbing - have you seen the price of plumbing repairs? Everyone will have broken pipes, replaced hot water heater, or leaking faucets, sinks, or toilets at some point. This also gets the scout more aware of how a house works.
• Sustainability - Yes, it's an optional Eagle-required badge but, if the scout does Environmental Science, he should do this one as well. Energy conservation and sustainable practices will only continue to become more important and more commonplace. An awareness of ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, and sustain the planet is expected of everyone.
• Traffic Safety - Too many youth still die in vehicles. Since most scouts drive, there's no reason they shouldn't complete this badge. It's yet another review of being a safe driver, and every review helps.
• Weather - Awareness of developing weather can be a life-saving skill as well as protecting property from damage.

OK, since Sustainability is on the Eagle-required list, which merit badge should be listed instead?

Scout On