What to Expect

MBU Mission Statement:

The purpose of the Merit Badge University is to place scouts together with merit badge counselors, to provide the scouts with

in-person instruction;
up-close demonstrations;
hands-on participation in required skills;
tours of facilities, apparatus, or sites that may otherwise be difficult for scouts to access; or
any combination of the above,

to enable each scout to gain insight into the requirements so he can be better prepared to earn his merit badge, independently after the event, with a merit badge counselor approved by his Scoutmaster.*

What Scouts and Parents can expect:

The Merit Badge University (“MBU”) is an opportunity to receive specialized instruction on some of the more difficult subject matter of each badge. It is not an event at which Scouts can earn merit badges. No blue cards (applications) will be signed, and no “partials” will be given. Instead, “Letters of Participation” will be issued to each Scout as evidence that a particular site was visited, or interview was completed.

Each Scout will call the MB Counselor of his choice* after the MBU is over, to set up an appointment in the usual way. It will be up to the Scout’s individual merit badge counselor to determine if he or she wishes to accept the Letter of Participation as proof of a requirement’s completion.

Scouts can expect that the activities or instruction described in the course description will be covered in the session. Scouts can also expect that the “faculty member” assigned to each session will be currently authorized as a merit badge counselor in the Theodore Roosevelt Council.

Sessions may be held in classrooms, or in the offices of the counselor, or at public venues— and most will be con-ducted free of charge. A limited number of sessions, however, will be offered at commercial locations where entrance or usage fees are required. The Committee will do its best to ensure that scouts are charged the lowest possible fees, and the anticipated fee will be posted on the web site in advance of the MBU. All fees (if any) are the respon-sibility of the registered Scout and must be paid in the manner described in the course description.

Most sessions will be open to all. When certain sessions are limited in size, enrollment will be on a first-come, first-served basis. All registration will be conducted electronically, through the MBU web site. NO WALK-UPS.

Scouts are responsible to provide transportation to and from any session in which they enroll. Where possible, the Committee will make enrollment information available to encourage carpooling for conservation of energy and time.

Most sessions are scheduled for Sunday, March 21. Some session dates and times are different due to the availability of the counselor, or venue. Read the course description carefully for the exact date, time and location for the session.

* All merit badge counselors must be chosen in compliance with merit badge procedures. Your Scoutmaster, upon signing your blue card, may allow you to use the counselor who is your MBU instructor, or may have a different counselor in mind for you. Consult your Scoutmaster for assistance.