I.	All counselors must have youth protection training, no exceptions
a.	All merit badge instructors must now complete youth protection training.  No exceptions.
b.	Go to myscouting.org to complete training or contact Rob Scafidi to find a non-web training.
II.	Update on merit badges
a.	In 2009, the BSA completed a 5-year process of revising every merit badge offered, some had small changes, and some were rewritten completely.
b.	Probably a good idea to chuck old merit badge books and requirements listings if not since 2009.
c.	Scouts may finish under old requirements if they wish.  If they choose not to, must start badge over.
d.	Usscouts.org has best listing of requirements and includes worksheets.
e.	Revamped meritbadges.com is not as cutting edge but provides better instructor resources.
III.	Basics
a.	Checking your registration and instructor status
i.	Over the last year, I’ve been contacting instructors to see if they still wish to be instructors.
ii.	Instructors may opt to instruct all interested Scouts or may ask to only do Scouts in their unit.
iii.	Contact list is still only provided to Scoutmasters, not directly to Scouts.  Scoutmasters may pass Scouts your contact information.
iv.	You’re allowed to step down as a counselor.  If you’ve time availability changes or you’ve assumed other responsibilities, you can leave and then return when the timing is better.
b.	Adding a new merit badge
i.	The BSA will have issued 10 badges between 2009 and 2011 including the historic merit badges and others.
ii.	You do not need to fill out a new application, just an updated Counselor sheet available in your roundtable packet.  Complete and return to Tom DeShields for review.
iii.	Please review requirements before asking to add a badge.  Badges can often involve more than one thinks based on just the title.  I took college courses in nuclear chemistry and some nuclear science requirements had me checking Wikipedia.
c.	How a Scout attempts a badge
i.	Scout approaches Scoutmaster and indicates interest for a merit badge.
1.	Scoutmaster may not stop Scout from attempting badge but may discourage it if he or she anticipates a problem.
2.	Scoutmaster signature on a blue card is not “approval” but more of a note to the Scoutmaster of what the Scout is doing.
ii.	Scoutmaster provides Scout with contact information for merit badge counselor.
iii.	Scout contacts merit badge counselor.
1.	Counselor may request a face-to-face meeting to review requirements before Scout can submit work.
2.	This is the point where you should decline the Scout’s request if you fear you may run into time problems.
iv.	Counselor meets with Scout and shows completed work.
1.	Some counselors don’t mind teaching requirements in addition to just reviewing them, in fact, most will do a fair about of instruction.
2.	Scout cannot demand you instruct him.  If you wish to just review completed work, please inform the Scout or Scoutmaster so a new counselor can be found.
v.	As work is completed, update the blue card.
1.	The blue card is the ultimate record of achievement.
2.	You may wish to keep a record electronically or on a ledger in addition to the card.
vi.	Once the badge is completed, give the Scout the completed card.  Scouting values immediate recognition.
vii.	The Scout will later receive the patch at a Court of Honor.
IV.	Verifying Work
a.	Scouts must complete all requirements both individually and as written.
i.	There is no such thing as a “group requirement” such as having each of 10 Scouts find a single rock for a 10 item rock collection.
ii.	Look for verbs.  “Demonstrate” requires a demonstration.  “Discuss” can be done in a group setting but “explain” cannot.
b.	Wherever possible, Scouts should bring you presented work.
i.	Things like “oh, I did that for a project” only work if the Scout can present the project.  Do not hesitate to decline this claim if no proof can be presented.
ii.	Some things aren’t easy to present and pictures and a description can suffice.  Most counselors will have no problem if a Scout opts to show the picture of the sturgeon he caught rather than getting a lap full of fish.
c.	Testing
i.	You may wish to issue written tests as a way of verifying knowledge for a requirement.  Avoid using the word “test” as the Scout can’t formally fail, try “review”, “assessment”, or “worksheet”.
1.	Scouts may re-try as many times and as often as feasible.  Never deny a Scout, but you may indicate that the Scout may have more fundamental skills to work on first.  
2.	For instance, a Scout who keeps messing up Pioneering merit badge lashings may be instructor to work on his Clove hitch and prove competence there.
3.	Do not indicate results in front of a group.  Scouts will be recognized for success when their cards are marked and this is an individual.  Group recognition occurs at the Court of Honor.
ii.	You are not required to accept notes from parents, Scoutmasters or other leaders except where verification is trivial.  Even then, a check may be useful.
1.	A Scoutmaster note for “go on 10 camping trips” would suffice in most cases but simple follow ups of “which of the trips was your favorite” or “could you tell me what your favorite 5 were?” are easy ways to verify work and build a report with the Scout.
2.	A Scoutmaster note for “complete an environmental impact statement” would not suffice to meet an Environmental Science requirement.  If the leader in question is a counselor, have him or her complete an appropriate blue card to document progress.
iii.	Once a Scout has completed a requirement, it is done.  A Scoutmaster may not request retesting or withhold the award because it wasn’t done to his or her arbitrary standards.
V.	Recordkeeping Expectations
a.	Blue card should be updated as Scouts complete requirements.  In large groups, you may do a reconcile at the end of a meeting.
b.	It is ultimately the responsibility of the Scout to maintain records followed by his troop advancement chair.
i.	Many counselors choose to maintain their own set of records, and the number of Eagle Scout applications saved by this courtesy is non-trivial.
ii.	A simple spreadsheet can suffice as long as completion date, Scout name, and unit are recorded.
iii.	If you do not plan on filling out blue card until badge is completed, also keep track of incremental advancement.
VI.	Special Cases
a.	Varieties
i.	A Scout is there “against his will” i.e. being told by parents that he must complete some badge say for Eagle.
ii.	Learning difficulties like ADHD, dyslexia and dysgraphia, or physical underdevelopment can make progress difficult.
b.	Exceptions to Requirements
i.	In no cases may a merit badge instructor change a requirement to accommodate a Scout.  Requirements are presented as written.  Note, this is a departure from Cub Scouting.
ii.	Not every Scout can earn every badge, but most are written so that most Scouts even with disabilities can complete requirements.
c.	Dealing with Issues – First Efforts
i.	Ask the Scout in private if this is an activity he wishes to do and if there are any reasons he thinks he may have difficulty.
ii.	Ask parents and Scoutmaster as well if necessary.
iii.	Avoid “writing kid off” until you’ve tried
d.	Tactical Specifics
i.	Dysgraphic Scouts (those with issues writing) may have papers and essays dictated.  Do not let these turn into discussions, that misses the point of seeing if a Scout can continuously compose thoughts.
ii.	Dyslexic Scouts (those with issues reading) may opt for audio versions of texts but avoid movie representations as this is a more transformative media.  Few merit badges require reading something specifically and most key texts like the Constitution and some public domain books are available through voxlibre.org.
iii.	ADHD Scouts (those with attention problems) need activities changed frequently.  Often asking a periodic direct question to the Scout can keep him on task.
iv.	Scouts with authority issues can often do spectacularly by just receiving the tools to learn the necessary skills or knowledges and presenting competency at the end.  Merit badge packets like those available from meritbadges.com can suffice.
v.	Scouts who learn slowly may benefit from receiving instructional materials ahead of time that way the presentation to a group won’t be the first time the Scout sees materials.
vi.	If there is a seeming impossibility like a Scout that is afraid of water attempting swimming or a Scout with mobility issues doing Hiking, frame difficulty without using “can’t” like “you need to be able to cycle a long distance if you wish to complete this badge”.
1.	Having a benchmark before trying can help Scouts set reasonable expectations like “once you’re able to do a 20 mile hike in a weekend you can probably do all the Hiking Merit Badge requirements”.
2.	Only prevent a Scout from trying if the trial would cause harm to the Scout or others.  While no one likes being embarrassed, failure can be part of character-building.