Merit Badges at Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp

Most merit badges can be completed at camp; however, because of time requirements, special projects, or other considerations, some merit badges require prerequisites or special skill levels. Merit Badges are listed alphabetically with a short description of each badge including any requirements that may or must be completed at home. We are always looking for skilled instructors for merit badges. If any unit leader possesses a skill that they would like to teach at camp, feel free to contact us. We will contact you directly to inquire about your specific request.

Check out our Merit Badge Guide Info Sheet for more information about our merit badge program at Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp.

The following list is subject to change. There will be a camp-specific program guide released in February.

Animal Science

Scouts will understand how cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, and other domesticated animals are important to people for many reasons. Requirement 6 (Beef) a, (Dairy) f, (Horse) d, (Sheep) c, (Hog) c, (Avian) d may be done before or after coming to camp.

One Hour Course

Archery

Scouts receive experience shooting on Genesis bows. It is fun and challenging. Each session is limited to 16 Scouts. Scouts must be at least second year campers.

Program fee for Material Cost
Class Size Limit
One Hour Class
Young Scouts

Astronomy

In learning about astronomy, Scouts study how activities in space affect our own planet and bear witness to the wonders of the night sky: the nebulae, or giant clouds of gas and dust where new stars are born; old stars dying and exploding; meteor showers and shooting stars; the moon, planets, and a dazzling array of stars.

One Hour Class
Young Scouts

Athletics

Being involved in an athletic endeavor is not only a way to have fun, but it is also one of the best ways for a person to maintain a healthy and strong body, living up to the promise each Scout makes “to keep myself physically strong.”

One Hour Class
Partial Only

ATV

This opportunity is for Scouts 14 years or older. We will have two sessions per day and each session will last 2 hours. We are limited to eight Scouts per session so space is very limited. There will be an additional $50 charge to participate in the program which will be added to your invoice in Black Pug. During the course the Scouts will earn the ATV Safety Institute rider certification as well as get to see parts of camp that are unreachable by other means. Long pants and boots that cover the ankle are required to take this class.

Program fee for Material Cost
Two Hour Class
Older Scouts
Class Size Limit
Age Requirement
Award Only

Backpacking and Backpacking/Hiking

(One class-two merit badges. )This is recommended for older Scouts who are interested in high adventure. Scouts will be out and about most of the day learning about techniques, gear, Leave No Trace and trail maintenance. Scouts are encouraged to bring their own backpacks.

Partial Only
One Hour Class
Required for Eagle Rank
Older Scouts

Basketry/Leatherwork

Each Scout will learn to weave their own basket and make one that they can take home. This is an excellent merit badge for young Scouts. There is a $15 cost for basket materials needed.

Program fee for Material Cost
One Hour Class
Young Scouts

Bird Study

Many of the most important discoveries about birds and how they live have been made by amateur birders. In pursuing this hobby, a Scout might someday make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the natural world.

One Hour Class
Partial Only

Camping

Scouts will be taught the basic skills of both front and back country camping. They will be taught the importance of Leave No Trace. Scouts are welcome to bring some of their own gear, but it is not required. Requirements 4b, 5e, 7, 8d and 9 may be done before or after coming to camp

Partial Only
One Hour Class
Required for Eagle Rank

Canoeing

For several centuries, the canoe was a primary method of travel for explorers and settlers. Today, it remains an important part of the wilderness experience and an enjoyable leisure activity that teaches communication, teamwork, and physical fitness.

One Hour Class
Must Pass the BSA Swim Test

Chess

Scouts will learn the classic game of chess. Going beyond the basics, they will learn different moves and tactics used in the game. A great way to start your career to becoming a Chess International Grandmaster!

One Hour Class

Citizenship in the Nation

Citizenship in the Nation is an Eagle required badge. Scouts will learn about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Scouts will learn about the unique history that formed our great nation.

Partial Only
One Hour Class
Older Scouts
Required for Eagle Rank

Citizenship in the World

This is a 1-hour badge and is Eagle required. Scouts will learn about diplomacy, international trade, and foreign relations. It is recommended that Scouts have already earned Citizenship in the Nation.

Partial Only
One Hour Class
Older Scouts
Required for Eagle Rank

Climbing

Scouts will learn the skills of climbing, rappelling, and belaying. They will have many opportunities to practice these throughout the week on our 48 ft. climbing tower.

Two Hour Class

Communication

Communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. The field of communication promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication.

Partial Only
One Hour Class
Older Scouts
Required for Eagle Rank

Cooking

The Cooking merit badge introduces principles of cooking that can be used both at home or in the outdoors. Scouts who earn this badge will learn about food safety, nutritional guidelines, meal planning, and methods of food preparation, and will review the variety of culinary (or cooking) careers available.

Program fee for Material Cost
Class Size Limit
Two Hour Class
Older Scouts
Required for Eagle Rank

C.O.P.E.

Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience, or C.O.P.E., is the challenge course program of the Boy Scouts of America. It is a series of physical, mental and emotional challenges facilitated by a trained staff directed at enhancing personal growth.

Program fee for Material Cost
Three Hour Class
Award Only

Crime Prevention

Preventing crime, which can be as simple as reducing the opportunities for crime to occur, is far less costly than apprehending and bringing legal action against those who break the law and it helps save people from the anguish of being victims.

Partial Only
One Hour Class
Young Scouts

Cycling

This Eagle required badge (alternate for Swimming) will teach Scouts how to take care of a bike and will utilize the trails around camp for mountain biking. This is a physically demanding badge, but we will try to complete all cycling requirements with the group! Bikes are provided but you may bring your own. Proper safety helmets are required.

Partial Only
Class Size Limit
Two Hour Class
Required for Eagle Rank

Disabilities Awareness

This merit badge will show the participants how to look around at the Scouts in their unit, the members of their sports teams, and the kids in their class – they will see that each person has their own personalities, distinct interests and ideas, different physical features, and different strengths and needs.

Emergency Preparedness

Scouts will learn how to Recognize, Prevent, Prepare for and Respond to a wide variety of emergency situations. They will need to bring pen and paper with them to class. First Aid merit badge is a prerequisite. Requirements 2c, 8c have to be done at home because they involve the Scout’s family.

One Hour Class
Older Scouts
Required for Eagle Rank
Partial Only

Environmental Science

This badge is required for Eagle and is a two-hour session. It requires daily hikes, field notes, and experiments. There is a great deal of written material, but some of it (Requirements 1 and 4) can be completed before coming to camp. Younger Scouts are discouraged from taking this badge. Scouts will need to bring a notebook.

Partial Only
Two Hour Class
Required for Eagle Rank
Older Scouts

Fingerprinting

In earning the Fingerprinting merit badge, Scouts will learn about and use an important technique that is used by law enforcement officers, along with other materials like matching dental records and DNA sampling, to help identify amnesia victims, missing persons, abducted children, and others.

Young Scouts

First Aid

Scouts will learn what to do first when a medical emergency strikes. They should come with pen and paper so they can take notes about skills such as splints, bandages and CPR. They should come with a serious attitude because the skills they learn here might save someone’s life.

One Hour Class
Young Scouts

Fish and Wildlife Management

In this one-hour class, Scouts will learn how to use a regular spin cast and an open-faced reel. In order to complete this merit badge, Scouts must catch at least two fish and clean one. Scouts are encouraged to bring their own fishing pole.

One Hour Class

Fishing

One Hour Class
Partial Only

Fly Fishing

Fly-fishing is a specialized form of fishing that combines skill and artistry. Because it is so rich with tradition, it is a passion for millions of people. The beauty of the water, the solitude, and the skills that the sport requires have made fly-fishing very important in the lives of many notable people.

One Hour Class

Hiking

Hiking is a terrific way to keep your body and mind in top shape, both now and for a lifetime. Walking packs power into your legs and makes your heart and lungs healthy and strong. Exploring the outdoors challenges you with discoveries and new ideas. Your senses will improve as you use your eyes and ears to gather information along the way.

Partial Only
One Hour Class
Required for Eagle Rank

Horsemanship

One Hour Class

Indian Lore

Far different from the stereotypes or common images that are portrayed on film, on television, and in many books and stories, American Indians have many different cultures, languages, religions, styles of dress, and ways of life. Participants in this class will learn about these different groups and take an exciting journey of discovery in which you will meet some of America’s most fascinating people.

Program fee for Material Cost
One Hour Class
Young Scouts

Insect Study

In earning the Insect Study merit badge, Scouts will glance into the strange and fascinating world of the insect. There, they will meet tiny creatures with tremendous strength and speed, see insects that undergo startling changes in habits and form as they grow, and learn how insects see, hear, taste, smell, and feel the world around them.

Partial Only
One Hour Class

Kayaking

This merit badge can be earned concurrently with the Kayaking BSA Award but earning one does not automatically qualify the Scout as earning the other.

One Hour Class
Must Pass the BSA Swim Test

Leatherwork/Basketry

This is another good badge for young Scouts. There is a small cost for materials available at the Trading Post. Requirement 3 may be done before coming to camp.

Program fee for Material Cost
One Hour Class
Young Scouts

Lifesaving

No Scout will ignore a plea for help. However, the desire to help is of little use unless one knows how to give the proper aid. The main purpose of the Lifesaving merit badge is to prepare Scouts to assist those involved in water accidents, teaching them the basic knowledge of rescue techniques, the skills to perform them, and the judgment to know when and how to act so that they can be prepared for emergencies.

Class Size Limit
Two Hour Class
Must Pass the BSA Swim Test
Required for Eagle Rank

Mammal Study/Nature

A mammal may weigh as little as 1/12 ounce, as do some shrews, or as much as 150 tons, like the blue whale. It may spring, waddle, swim, or even fly. But if it has hair of some kind, is relatively intelligent, and has warm blood, then it is a mammal. The Mammal Study merit badge is a fun one for Scouts to work on and has many options for Scouts in order for the Scout to complete with either study or hands-on requirements.

One Hour Class
Young Scouts

Medicine

The practice of medicine has a rich history that spans several centuries. Since the first use of plants and other items as simple medicines and balms, many men and women have contributed to the advancement of the “healing arts.”

One Hour Class

Nature/Mammal Study

There is a very close connection between the soil, the plants, and all animal life, including people. Understanding this connection, and the impact we have upon it, is important to preserving the wilderness, as well as to our own well-being as members of the web of nature.

One Hour Class
Young Scouts
Partial Only

Oceanography

The oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet and are the dominant feature of Earth. Wherever you live, the oceans influence the weather, the soil, the air, and the geography of your community. To study the oceans is to study Earth itself.

One Hour Class

Orienteering

Orienteering, the use of map and compass to find locations and plan a journey, has been a vital skill for humans for thousands of years. Orienteering is also a recognized sport at the Olympic Games, and thousands of people participate in the sport each year in local clubs and competitions.

Partial Only
One Hour Class

Personal Fitness

This required badge will give Scouts the opportunity to develop a fitness plan that they must maintain for 12 weeks. Scouts will also learn about different diseases related to lack of fitness and nutrition and learn different methods to help prevent them. Some requirements may conflict with certain religious views. Please review the requirements of this badge before enrolling.

Partial Only
One Hour Class
Required for Eagle Rank

Pioneering

Pioneering—the knowledge of ropes, knots, and splices along with the ability to build rustic structures by lashing together poles and spars—is among the oldest of Scouting’s skills. Practicing rope use and completing projects with lashings also allow Scouts to connect with past generations; ancestors who used many of these skills as they sailed the open seas and lived in America’s forests and prairies.

Partial Only
One Hour Class

Plant Science

Plant scientists use their curiosity and knowledge to develop questions about the world of plants. Then they try to answer those questions with further observations and experiments in the laboratory and in the field. To earn this merit badge, Scouts will explore three of the most important plant science specialties: agronomy, horticulture, and field botany.

Pulp and Paper

Here’s an astonishing number to digest: Each person in the United States uses about 700 pounds of paper each year. Paper is everywhere in our lives. Every year in the United States, more than 2 billion individual books, 24 billion newspapers, and 350 million magazines are published on paper.

One Hour Class

Reptile and Amphibian Study

Developing knowledge of snakes, turtles, lizards, and alligators, as well as frogs and salamanders leads to an appreciation for all native wildlife. Understanding the life cycle of a reptile or amphibian and keeping one as a pet can be a good introduction to natural history and knowing about venomous species can help Scouts to be prepared to help in case of an emergency.

Partial Only
One Hour Class

Rifle Shooting

Shooting experience is highly recommended, and this merit badge requires a lot of time to qualify. Scouts should have the strength and size to manage a 10-pound target rifle. As a means of determining this, the Scout should have a distance of at least 13 inches between the tip of their thumb and the top of their upper arm. Each session is limited to 16 Scouts.

Program fee for Material Cost
Class Size Limit
Two Hour Class

Robotics

Scouts will dive into the amazing world of robotics. They will have the unique opportunity to build, program, and control a robot of their own! This will give them a jump start into this ever growing field of study in our technology-driven world.

Program fee for Material Cost
Two Hour Class
Older Scouts

Rowing

In this one hour session, your Scouts will learn this unique skill that can turn into a hobby, or competitive sport.

One Hour Class
Must Pass the BSA Swim Test

Sculpture

This merit badge introduces Scouts to sculpture, an art form that allows an artist to express what they see and feel by using three dimensions by shaping materials such as clay, stone, metal, and wood.

Two Hour Class

Shotgun Shooting

This program will teach Scouts the basics of handling and shooting a shotgun as well as safety precautions for firearms. They will have the chance to shoot both skeet and trap as well as practice to sharpen their skills. Each session is limited to 12 Scouts.

Program fee for Material Cost
Class Size Limit
One Hour Class
Older Scouts

Soil and Water Conservation

Conservation isn’t just the responsibility of soil and plant scientists, hydrologists, wildlife managers, landowners, and the forest or mine owner alone. It is the duty of every person to learn more about the natural resources on which our lives depend so that we can help make sure that these resources are used intelligently and cared for properly.

Space Exploration

Space is mysterious. We explore space for many reasons, not least because we don’t know what is out there. It is vast, and humans are full of curiosity. Each time we send explorers into space, we learn something we didn’t know before. We discover a little more of what is there.

Program fee for Material Cost
One Hour Class

Sports

Millions of people participate in sports every year. Some revel in the joy of victory and lessons of defeat. For some, personal fitness is so important that exercise becomes a daily need. And still others desire the feeling of achievement, that feeling of measurable improvement that comes with dedication to a sport.

Program fee for Material Cost
One Hour Class

Swimming

This is a good entry-level Aquatics badge and is required for Eagle. It is strongly suggested that Scouts take this before other Aquatic badges. Be sure to bring a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, and shoes that can get wet. Scouts must pass the BSA Swimmer Test in order to take this badge.

Class Size Limit
One Hour Class
Young Scouts
Must Pass the BSA Swim Test
Required for Eagle Rank

Swimming – Instructional

This session is for Scouts in the Non-Swimmer and Beginner ability groups. The instruction will work to improve their swimming skills and aim toward advancing to the next ability group. The Beginner’s test completes requirement 7 for Second Class, and the Swimmer’s test completes requirement 9 for First Class.

Traffic Safety

Staying safe in traffic wherever you live is getting more difficult all the time, as more and more people take to the road. Earning the Traffic Safety merit badge will give Scouts some crucial tools to stay safer, when driving a car on a highway, riding a bike across town, or jogging across a busy street.

One Hour Class

Veterinary Medicine

The field of veterinary medicine in the 21st century is one of the most exciting medical professions in which to work. The skills of a veterinarian are practiced with cutting-edge technology and treatment options, and the profession offers a wide range of career choices.

One Hour Class

Weather

Scouts will build a weather instrument and use it to track the weather during the week. This badge covers a lot of material. An interest in weather is helpful. Requirements 8, and 9 may be completed before coming to camp.

One Hour Class

Welding

Part of our STEM area, Scouts that participate in this class will learn the fundamentals of a skilled profession as well as learn about job opportunities associated with it.

Program fee for Material Cost
Class Size Limit
One Hour Class

Wilderness Survival

This merit badge requires an overnight camping trip. Requirement 5 requires putting together a personal survival kit. This may be done before coming to camp. Scouts should bring these materials to camp.

One Hour Class

Wood Carving

This merit badge is recommended for first-year Scouts. There is a small cost for materials needed. Knives are available for Scouts to use or Scouts may use their personal carving knives. Personal knives should be sharp and pocket knives are highly discouraged.

Program fee for Material Cost
One Hour Class
Young Scouts