Procedure

1. Select a merit badge you want to do.  This is a list of merit badges with counselors available within Troop 174.  Booklets are available from the troop merit badge library, which the troop Librarian brings to each troop meeting.  They may also be bought from the Scout Shop at 41 Saw Mill River Rd. (9A), Hawthorne, NY.  Starred* merit badges are required for Eagle.  Links are to merit badge requirements at unofficial and possibly inaccurate information at meritbadge.com and usscouts.org.  Names of counselors in the troop are available online. Go to the password-protected pages and click on "Merit Badge Counselors in the Troop: Name, e-mail, and phone number."  Or you may contact Vincent D., advancement chair.
• Art (also here)
• Astronomy (also here)
• Aviation (also here)
• Basketry (also here)
• Citizenship in the Nation* (also here)
• Citizenship in the World* (also here)
• Coin Collecting (also here)
• Computers (also here)
• Electricity (also here)
• Electronics (also here)
• Environmental Science* (also here)
• Family Life* (also here)
• Fire Safety (also here)
• First Aid* (also here)
• Fishing (also here)
• Genealogy (also here)
• Geology (also here)
• Indian Lore (also here)
• Medicine (also here)
• Nature (also here)
• Orienteering (also here)
• Personal Management* (also here)  Worksheets: PDF and MS Word.
• Plumbing (also here)
• Salesmanship (also here)
2. In addition the Merit Badge Library also has books for use with troop meeting monthly themes, at summer camp, or with counselors outside the troop.
• American Business (also here)
• American Heritage (also here)
• Backpacking (also here)
• Camping* (also here)
• Canoeing (also here)
• Citizenship in the Community* (also here)
• Collections (also here)
• Communications* (also here)
• Cooking (also here)
• Cycling* (also here)
• Emergency Perparedness* (also here)
• Energy (also here)
• Engineering (also here)
• Fingerprinting (also here)
• Fish and Wildlife Management (also here)
• Forestry (also here)
• Hiking* (also here)
• Home Repairs (also here)
• Horsemanship (also here)
• Landscape Architecture (also here)
• Leatherwork (also here)
• Lifesaving* (also here).  Also, the Durland Scout Center in Rye, NY, offers Lifesaving merit badge programs.
• Music and Bugling (also Music and Bugling)
• Orienteering (also here)
• Personal Fitness* (also here)
• Pets (also here)
• Pioneering (also here)
• Pottery (also here)
• Reading (also here)
• Reptile and Amphibian Study (also here)
• Shotgun Shooting (also here)
• Swimming* (also here).  Also, the Durland Scout Center in Rye, NY, offers Swimming merit badge programs.
• Wilderness Survival (also here)
• Woodcarving (also here)
• Woodwork (also here)
3. There is also a Westchester-Putnam Council merit badge counselor list.  See the troop advancement chair or the troop SPL.
4. BSA National Council also lists requirements here.
5. Mr. D's Merit Badge Review gives a brief, unofficial commentary on each merit badge.
6. meritbadge.com has requirements for merit badges as links at the bottom of the page under Merit Badge Resource Links.  This unofficial, volunteer-run website may possibly have inaccurate information.
7. usscouts.org has requirements for merit badges. Scroll down to merit badge links at the bottom of the page.  This unofficial, volunteer-run website may possibly have inaccurate information.
8. After you have selected a merit badge to do, ask the Scoutmaster for a signed merit badge application (blue card) for the merit badge.
9. Along with another Scout, a relative, or a friend, set up and attend your first appointment with the merit badge counselor.  No one-on-one contact is permitted.  A Scout must have a buddy with him at each meeting with a merit badge counselor.
10. When you complete your merit badge requirements, give the merit badge application signed by the counselor to the Scoutmaster.
11. Take extra care to keep the Applicant's Record portion of the blue card you get back at the Court of Honor, because Council no longer keeps cards.
12. Finally, if you bought your merit badge book, consider donating it to the troop merit badge library now that you are done with it.  Help keep our library up-to-date, we may have an out-of-date book to swap for you.

• Jan-Feb -- Merit Badge Day, hosted by Yorktown Troop 911 in Yorktown.
• March   -- Merit Badge Seminar, hosted by Troop 99 in Scarsdale.
• July       -- Summer Camp at Camp Read offers many merit badge programs.
• Nov.     -- Merit Badge Seminar hosted by Troop 165 in Yorktown.

• All Year -- Durland Scout Center offers the Swimming* and the Lifesaving* Merit Badges from time to time.
• All Year -- Space Camp in Florida and Alabama offers for scouts ages 12-14 these one-week programs:
• Aviation Challenge Mach II, which qualify scouts for the Aviation Merit badge as well as  partials in First Aid*, Fire Safety, and Orienteering.
• Space Academy, which qualifies scouts for the Space Exploration merit badge.
• Check for discount for regestering before Dec. 31 for the summer programs.
• Winter  -- Several ski resorts offer scout ski days.  See the Westchester-Putnam Council Ski Weekends.  Also, our old Scout Ski Day information gives an idea of what might be found this year.  These qualify scouts for the Snow Sports merit badge.