History of merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)

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File:OpeningGroup.JPG
BSA Merit Badge Samples: Gardening, Type A (center); Fish & Wildlife Management, Type J (upper right); Citizenship In The Home, Type E (lower right); Collections, Type H (lower left); Camping, Type D (upper left).

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) issue merit badges that have historically been produced in several merit badge types. In addition to the Boy Scouts of America, many other Scouting organizations and Scouting-like organizations (such as Pathfinders and Royal Rangers) around the world also issue merit badges or their equivalent. Some Pathfinder groups call these badges honours or honors. Certain other organizations (such as fire brigades) issue badges/awards they call merit badges, but those are distinctly different in nature than the badges awarded by the Boy Scouts of America.

Merit badges have been an integral part of the Scouting program since the beginning of the movement in Great Britain in 1908. Scouting came to the United States in 1910 and BSA quickly issued an initial list of just 14 merit badges, but did not actually produce or award them. In 1911, BSA manufactured the first official 57 merit badges and began awarding them.[1] The number of badges available has been as high as 140 and is at 120 as of 2005. Merit badge types are based on the cloth and manufacturing process used to make the badges. The classification of badges into types came about as a way for collectors to categorize and classify their collections. Merit badge collectors often collect other Scouting memorabilia as well.

Purpose of merit badges

Merit badges exist to encourage a Scout to explore areas of interest to him and to teach him advanced skills in Scoutcraft. Careers and life-long hobbies are often the result of a Scout earning a merit badge.

Scouts earn a merit badge by completing specified criteria. A Court of Honor is then held to present the merit badge. Scouts can earn merit badges at any point in a their Scouting career, although this was not always the case — in the 1960s a Scout first had to earn the rank of Second Class Scout before being allowed to work on and earn merit badges. [2] The higher ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle require merit badges be earned. Certain badges are mandatory to receive these higher ranks. For a few years during the 1980s-1990s, earning the "First Aid" merit badge was a requirement for the First Class Scout rank[3]. Other mandatory badges include "Citizenship in the Community" and "Emergency Preparedness" (see full list). The number of merit badges required for each of these higher ranks has varied historically, as has the ratio of mandatory merit badges vs. non-mandatory merit badges for those ranks.[4] As of 2005, a Scout must earn a total of twenty-one merit badges for the Eagle Scout rank, 12 of which must be from the mandatory list. Once a Scout attains the Eagle rank, he can earn Eagle Palms, a core requirement of which is earning more merit badges.

Badge history

BSA changes the design, name, and availability of merit badges depending on various factors such as their popularity, shifts in the focus of the Scouting program, and changes in society.[5] Of the original 57 merit badges from 1911, only 11 are still available that also still have the same basic motif/design (Architecture, Art, Athletics, Chemistry, First Aid, Lifesaving, Music, Plumbing, Public Health, Scholarship, and Surveying). Of those 11, only five were made available in each "generation" of the 10 merit badge types (these are Architecture, Art, Chemistry, Plumbing, and Public Health). The remaining six were not reproduced in a short lived "generation" of merit badges, Type I.

Examples of merit badge change due to the degree of popularity/interest in a subject include "Interpreting", which only existed from 1911-1952, when it was dropped; and "Genealogy" which was added in 1972 when great interest in that subject arose.

A good example of merit badges reflecting changes in the focus of the Scouting program is "Civics", which was originally the only citizenship-related merit badge. In 1952 BSA wanted to place more emphasis on this area and split "Civics" into four separate merit badges. These successor badges have changed several times themselves since then. Since 1991, the merit badges in this group are: "Citizenship in the Community", "Citizenship in the Nation", "Citizenship in the World", and "Family Life"; all of which are currently on the mandatory list for Eagle Scout.

The "First Aid to Animals" and "Plant Science" merit badges have both evolved due to societal changes. "First Aid to Animals" was one of the original merit badges in 1911 but was dropped because of its agricultural focus in 1972. It was resurrected as "Veterinary Science" in 1973 with a focus on small pet-type animals vs. farm animals. It was renamed "Veterinary Medicine" in 1995. Merging of merit badges can be seen in "Plant Science", into which all crop growing merit badges were merged in 1972 because American had changed from an agrarian society into and an urban/suburban society since the founding of BSA.

The merit badges on the mandatory list for Eagle rank have changed several times. "First Aid" is the only merit badge that has always been on the mandatory list for Eagle.

Sometimes the design of or requirements for a merit badge seem to change for no apparent reason. An example of this is "Personal Health", which was an original 1911 merit badge with a heart motif. In 1952 it became "Personal Fitness". In 1969 it was redesigned, displaying a youth in gym gear doing what looks like a jumping jack exercise.

Currently, the BSA is "field testing" a Hunting merit badge, but it has not yet been released on a national basis.[6]

Types of merit badges

As of 2005 and as described in Merit Badge Field Guide[7], there are 10 major types of merit badges: Types A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J. (Note: Mouse over the image to see the description)

Type A

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Gardening, Type A, front
Gardening, Type A, back 		square 1911-1933 Type A merit badges were manufactured in rolls and then cut into squares approximately 2 inches (5 cm) square, hence its nickname square. Some Type A/B/C have watermarks (the BSA emblem in black) or partial watermarks on the back as these were printed on the back of the rolls at certain intervals. The early Gardening merit badge shown here is often confused with Corn Farming, which had three corn husks. Creases were created when these square badges were folded under by hand before being sewn onto a merit badge sash, which are worn over the right shoulder. Type A merit badges came from the manufacturer without the crease. Some people removed excess cloth before creasing them to make the merit badge round on the merit badge sash. These cut-down squares look similar to a Type C, but usually end up with straighter yet uneven edges than a Type C. Also, Type A merit badges may have lighter tan khaki cloth than a Type C badge.

Type B

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Public Health, Type B, front
Public Health, Type B, back 		wide border 1934-1935 Type B merit badges were the first merit badges to be manufactured with a smooth, round shape, which the manufacturer produced by folding the badge's edge under the back and crimping it. Types B/C/D/E were manufactured in this manner, with Type B having a diameter of 1 3/4" after crimping. Type B has a margin of 3/16" to 1/4" between the edge of the merit badge and the embroidered green ring; because this margin is wider than in the Type C merit badge, Type B is nicknamed wide border. Some Type B and C merit badges came in a darker tan/brown cloth than Type A badges, although many retained the same basic cloth color.

Type C

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Civics, Type C, front
Civics, Type C, back 		narrow border, narrow tan 1936-1946 Type C merit badges were made from the same type of cloth as Type B badges, but were a little smaller in width. The diameter of the badge from outer edge to outer edge is about 1 1/2" (38mm), with the distance from the crimp to the outer edge of the green ring being 1/8". Size is the only difference in a Type B and Type C merit badge; hence the nickname narrow border and narrow tan. In fact, all Type C/D/E merit badges are the same size. Compared side-by-side, Type B and Type C merit badges the difference in the distance from the outer crimp edge to the green ring is obvious. Beginning with Type C, all merit badges have been made with a diameter of 1 1/2", except for a few Type I designs (see below). Some narrow tans have watermarks. Most Type C merit badges were not made after 1942 (see Type D section below); only the Air Scout aviation blues, which came in four designs, were made in Type C from 1942-1946. These had blue fully embroidered cloth instead of the regular khaki-colored cloth of all other Type C merit badges.

Type D

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Camping, Type D, front
Camping, Type D, back 		fine twill, sand twill 1942-1946 Type D merit badges were made from a lighter weight cloth and with a much finer weave than Type C merit badges because the heavier, thicker weave material that Type C merit badges were made from was needed to make uniforms needed during World War II. Because of this finer weave twill material, they are called fine twill. Another name for them is sand twill because of their sandy color; which is a much lighter shade than Type C merit badges. The only Type C merit badges made during this era were the afore-mentioned aviation-blues with the Type C blue-background material. Because sand twills were made for such a short time many decades ago; they are rather rare.

Type E

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Citizenship In The Home, Type E, front
Citizenship In The Home, Type E, back 		khaki green, khaki 1947-1960 Type E merit badges were made from the same material as Type C merit badges, but the color is a decidedly darker green, hence the nickname khaki green. In addition to being the same size, Type C/D/E merit badges all have sizing on the back, which serves as a stiffener to help the badge retain its crimp. Serious collectors have Type B/C/D/E merit badges recrimped to restore their original appearance as many merit badges lose their neat appearance over the years if the merit badge is not cared for properly. If a Type E merit badge has had significant washings or sun exposure it can be hard to tell from a Type C.

Type F

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Swimming, Type F, front
Swimming, Type E, back 		khaki twill, rolled edge twill 1961-1968 This type was introduced concurrently with Type G (see below), and both types were manufactured together for several years. They replaced the crimped edge of Types B/C/D/E with a "rolled" edge, which is stitched around the outside to prevent unraveling. They also introduced an extra layer of backing underneath the khaki cloth (Type F used gauze and Type G used solid cloth). The other difference is that, whereas Type F badges had a plain cloth background, Type G badges were completely embroidered. Some badges had been made this way since Type A; they moved directly to Type G and never appeared in Type F.

A comparison of the obverse side of Type F & G merit badges with the same motif shows that Type F merit badges have a gauze or cheese cloth backing and Type G merit badges have a fuller cloth backing.

Front Back
Botany, Type F, front Botany, Type F, back
Botany, Type G, front Botany, Type G, back

Type G

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Forage Crops, Type G, front
Forage Crops, Type G, back 		cloth back 1961-1971 Type G merit badges were the first merit badges made with a full cloth backing, hence the nickname cloth back. While all Type G merit badges have full embroidery, there were a few Type A/B/C/D/E merit badges with full embroidery and hence do not exist as Type F merit badges. Examples of these fully embroidered early merit badges are: "Foundry Practice", "Grasses, Legumes, and Forage Crops" (later shortened to "Forage Crops"), "Farm Layout and Building Arrangement", and "Farm Home and its Planning". In 1969, BSA started issuing silver-bordered merit badges for those merit badges that were on the required merit badge list for Eagle rank. Silver-bordered merit badges appear in Type G/H/J merit badges. Consequently, the border color of a merit badge will change when it goes on and off the mandatory list. A good example is "Camping" Type H, which had a green border from 1973-1977, yet silver border before and after that; so this particular green border "Camping" variety is fairly rare.

Type H

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Collections, Type H, front
Collections, Type H, back 		plastic back 1972-2002 Type H merit badges were the first merit badges made with a plastic-coated backing, hence the nickname plastic back. This coating was added to make merit badges more durable and is the only difference in a Type G and Type H (also see Type J section below). This coating is most commonly clear, but is also found in a milky white color and from 1972 until about 1977 blue plastic-coated merit badges were often issued. The blue-coated merit badges fairly rare since they were only made for a few years. On merit badges that have a blue embroidered background, it is extremely difficult to tell if the plastic coating is blue or clear. Type G/H/I/J are all fully embroidered. As they were made for 30 years, Type H merit badges are by far the most common.

Type I

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
White Water, Type I, front
White Water, Type I, back 		computer design 1993-1995 Type I merit badges were designed using computers, hence the nickname computer design. The background stitching is different from Type G/H/J merit badges, but the most obvious difference is in the green border--it is no longer rolled, but flat. BSA decided to phase in these merit badges beginning in 1993, but they were not very popular and were discontinued in 1995. Consequently, BSA reverted to the Type H design for an additional seven years. Since Type I was never fully adopted, not all merit badges appear in Type I. In fact, only 30 merit badge varieties appear as Type I. So while not that old, they are also not that common. Another oddity is that some Type I badges were made in two sizes: 38mm and 42mm. Two different sizes of merit badges can not be lined up neatly on the same sash. Some merit badges that did appear as Type I only appear in 38mm, some as only 42mm, and some appeared in both sizes. The obverse side of a Type I badge has a brown ring stitched just inside the green ring. None of the merit badges on the mandatory list for Eagle rank appeared as Type I.

Type J

Front/Back Nickname(s) Years of issue Description
Fish & Wildlife Management, Type J, front
Fish & Wildlife Management, Type J, back 		Scout Stuff 2002-present The only difference in a Type J merit badge and a Type H merit badge is that a Type J has some variation of the BSA Supply Division's Scout Stuff logo stamped on the back; hence the nickname "Scout Stuff". BSA started putting this logo on all its patches (ranks, position, numeral patches, etc) in 2002 to reduce counterfeiting and show support for the American labor force.[8] In the first few years the logo stamped on the back was not consistent in design. One of the early stamps was just a blue rectangle with the word Scout and a circular blue design inside it. The "Scout Stuff" design shown in the sample photo is now the standard. On a good specimen, a label reading BSA Supply Division and Scout Stuff is legible.

Errors vs variations

The visual appearance of a merit badge may change due to a myriad of reasons. A "variation" is a minor change, whether intentional or not. An "manufacturing error" is a significant deviation or mistake in manufacturing from the BSA-approved design of the merit badge. A "design error" is when a merit badge is manufactured the way it was designed, but the design had a significant flaw.

Specimen variations

Variations are minor changes in the merit badge design or manufacture that do not appreciably alter its appearance or design. Examples include positional changes, stitching changes, or other minor nuances. These are often caused by manufacturing variations and not classified separately. However, some variations have attained notoriety, such as the waffle weave weave variation found amongst Type C merit badges and the large people vs. slender people variations of "Family Life". Such variations were very common up until the 1940s and they still occur, but not as often. Some collectors find these variations interesting and collect them.

Two examples of positional shifts amongst the objects comprising the motif of a merit badge include: changes in the precise position of the tent vs the mountains among "Camping" Type H merit badges and similar shifts amongst the Scout, mountains, and clouds in "Hiking" Type H merit badges.

Stitch patterns are not always consistent. The three known stitching variations among the Type C "Personal Health" merit badges are: the 'vertical heart', 'horizontal heart', and 'split heart' -- where the stitches create the appearance of a split down the middle of the heart.

"Citizenship in the Nation" appears in both Type H and Type J with the colors in the order red/white/blue and blue/white/red; the reasons for this are unknown. Large and small bell varieties also exist.

"Emergency Preparedness" was made with a red cross from 1972-1979 and then with a green cross beginning in 1980. This change was intentionally made.

The color of the green ring is not consistent. Even today, it varies between dark green, medium green, light green, and yellow green.

Manufacturing errors

Genuine manufacturing errors from the design do occur. Some "Atomic Energy" Type G merit badges were made without a nucleus. The only time a merit badge was made without a silver or green border was the "White Water" Type H badges made in 1987 with a black border. "Dairying" appears in Type H with the cheese in both orange and burgundy. It is supposed to be orange.

There have been at least three Type H merit badges made with little or no plastic; called plasticizing or Type G errors: "American Cultures", "Colonial Philadelphia", and "Journalism." The "Colonial Philadelphia" patch was only available from 1975-1976 to Scouts in the Philadelphia region and could only be used for Eagle Palms.

"First Aid to Animals" Type H was made in error with a silver border in 1972. This is one of the most famous errors. It has a slight blue tint in the plastic back (see photos). It is believed that only about 100 of these were made and that only about 50 have survived to this day. Counterfeit versions of this badge error also exist. [9] [10] "Beekeeping" Type G is also known in silver border error. Neither one has ever been a required merit badge.

Front Back
First Aid To Animals (silver border error) Merit Badge, Type H, front First Aid To Animals (silver border error) Merit Badge, Type H, back

Design errors

The known design errors are all from the early years. "Beekeeping" was made from 1914-1938 with only four legs instead of six simply because of human design error. "Beekeeping" also exists in thick and thin bodies in Type C. "Insect Life" was first made, from 1923-1924, with a spider on it. Since a spider is an arachnid, not an insect, the design was changed to an aphid the following year. As this particular merit badge specimen was only issued for one year, it is extremely rare.

Spoof merit badges

Spoof merit badges are made and sold simply for fun; they are not official merit badges of BSA. These are not fakes of genuine merit badges, though they are the same size as a merit badge and have an outer green ring. Dozens of varieties of these exist, such as for snoring, computer viruses, citizenship in the universe, snow art, text messaging, and whining. [11] To the unsuspecting buyer they look like genuine merit badges. Some could even be legitimate merit badge if BSA ever authorized it. Examples of this latter group are spoof badges for scuba diving, surfing, and whitewater kayaking.

Spoofs of other BSA badges exist, such as for training status and troop positions. The most well-known of this variety is the "Untrained" spoof training patch. Spoof badges are all unofficial and not recognized by the Boy Scouts of America. [12] [13]

References

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  4. ^ Did you know? page on Scouting history, including changes in the number of required badges for Eagle Scout.
  5. ^ Merit Badges past and present, track what morphed into what, etc...
  6. ^ Hunting merit badge being field tested
  7. ^ {{cite book}}: Empty citation (help)
  8. ^ {{cite book}}: Empty citation (help)
  9. ^ Spotting fake BSA insignia, including the fake "First Aid to Animals" merit badge
  10. ^ Template:Harvard reference page 31
  11. ^ Examples of kinds of spoof merit badges
  12. ^ Boy Scout/Varsity Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet, Boy Scouts of America, 2000, Item #34283
  13. ^ Insignia Guide, Boy Scouts of America, 2000, Item #33066B

See also

Wikibooks has more on the topic of: History of merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)
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