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Collections

Merit Badge Overview

Discover how collecting can be an educational and financially rewarding pastime with the Collections Merit Badge. Scouts will prepare a brief written report, give a detailed description, and explain the development of their collection while demonstrating the knowledge of preserving and displaying their most prized possessions.
Collections_MB-overview

Collections

Merit Badge Requirements

The previous version of the Merit Badge requirements can be found in Scoutbook

The requirements will be fed dynamically using the scout book integration 29
NOTE: Stamp and coin collecting are excluded from eligibility for this merit badge.
Scouts must remember to follow the Leave No Trace Seven Principles and the Outdoor Code while on field trips and when collecting specimens. Make sure you have permission of the land manager prior to taking any samples for your collection. Collecting is prohibited in most National and State Parks. Pictures or sketches may suffice for a collection and limit impacted disturbances.
NOTE: The official merit badge pamphlets are now free and downloadable HERE or can be purchased at the Scout Shop.
1. Prepare a short written report or outline for your counselor, giving a detailed description of your collection, including a short history, why you enjoy your collection, and what you have learned from collecting. Be sure to include why you chose that particular type of collection/collecting method.
Resources: The Invention of Collecting (video)
246 Cool Things to Collect (Collection Ideas) (website)
Meet Reece, King of the Fans | My Kid's Obsession (video)
3. Demonstrate your knowledge of preserving and displaying your collection.

4. Demonstrate your knowledge of collecting and investing. Discuss with your counselor:
Resources: 5 Smart Tips for Collecting Pokemon Cards on a Budget (video)
Contemplatiing Collectible Investments (website)

5. Do the following:

6. Discuss with your counselor the plans you have to continue with the collection in the future.
7. Find out about career opportunities in collecting. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.
Resources: Curators, Conservators, and Museum Workers Careers (video)
Dream Jobs: Antiquer (video)

Get the Collections Merit Badge Pamphlet

Merit Badge Pamphlets are now free and publicly available. Note: Always check www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/ for the latest requirements.

Discover more about

"Collections"

Three years ago, Troop 25 of Emmaus, Pa., renovated its Scout room by adding a fresh coat of paint to the walls and replacing old cabinets with heavy-duty metal shelving to hold camping gear. The result gave the Scouts a cleaner, more organized space at the St. John’s United Church of Christ. One small cabinet housed awards and old records dating back to the 1930s. For a unit originally chartered in 1932, the troop committee believed those items should be on display. Two years later, phase two of the renovation project got underway by installing cabinets and countertops to create a troop museum. Some of the work was done during troop meetings, but most took place on the weekends as not to cut into program time. Still, Scouts volunteered on the weekend workdays to complete the project. Scouts stained all the wood used in the museum. They installed plywood with aluminum tracking to create doors for extra storage. If this is sounding like a project you want for your unit, Troop 25 Scoutmaster Andy Frobase says it should be a group effort. “Get the Scouts involved because not only will they learn a lot of history about the troop, but they will learn many different types of trades and skills throughout the process,” he says.
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New Digital Resource Guides Available

New digital resource guides for three merit badges, Personal Management, Camping, and Cooking are now available. No pamphlet required, check them out today!