Scouting Heritage connects you to more than a century of Scouts who came before you. You will learn how Scouting started, dig into the history of your own troop or council, and hear stories from people who were Scouts long ago. It's history you can actually touch.
Why it's worth it
Every patch on your uniform and every song at the campfire has a story behind it. Scouting Heritage turns you into the person who knows those stories: why the Scout sign has three fingers, who started your troop, what camp looked like in 1965. Along the way you'll practice real history skills, like digging through old records and interviewing people, and you'll leave something behind that helps your unit remember where it came from.
Start this week
- Look at your own uniform and handbook tonight and write down three things you wonder about, like why the badge is shaped the way it is.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Scouting Heritage counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Ask your Scoutmaster or committee chair whether the troop has old scrapbooks, charter papers, or photos you could look through at the next meeting.
- Make a list of adults you know who were Scouts, like a grandparent, neighbor, or longtime leader, for your requirement 8 interviews.
Requirements · 9
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
- Requirement 1
With your counselor, discuss Baden-Powell's life and times and why he thought Scouting would benefit boys of his era. Cover how Scouting came to the US and how he began Boy Scouting and Cub Scouting
Tip: Read a short biography of Baden-Powell and note a few things from his life that shaped Scouting.
For example: Make a short timeline of Baden-Powell's life: his army service in Africa, the siege of Mafeking, the experimental camp on Brownsea Island in 1907, and the book Scouting for Boys. Then explain which experiences you think shaped the Scout program the most.
- Requirement 2
Scouting's founders and landmarks
Tips for this section: Pick two early leaders and two of the listed landmarks, like Brownsea Island or the Scouts BSA Handbook, and jot down why each mattered.
Example for this section: You might pick William D. Boyce and Ernest Thompson Seton from the list of people, and Brownsea Island and the first World Scout Jamboree from the list of landmarks. For each, write three sentences: who or what, when, and why it still matters to your troop.
- Requirement 2a
Pick two of these people. For each, give a brief life story and tell how they helped Scouting take root and grow in the US. Choose 2 of 9
- Requirement 2a1
Daniel Carter Beard
- Requirement 2a2
William D. Boyce
- Requirement 2a3
Waite Phillips
- Requirement 2a4
Ernest Thompson Seton
- Requirement 2a5
James E. West
- Requirement 2a6
"Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt
- Requirement 2a7
Frederick Russell Burnham
- Requirement 2a8
Dr. Charles Eastman
- Requirement 2a9
Edgar Robinson
- Requirement 2b
Pick two of these and discuss why each is important to Scouting. Choose 2 of 4
- Requirement 2b1
Brownsea Island
- Requirement 2b2
The first World Scout Jamboree
- Requirement 2b3
The Scouts BSA Handbook
- Requirement 2b4
Scout Life magazine (once called Boys' Life)
- Requirement 3
Talk with your counselor about how Scouting's programs changed over the years to suit different ages and interests, including Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Exploring, and Venturing
Tip: Compare an old handbook with today's, or ask an older leader how programs have changed.
- Requirement 4
See Scouting history firsthand. Choose 1 of 3
Tips for this section: Check whether your council has a museum or Scouting history display, or write to the National Scouting Museum. If you're headed to a national or world jamboree or a high-adventure base, keep a daily journal while you're there.
- Requirement 4a
Attend a World Scout Jamboree, a Scouting America National Jamboree, or one of the national high-adventure bases and keep a daily journal there. When you're back, tell your counselor about your experience and what you learned (photos, brochures, and papers are welcome)
- Requirement 4b
Visit or write to the National Scouting Museum to get information about it, then briefly report what role you think the museum plays in Scouting
- Requirement 4c
Visit a Scouting memorabilia exhibit or a museum with a Scouting history display, or (with a parent's or guardian's permission and your counselor's OK) meet a respected council historian or collector. Learn about Scouting America's history and give your counselor a short report
- Requirement 5
Research how your unit, council, summer camp, or OA lodge began and grew (with a parent's or guardian's permission, using online or library searches, leader interviews, or site visits). Share it as an oral or written report, presentation, or video and review it with your counselor
Tip: Look through old troop scrapbooks, ask longtime members, or check with your council for records about your unit or camp.
For example: Build a one-page history of your troop: the year it was chartered, its chartered organization, past Scoutmasters, memorable trips, and a list of its Eagle Scouts. Old rosters, newsletters, and photo albums are good places to start.
- Requirement 6
Put together a collection of your own patches and other Scouting keepsakes; with permission you may add items or photos borrowed from past Scouts in your family or among friends. Show your counselor and explain what you learned about the items (any size collection is fine)
Tip: Start with patches from your own unit and camps, then ask older family members if they have Scouting items to share.
For example: Your collection could focus on one theme, like every summer camp patch from your council, or the history of one kind of badge. Mount items on a board with short labels that tell when and where each came from.
- Requirement 7
Build the gear for a Scouting game from the early days, like those played at Brownsea Island, chosen from the pamphlet or found yourself with your counselor's OK. Teach the game to other Scouts and play it together
Tip: Look in the pamphlet for games from Scouting's early days, like the ones played at Brownsea Island, or find one yourself and check it with your counselor. Then build the simple equipment and teach the game to your patrol.
For example: Pick an old-time game such as Kim's Game, a knot relay, or a signaling race. Build the equipment from simple materials like a tray of small objects or homemade flags, then run the game at a patrol meeting.
- Requirement 8
Interview at least three former Scouts over age 40 (not people you interviewed for requirement 5) about their Scouting experiences and how Scouting affected their lives. Tell your counselor what you found out
Tip: Ask your unit for help finding former Scouts. Prepare a few questions about what Scouting was like for them.
For example: Ask each person the same few questions so you can compare: what their uniform looked like, a campout they still remember, what was hard, and what Scouting taught them. Do the interviews with a parent or another adult present, in person or on a call.
- Requirement 9
Careers. Choose 1 of 2
Tips for this section: Ask a council professional how they turned Scouting into a career, or ask a longtime volunteer how they got started serving at the district or council level.
- Requirement 9a
Explore careers linked to Scouting. Research one for its education and training, costs, job outlook, pay, duties, and advancement (with a parent's or guardian's permission, by searching, interviewing a professional, or visiting a workplace). Discuss your findings and its appeal with your counselor
- Requirement 9b
Explore how this badge's knowledge and skills could help you volunteer in Scouting. Look into training, expenses, and ways to serve at the unit, district, council, regional, or national level, and discuss short- and long-term goals with your counselor
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A Scouting museum or council history display
Seeing old uniforms, handbooks, and camp gear up close makes the history real, and staff can answer questions you can't look up.
How: Ask your council service center whether it has a history room or museum, or plan a stop at a museum or exhibit during a high-adventure trip or jamboree.
Your council camp
Old buildings, dedication plaques, and camp traditions often hold decades of history, and longtime staff know the stories behind them.
How: During summer camp or a weekend trip, have a leader ask the camp director or ranger if someone can give your patrol a short history walk.
Where it can lead
- Scouting professionalDistrict and council staff help units grow, run camps, and recruit volunteers; many started as Scouts.
- Museum curator or archivistCollects, protects, and explains historical objects and records, like the ones you'll research for this badge.
- Historian or history teacherResearches the past and helps others understand why it matters.
- Camp staff and camp rangerSummer camp jobs start in the teen years; rangers maintain camp property year-round.
Ask yourself
- What part of Scouting today do you think Baden-Powell would be most surprised by?
- Which story from your interviews stuck with you most, and why?
- What did you find about your troop's past that almost nobody in the troop knew?
- Which traditions in your unit do you want to keep going, and which might be worth changing?
- What would you want a Scout 50 years from now to know about your time in Scouting?
Good questions to ask a former Scout or longtime leader
- What was a typical campout like when you were my age?
- What piece of gear or uniform from your time do you still remember, and what happened to it?
- Who was the adult or older Scout who made the biggest difference for you?
- What skill from Scouting have you used most as an adult?
- What do you think Scouting does better now, and what did it do better back then?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Invite longtime adult leaders or alumni to a meeting so scouts can interview them.
- Bring out old troop photos and records for scouts to explore.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Scouting America (opens in a new tab) — History of the movement and current programs.
- Local council service center — May have historical records and displays.
- National Scouting Museum — Exhibits on the history of Scouting in America.
- World Organization of the Scout Movement (opens in a new tab) — Scouting around the world today, and how it grew from Baden-Powell's first camp.
- Order of the Arrow (opens in a new tab) — The history and traditions of Scouting's national honor society.
- Philmont Scout Ranch (opens in a new tab) — Home of the National Scouting Museum and a big piece of Scouting history.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.