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Cooking, Sustainability merit badges to become Eagle-required

posted Dec 3, 2012, 9:31 AM by Brent Browning   [ updated Jul 12, 2013, 3:28 PM ]
The BSA is rolling out several changes for Eagle-required merit badges starting in 2014. The total number of merit badges will remain at 21 but now Scouts must earn 13 Eagle-required and 8 elective badges.

The big addition? Cooking!


  1. Cooking will become Eagle-required as of January 1, 2014 
  2. Sustainability will be an option to Environmental Science after July, 2013 
Cooking will undergo a major revision in 2013. If a Scout has already earned Cooking they do not need to re-earn it. 

Current list of Eagle-required merit badges
Earn a total of 21 merit badges, including the following:
  • First Aid 
  • Citizenship in the Community 
  • Citizenship in the Nation 
  • Citizenship in the World 
  • Communication 
  • Personal Fitness 
  • Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving 
  • Environmental Science 
  • Personal Management 
  • Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling 
  • Camping 
  • Family Life 
List of Eagle-required merit badges, effective Jan. 1, 2014
Earn a total of 21 merit badges, including the following:
  • First Aid 
  • Citizenship in the Community 
  • Citizenship in the Nation 
  • Citizenship in the World 
  • Communication 
  • Personal Fitness 
  • Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving 
  • Environmental Science OR Sustainability 
  • Personal Management 
  • Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling 
  • Camping 
  • Family Life 
  • Cooking 
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the changes.

We have a lot of information about the Trail-to-Eagle and the overall process here:

http://troop33.org/scouts/advancement/trail-to-eagle

Brent Browning 
Troop 33 Scoutmaster
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