Merit Badges at S bar F Ranch

There are new requirements in 2008 for:

• Wilderness Survival

Scouts who come to camp want to advance in rank.  At the Ranch we offer 25 merit badges.  We recommend that you don't take on more than three, because camp is geared for fun and not just advancement.  Many of the merit badges we offer have requirements that must, or should, be done at home before you arrive.  Some require a time-frame such as four weeks of observation; others require some written work.  Why take fun time to write a report when you could do it at home on your computer in less time?

We grouped merit badges below in recommended groups for first-year campers on up to veterans.  With the exception of those recommended for fourth-year campers (in the Older Scout program), these are just recommendations.

Recommended for first-year campers:

• Basketry
• Fishing
• Leatherwork
• Mammal Study
• Swimming
• Wood Carving

Recommended for second-year campers:

• Camping
• Canoeing
• Cooking
• Forestry
• Indian Lore
• Lifesaving
• Orienteering
• Pioneering
• Reptile and Amphibian Study
• Rowing
• Wilderness Survival

Tougher badges recommended for third-year campers and older:

• Archery
• Astronomy
• Environmental Science
• Nature
• Rifle Shooting
• Weather

Badges which require you to be at least a fourth-year camper:

• Climbing
• Horsemanship 

How to Schedule Your Time

OK, you've got all this information on merit badges.  Now how do you make it work?  We suggest that you build yourself a schedule.

1. Decide what you really want to do and accomplish.
2. Make sure that you plan to have some time just for fun.
3. Check out your troop's time for instructional swim and free swim.  If you are going to earn Swimming or Lifesaving merit badge, this time is set for you.
4. Fill in the times for your highest-priority badges first.

Here's the list of merit badges by times. Unless otherwise noted, sessions are 50 minutes long:

• 9:15 a.m.
  Archery (1 1/2 hour), Astronomy, Camping, Canoeing, Fishing (Monday and Tuesday), Horsemanship (1 1/2 hour),  Lifesaving,  Nature, Orienteering, Pioneering (2 hours), Rifle Shooting (1 1/2 hours), Rowing, Swimming, Wood Carving
• 10:15 a.m.
  Canoeing, Environmental Science (2 hours), Fishing (Monday and Tuesday),  Leatherwork, Lifesaving, Orienteering, Reptile and Amphibian Study, Rowing, Swimming, Wood Carving
• 10:45 a.m.
  Archery (1 1/2 hour), Horsemanship (1 1/2 hour), Rifle Shooting (1 1/2 hour)
• 11:15 a.m.
  Camping, Canoeing, Fishing (Monday and Tuesday), Leatherwork, Lifesaving, Reptile and Amphibian Study, Rowing, Swimming, Wood Carving, Weather 
• 2 p.m.
  Basketry, Camping, Environmental Science (2 hours), Mammal Study (Wednesday and Thursday), Nature, Pioneering, Weather, Wilderness Survival (2 hours overnight Monday or Tuesday)
• 3 p.m.
  Basketry, Forestry (2 hours Monday & Tuesday or Wednesday & Thursday), Indian Lore, Mammal Study  (Wednesday and Thursday), Reptile and Amphibian Study 
• 4 p.m.
  Basketry, Leatherwork, Indian Lore, Astronomy, Mammal Study (Wednesday and Thursday) 
• Flexible time on campsite
  Cooking
• Other
  Climbing (Wednesday morning and all day Thursday)

Click here to look at the merit badges and choose which ones you would like to complete at camp.  Then get to work!