Online Merit Badge Information
Now offering classes for 2021!
Classes are $15 each. Please click the class title to register. It will take you to a zoom page to register. If you have multiple scouts in the same family taking the course, please use two different emails when registering. Please read the information listed below!
January
Model Design and Building - Eric Cutright - Meets January 12th, 19th, and 26th from 7 - 8pm
Scouting Heritage - Ray Ezell - Meets January 30th and 31st from 6 - 8pm
Feburary
Indian Lore - Melissa Watts - Meets Febuary 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th at 7 - 8pm
Medicine - Amberleigh Powell - Meets Febuary 16 & 23 from 6:30 - 8pm
March
Model Deisgn and Building - Eric Cutright - March 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd from 7 - 8 pm.
Public Health - Amberleigh Powell - March 11th, 18th, and 25th from 6:30 - 8pm Moved to April due to instructor emergency
April
Textile - Michelle McCrone - April 6th, 13th, & 20th from 6:00 - 7pm
Public Health - Amberleigh Powell - April 8th, 15th, & 22nd from 6:30 - 8pm
In response to COVID-19, the Virginia Headwaters Council will be offering online merit badge classes starting Januray 2021 to any scout(s) involved in a Scouts BSA program. We believe that this will help support our youth and their families in these programs as our local communities have suspended all school and / or other group programs with no more than ten individuals present at one time.
Blue cards will be provided digitally to the scout after the week is over and only after the merit badge counselor has verified that the individual scout has completed all listed requirements under that specific merit badge.
Additional Notes (Please Review)
1) Each scout must register separately so we can track their daily progress and attendance. For any scout that is interested to be a participant, there is a minimal $15 cost per class to cover supplies for the online instruction and limited technology resource needs. This minimal cost will be paid by the scout or their unit leader at registration.
2) Current youth protection guidelines (two - deep leadership and no one-on-one contact) will be followed by all staff under the Virginia Headwaters Council and its merit badge counselors at all times while working with youth and their families; more information can be found below: "Important Excerpts from Advancement Guidelines".
3) All merit badge classes are open to any scout(s) from any council(s) that are currently participating in a Scouts BSA program; all times listed below are located in the eastern time zone of the United States of America.
4) We strongly encourage and recommend that any scout(s) participating in these online classes receive verbal permission from their parents / guardians and their unit leader(s); more information (below) - "Virtual Merit Badge Guidelines"
5) All live merit badge instruction will be provided by an online format called Zoom Webinars; an online portal provided by the Virginia Headwaters Council
6) Lastly, please be aware that not all merit badge requirements will be completed by the end of the week; many of these merit badges listed below have outdoor components that will not be able to be completed in an online setting, but all merit badge counselors will be providing various virtual field trip opportunities in the form of video segments to complete some of the more difficult requirements listed under each merit badge.
- Virtual Merit Badge Guidelines
- Important Excerpts from Advancement Guidelines
- We will be using Zoom Webinars.
- Webinars are set to allow the scouts to enter once the room is open. Cameras/Microphones will be off by default and scouts cannot turn them on. If an instructor needs them to turn them on, the instructor will verbally tell them, and then the instructor will turn on the permissions.
- Scouts cannot change their name. The name at registration will be the displayed name.