by Mike Matzinger
When Baden-Powell founded Scouting, he introduced Badges of Merit to help young people build essential skills. Ernest Thompson Seton carried this idea to the U.S., renaming them Merit Badges and expanding the list from 14 to 57 in the first official Scout Handbook—covering everything from Scoutcraft to hobbies and vocational skills.
Today, Scouts can choose from over 140 Merit Badges, each an opportunity to learn, grow, and explore new interests. While adults could once earn them too, the practice was officially discontinued in 1965 to keep the focus on youth development.
A recent edition of Artifact of the Week shares the history of merit badges.