Earn ALL the merit badges!
May 14, 2017 2:56 AM   Subscribe

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Duke of Edinburgh, Spiral Scouts all have a structured merit badge system. Who else does so?

I'm particularly looking for badges that denote achievement in a unique range of activities (so not necessarily something like Toastmasters where you're achieving mastery and going up the ranks in roughly the same set of skills). I am open to adult or novelty merit badges, such as Nerd Merit Badges, Science Scouts, or Demerit Wear, but I'd prefer stuff a little more legit.

Think of it this way: if someone set out to earn every last merit badge known to humankind, where would they look?
posted by divabat to Grab Bag (16 answers total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
Not exactly a huge range of activities as they are all swimming pool based, but Swimming England's scheme doesn't just cover swimming, but diving, snorkeling and water safety as well.
posted by Vortisaur at 3:16 AM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Oh, and the Boys Brigade and the Woodcraft Folk have structured merit badge systems in the same way the scouts do.
posted by Vortisaur at 3:19 AM on May 14, 2017


Best answer: There's probably going to be a lot of overlap, but I believe each WOSM (Scouts) and WAGGGS (Guides/Girl Scouts) member organisation administers their own proficiency/merit badge scheme. 164 WOSM + 145 WAGGGS = 309 potentially different award schemes, not counting provisional members, etc.
posted by zamboni at 3:24 AM on May 14, 2017


The Royal Lifesaving Society has16 badges in its swim safety program, taking you all the way from knowing how to get in and out of a pool safely to being a fully-fledged lifesaver.
posted by girlgenius at 3:41 AM on May 14, 2017


Best answer: You can earn badges as a St John's Ambulance cadet. These are the Australian ones . These are the NZ ones.
posted by poxandplague at 4:08 AM on May 14, 2017


Best answer: Apparently New Zealand St John's also has Penguin Badges for 6-8 year olds.
posted by poxandplague at 4:10 AM on May 14, 2017


Future Farmers of America
4H pins
posted by SyraCarol at 6:23 AM on May 14, 2017


Best answer: DIY.org has many skill patches that kids can earn. (And some of the embroidered patches are beautiful.)
posted by belladonna at 7:07 AM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


The Degenderettes have some: https://degenderettes.com/order#meritbadges

So do the Queer Scouts: https://www.etsy.com/listing/150450646/queer-scout-badge
posted by spinifex23 at 7:34 AM on May 14, 2017


So do the Radical Monarchs
posted by unstrungharp at 7:52 AM on May 14, 2017 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Radical Monarchs website
posted by filthy light thief at 9:21 AM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Don't forget Girl Scouts' Council's Own badges. That's where the real fun is.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:24 PM on May 14, 2017


Sea Cadets - Specialisation badges, Proficiency badges. These do have ranks within the badges though (eg Competent Crew up to Instructor).

In novelty badges, the Lumberjanes badges.
posted by paduasoy at 3:26 PM on May 15, 2017


More novelty badges, from the Welcome to Night Vale collection: Girl Scout buttons/patches, Boy Scout buttons, and Eternal Scout badge. Bonus: Subversive Radio Host badge.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:24 PM on June 12, 2017


They are not online, but as a music teacher I created some merit badges for my pupils (feel free to memail me if interested). I wish I had the programming skills to turn it into a website and got here from your other question.
I am very interested in this question. Online achievements in games are of course the most used merit badge system on earth, but for the last ten years I occasionally google to see if someone has made an RPG (role playing game) skill tree and set of Achievements for real life skills yet.
One website, skillbonsai, unfortunately has been in pre-launch "enter your email mode" for that long, but would fulfill the MO:
"Level up in real life. Follow skill trees, lovingly tended by the community, that guide you through the best resources to go from apprentice to master."
I also wish I knew the correct academic term for this... like curriculum and taxonomy both don't completely fit.
PS. How about the badges from duolingo, for learning language skills?
posted by yoHighness at 5:23 AM on October 15, 2017


The National Park Service gives out junior ranger badges for completing activities at home or different national parks in the U.S.
posted by cdefgfeadgagfe at 7:23 AM on October 15, 2017


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