The Badge Archive

What Badges Are

Youth love to get things. Badges, belt-loops, adventures, patches, pins, emblems, certificates, levels, prizes, trinkets. You name it, they love to collect them. We, at The Badge Archive, are going to call all badge-type awards “Badges” throughout the site from here on out to keep confusion down.

The real magic in scouting is using that love of collecting to inspire youth to learn, grow, and become the amazing adults we know they can be.

Scouting programs aren’t designed to give youths a reward for every single activity. Instead, it’s far more meaningful to focus on why it’s awesome to EARN the rewards.

Some badge‑type awards take multiple meetings. Some can be earned in a single hour. Others require at‑home work that simply can’t be done during a meeting.

Many youth gravitate toward the quick badges because they can earn more of them. Many leaders enjoy that too. Seeing uniforms fill up with Badges is exciting. But doing something once isn’t the same as learning it, practicing it, or truly earning it. Showing up is different from participating. As leaders, it’s important to understand where that line is and avoid crossing it. A few participation‑style badges are fine, but filling the entire year with them can make the more meaningful ones lose their value in the eyes of both youth and parents.

We’ve heard parents say that earning eight Badges in a year feels too few. If someone expects a badge every meeting, that makes sense. But real skill development rarely happens in a single hour, 90 minutes, or even two hours. Practice matters. No one expects perfection to earn a Badge, but sometimes it takes multiple meetings to build confidence and understanding

We’ve seen this firsthand. When we taught woodworking in two one‑hour meetings, we had to prep almost everything beforehand. The youth earned the Badge, but none of them could recreate the project or explain the process. They understood the idea, but not the skill. In contrast, another group completed most of the work during a Super Saturday and finished with a follow‑up meeting. Those youth proudly took their projects home and could explain every step. They treasured their boxes. The rushed group probably donated theirs before the next year rolled around.

I’ve taught wood working skill in two one hour meetings. We had to do a lot of pre-prep for the kids and they missed out on a lot of things because of the stream-line and rush. The kids earned the badge-type award, but not a single one of them could recreate the project we did. They knew the general idea, none of them felt they knew what they were doing or could tell someone else how to do it. But another group where we did a super Saturday to get most of it done and followed up with a single meeting to do another coat of varnish – those kids were far more excited to take their projects home and could eagerly explain how they made it. They treasured those boxes. I’m pretty sure the other boys tossed theirs in the charity pile to take to a local Goodwill or Salvation Army before the next year was done.

Juliette Gordon Low (founder of GSUSA) said it best: “Badges are not medals to wear on your sleeve to show what a smart [kid] you are. A badge is a symbol that you have done the thing it stands for often enough, thoroughly enough, and well enough to be prepared to give service in it.” That spirit still holds true.

If a scout has a Badge, they should be able to point to it and explain what they did to earn it. If they learned a skill, they should be able to teach someone the basics. The more skill required, the longer it takes. The more steps involved, the more challenging it can be for leaders to teach it in an engaging way. Especially when you only meet twice a month and a badge takes four meetings to complete.

Try staggering long badges between quick ones. Break up a multi-meeting badge with a one‑hour badge in the middle. Super Saturdays are typically a 3-4 hour meetings on a weekend. Use a Super Saturday to tackle a medium‑length badge in one day while continuing a longer one during regular meetings. Or reserve long badges for Super Saturdays and alternate medium and short badges during meetings.

Ultimately, you know your limits and the personalities of your youth. Stay honest, stay flexible, and don’t get lost in technicalities. Some youth don’t care about the badges at all. They care about the activities and the fun.

KISMIF: Keep It Simple, Make It Fun.
Whether they earn Badges or not, as long as youth are engaged, enjoying their meetings, and living the values of their scouting program, that’s what truly matters.

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

Join the Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Leader Help Facebook Group
(Not an official GSUSA Group)

Join the Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Leader Help Facebook Group
(Not an official GSUSA Group)

See other Recommended Facebook Groups for some Scouting Organizations
(No official Groups)

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Published on April 28, 2018, by:

Tia Kennard

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Disclaimer: The information published on The Badge Archive is built from the references listed below. These sources demonstrate that our content is grounded in facts and research, not opinion or speculation. Readers may consult them directly when looking for additional material.

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