• Complete and submit a Adult Application, including the Criminal Background Check
• Complete Safeguarding Youth Training
• Submit a registration payment of $25.00 (unless you are serving in another paid adult leadership role within Scouting)
• Complete and submit a Merit Badge Counselor application
• Complete Scouts BSA - Merit Badge Counselor Position Specific Training**
• Must be an individual of good character
• Must be age 18 or older
• Must have the skills and education in the subjects they want to teach (available Merit Badges)
• Must have good rapport with Scout-age youth and their unit leaders

** Merit Badge Counselors are now required to complete the Scouts BSA - Merit Badge Counselor Position Specific Training (found in My.Scouting) which takes about 34 minutes to complete.

• Submit application materials to Michael Smith, Registrar/District Assistant for processing.
• Complete the Safeguarding Youth and the Scouts BSA - Merit Badge Counselor Position Specific Training.
• Merit Badge Counselor applications are sent to a member of the Council Advancement Committee (usually based on where you reside) for review and approval. The committee member reviewing your application may reach out if they have additional questions on your interests/qualifications in serving.
• Once approved, the Council Registrar will finish processing your application. This may take 48 hours to be completed and show-up in Scoutbook Plus.
• After you are approved, you can dive right in! You may want to purchase a merit badge pamphlet for the badge or badges that you plan to counsel. The pamphlets contain all of the current requirements and the supporting knowledge needed to complete them. Merit badge pamphlets are available for purchase in the Iott Scout Shop.

Over time, as a merit badge counselor, you may need to add or remove merit badges from your list of counseled badges. To do this, simply fill out another Merit Badge Counselor Application again with the updates, and submit it to the Council Registrar for processing. 

Merit badge counselors will need to renew their status annually (based on when their primary registration is due for renewal). Merit badge counselors who do not hold another paid leadership position, are required to pay a $25.00 registration fee. You will receive an email notification from National when your registration renewal is coming up.

Merit badge counselors are encouraged to review the following info/resource materials

• A Guide for Merit Badge Counseling
• Everything You Need to Know About Being a Merit Badge Counselor
• Merit Badge Hub
• Current List of Merit Badges and requirements
• Guide to Advancement
• Guide to Safe Scouting
• Merit Badge Group Instruction Guide
• New Merit Badge Proposal application
• Reporting Merit Badge Counseling Concerns