- Adult application completed and signed, including National Criminal Background Authorization Page – available at www.scouting.org/forms (Registrations Fee are required if not currently registered with the BSA, effective August 1, 2023)
- A Merit Badge Counselor Information Form – fully completed and signed – including all badges and why you are qualified to be a Merit Badge Counselor for each badge
- Youth Protection Training
- Merit Badge Counselor Position Specific Training
- If applying as a Citizenship in Society Merit Badge Counselor additional training is required:
- Citizenship in Society Counselor specific training (provided roughly quarterly by COLBSA) and
- National DEI training (available on my.scouting)
- If applying as a Citizenship in Society Merit Badge Counselor additional training is required:
- All three PA State clearances to be a volunteer working with children (www.colbsa.org/palaw) have been uploaded into the council portal and verified.
Note – the applications can be uploaded at www.colbsa.org/recruit, mailed to the council office or dropped off in person. No application should be emailed – it contains a Social Security Number!
The guiding principle is to ensure integrity of personal information! No application should be emailed (even internally!). All council staff should know the location and status of an application at all times!
Once the application is received at the council office it is reviewed by a member of the Support Team for completeness – all fields on the application, the Additional Disclosures & Background Check Authorization form, Youth Protection Training, Merit Badge Counselor training and state clearances.
The Membership Specialist from the appropriate Service Team should arrange for approval by the District Merit Badge Dean or Advancement Chair, or if a District does not have this by the Council Merit Badge Dean or Advancement & Recognition Chair. The Merit Badge Counselor Information sheet ONLY is then signed as approved by the appropriate District or Council volunteer or by the Membership Specialist following consultation.
Once approved and signed the support team will process the application in the national membership registration system. The Merit Badge Counselor will then appear in the search feature of Scoutbook for those badges approved withing 24-48 hours.
Some of the merit badges have specific certifications or other qualifications required to be a counselor; these are Canoeing, Climbing, Lifesaving, Rifle Shooting, Rowing, Scuba Diving, Shotgun Shooting, Snow Sports, Swimming, Whitewater. There are other special requirements for swimming, watercraft activities, and CPR instruction. See Section 7.0.1.1 of the Guide to Advancement.
