Troop 509
Merit Badges and NOVA Awards
Merit BadgesThere are over 135 merit badges, and you can start earning them as soon as you join the troop. For the Eagle rank you need a minimum of 21 merit badges, 14 of which are required.
For each merit badge there is a booklet containing the requirements for the merit badge and much of the information you need to learn. The troop has a library of merit badge booklets you can borrow by checking them out from the troop librarian. The booklets are also available for purchase (about $5 each) from the scout shops in Arcadia, Los Angeles and Glendale. Many are also available for purchase online at Amazon. Each merit badge also has a worksheet that merit badge counselors often require you to fill out, and these can be printed from usscouts.org.
There are three different ways you can earn merit badges:- Attend a troop-sponsored merit badge class. Some classes are held during troop meetings, some during troop merit badge days, and others meet elsewhere.
- Attend merit badge classes elsewhere. GLAAC frequently offers merit badge classes at Camp Trask, Firestone, and Cabrillo. Other places to check Arcadia Wilderness Park and other local councils (e.g., Orange County, Long Beach, West LA). Summer camps are also a great place to earn merit badges. These classes generally charge a fee, typically around $50 per merit badge.
- Do the requirements on your own. Contact a council-registered merit badge counselor before you start for guidance on what you need to do. Many troop parents are troop merit badge counselors.
Before starting any merit badge, get a "blue card" for classes that require it and fill out all your information.
When you have completed all the requirements and have consulted with your merit badge counselor, he or she will sign the card or submit the completion digitally. BRING ANY PHYSICAL BLUE CARDS OR DIGITAL RECORDS TO YOUR SCOUTMASTER to ensure they are entered into our advancement system. You will receive your merit badge patches at the troop's next court of honor.
approval from your Scoutmaster and get a To earn a merit badge, first get a "blue card" from the scoutmaster or Mr. Geiger. Fill it out in three places with the name of the merit badge and your name and troop. The merit badge counselor will sign the card after you have completed all the requirements. The counselor will keep one part of the blue card and you give the other two parts to the scoutmaster. He will keep one part and return the third part for you to keep. At the troop's next court of honor you will receive the merit badge for your sash.PARENTS: Consider becoming a merit badge counselor. Your special talents can help our scouts earn merit badges. See the Adult Leadership tab of this website.
Nova AwardSTEM is part of an initiative Scouts BSA has taken on to encourage the natural curiosity of youth members and their sense of wonder about these fields through existing programs. From archery to welding, Scouts can't help but enjoy the wide range of STEM-related activities. To support this initiative, the BSA developed the STEM Nova Awards program so that youth members have fun and receive recognition for their efforts.
The Scouts of America developed the STEM Nova Awards program to excite and expand a sense of wonder in our Scouts. By working with an adult counselor or mentor, the various modules allow them to explore the basic principles of STEM and discover how fun and fascinating STEM can be. The Supernova awards are offered for those who enjoy a super challenge. Discover how the STEM Nova Awards program helps youth be "Prepared. For Life." Below are some useful resoucres to help one to earn the Nova.
509 Specific Presentation on STEM
Start your Engines Nova Presentation
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