Quote:
Originally Posted by Flagg
One question I have about US Scouts is:
Was there/is there any patches/badges issued for little more than just showing up?
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Plenty. There are close to 130 merit badges, with some taking a day or less to complete if you do the minimum required (e.g., Fingerprinting, Art, Traffic Safety), and others taking at least 3 months (Personal Fitness, Personal Management, Family Life). Some merit badges have pretty strenuous standards; for example, Rifle Shooting requires the Scout to shoot 5 5-shot groups the size of a US quarter at 50 ft. Cycling merit badge includes a progressive riding requirement that culminates in a 50 mile bike ride, and a total of 150 miles of riding overall.
Besides merit badges, there are other awards, such as Mile Swim (pretty much what it sounds like), 50-Miler afoot/afloat, and the various Hornaday conservation awards that require a fair number of nature-related merit badges and planning and conducting from 1 - 3 large scope group conservation projects.