BYU Merit Badge Counselor Information and How to Apply

Volunteer training for ALL counselors will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 10 am–11 am in Room 2254 of the Conference Center.
For additional information please call 801-422-5080.

Each merit badge class will have an instructor and one or more merit badge counselors (at least one counselor for every 20 Scouts). The instructor teaches the class and gives appropriate time for counselors to review each Scout’s work to determine if he has fulfilled the merit badge requirements (many requirements will be completed outside of class before the first day of the PowWow or in the two weeks between sessions). As a counselor, you will initial a Scout’s worksheet each time he completes a requirement, and you will sign the merit badge card only when ALL requirements have been completed.

How to become a counselor:

Step 1: Print out, complete, and sign the Adult Merit Badge Counselor Application required by Boy Scouts of America (BSA) by Friday, February 24, 2012. This will need to be turned in as soon as possible. Step 2: Bring the completed Adult Merit Badge Counselor Application to the BYU PowWow Office in 169 Harman Continuing Education Building (HCEB). As soon as the application is received, you will receive an e-mail that provides the location, date, and time of the required one-hour training session. Step 3:Attend the hour training meeting (March 3 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.). You will receive an assignment, a counselor packet, and a free PowWow T-shirt at the training meeting. At the meeting, we will complete together the Youth Protection Training that BSA requires for all adults involved in Scouting. This training must be completed prior to the PowWow. If you will not be able to attend the training meeting, please contact us as soon as possible so that other arrangements may be made.

Additional Information

Adult Counselor Application

Boy Scouts of America (BSA) requires that all adults who work with Scouts be approved merit badge counselors, be 18 years of age or older, and agree to and have read the “Purpose of the Boy Scouts of America,” “Excerpt from the Declaration of Religious Principle,” and “Leadership Requirements” listed below. As mentioned in Step 2 above, you are required to complete a counselor application form and bring it to the BYU PowWow Office in 169 HCEB. The BSA counselor application form is due no later than Friday, February 24, 2012. Bring it directly to 169 HCEB.

Excerpt from the Declaration of Religious Principle

The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God, and therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. The Boy Scouts of America’s policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.

Leadership Requirements

The merit badge counselor must possess the moral, educational, and emotional qualities that the Boy Scouts of America deems necessary to afford positive leadership to youth. The applicant must also be 18 years of age or older, subscribe to the Declaration of Religious Principle, and abide by the Scout Oath or Promise and the Scout Law.

Your Commitment

Your commitment is to be a counselor for THREE class periods on Saturday mornings, March 10 and March 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (you will assist up to 20 Scouts per class). You will serve for a total of 10 hours (a one-hour training session, and two mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). Your building and room assignments will be printed on the counselor packet that will be given at the counselor training meeting (see Step 3 above).

Class Times: March 3 and March 17, 2012

9:00–10:05 a.m., 10:20–11:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.

Unforeseen Problems

If for some unforeseen reason you can’t make it to your assignment, please call the BYU PowWow Office at 801-422-5080 as soon as possible. If the PowWow is already in session, contact someone at the PowWow headquarters at 801-422-5080.