To: Scout Executive;Director Field Service;National E-mail
Action Refer to Advancement Chairs and All Interested Parties
BSA Action Required: Official Release of Scuba Diving Merit Badge
The Boy Scouts of America is pleased to announce the release of the
Scuba Diving merit badge. The official earn date of this merit badge is
December 1, 2010. Pamphlets are in the NDC and available for local
council service center and scoutstuff.org orders - just in time for
Christmas!
The first new merit badge in over three years, Scuba Diving reflects the
new direction of BSA to develop merit badges based on youth/Scout input
to assure relevance and excitement around the merit badge offering. This
merit badge, developed in association with PADI (Professional
Association of Diving Instructors), leverages our spirit of outdoor
adventure and expands our aquatics offering. More than 84 percent of
Scouts surveyed were interested in the merit badge and recommended that
BSA adopt it.
Key facts you need to know about the merit badge are as follows:
Completing the Scuba Diving merit badge will result in the boy
achieving an open water certification enabling him to dive around
the world with the appropriate supervision, based on his age.
There are two important roles for this merit badge - the merit
badge counselor and a certified dive instructor.
Sometimes this may be the same person.
More likely, the counselor will be an existing BSA adult
member.
Always the instructor will be one certified by one of a
number of instructional agencies.
The instructor does NOT have to be a BSA member.
Earning the Scuba Diving merit badge is open to all Boy Scout-age
youth. There are, however, limitations based on age with respect
to how deep and with whom a boy can dive. These limitations vary
by certifying organization.
Completion of the Swimming merit badge is a requirement of the
merit badge and must be completed prior to entering into scuba
training portion of the requirements.
Boys with a current open water certification will NOT have to
recertify in order to earn the merit badge. They will, however,
have to have completed the Swimming merit badge, present their
certification to the merit badge counselor and complete all the
other requirements.
There are three important pieces of information which must be
fully reviewed by the merit badge counselor prior to approving any
Scout for the merit badge: the merit badge requirements, the notes
to counselor and the scuba policy of the Guide to Safe Scouting.
Attached you will find a locally customizable and printable PDF file
announcing the merit badge, showcasing the cover, and outlining the
notes to counselor and requirements. The Guide to Safe Scouting is
available at Guide to Safe Scouting.
Have fun and dive safe!
Action Refer to Advancement Chairs and All Interested Parties
BSA Action Required: Official Release of Scuba Diving Merit Badge
The Boy Scouts of America is pleased to announce the release of the
Scuba Diving merit badge. The official earn date of this merit badge is
December 1, 2010. Pamphlets are in the NDC and available for local
council service center and scoutstuff.org orders - just in time for
Christmas!
The first new merit badge in over three years, Scuba Diving reflects the
new direction of BSA to develop merit badges based on youth/Scout input
to assure relevance and excitement around the merit badge offering. This
merit badge, developed in association with PADI (Professional
Association of Diving Instructors), leverages our spirit of outdoor
adventure and expands our aquatics offering. More than 84 percent of
Scouts surveyed were interested in the merit badge and recommended that
BSA adopt it.
Key facts you need to know about the merit badge are as follows:
Completing the Scuba Diving merit badge will result in the boy
achieving an open water certification enabling him to dive around
the world with the appropriate supervision, based on his age.
There are two important roles for this merit badge - the merit
badge counselor and a certified dive instructor.
Sometimes this may be the same person.
More likely, the counselor will be an existing BSA adult
member.
Always the instructor will be one certified by one of a
number of instructional agencies.
The instructor does NOT have to be a BSA member.
Earning the Scuba Diving merit badge is open to all Boy Scout-age
youth. There are, however, limitations based on age with respect
to how deep and with whom a boy can dive. These limitations vary
by certifying organization.
Completion of the Swimming merit badge is a requirement of the
merit badge and must be completed prior to entering into scuba
training portion of the requirements.
Boys with a current open water certification will NOT have to
recertify in order to earn the merit badge. They will, however,
have to have completed the Swimming merit badge, present their
certification to the merit badge counselor and complete all the
other requirements.
There are three important pieces of information which must be
fully reviewed by the merit badge counselor prior to approving any
Scout for the merit badge: the merit badge requirements, the notes
to counselor and the scuba policy of the Guide to Safe Scouting.
Attached you will find a locally customizable and printable PDF file
announcing the merit badge, showcasing the cover, and outlining the
notes to counselor and requirements. The Guide to Safe Scouting is
available at Guide to Safe Scouting.
Have fun and dive safe!