Merit badge (Scouting Ireland)

Merit badges were awards earned by youth members of Scouting Ireland, the Irish national Scout organisation, based on activities within an area of study by completing a list of periodically updated requirements. These are different from Attainment badges, also awards earned by youth members of Scouting Ireland, based on activities in 14 different areas of outdoor activities.

Merit badges were a universal award for achievement within the Scouting movement. The purpose of the merit badge programme was to allow Scouts to examine subjects to determine if they would like to further pursue them as a career or as a vocation. Originally, the programme also introduced Scouts to the life skills of contacting an adult they hadn't met before, arranging a meeting and then demonstrating their skills, similar to a job or college interview. Increasingly, though, merit badges were earned in a class setting at troop meetings and summer camps.

Many of the badges are more advanced versions of Cub Scout (Macaoimh) badges.

Replacement

The ONE Programme, introduced from 2011 replaced merit badges with "Adventure Skills" - a set of 9 Scouting skill proficiency badges at stages 1–9, available through all programme sections - and "Special Interest Badges (SIBs)" - a genericised set of 5 badges with a different interest area (Community, Adventure, Skill, Physical, Environment), 4 of which also tie-in with the Gaisce Award Scheme, these 5 badges are coloured to match the brand of the Programme Section the badge was earned in. There is also a set of Nautical Badges in each section to tie-in with the Sea Scout symbolic framework.

Sources

• The Scout Badgebook (Scouting Ireland)

See also

• Merit badge (Boy Scouts of America)