Here are some upcoming Merit Badge opportunities in our area. We will not be participating as a troop, so if you choose to attend, please register individually and arrange your own transportation.

DuPage Forest Preserve will offer a different Merit Badge Class the second Saturday of each month September – June for $30 per Scout per program. Please be aware that these dates conflict with our next three campouts. For more information, click here:
DuPage Forest Preserve Merit Badge Classes

Pav YMCA in Berwyn will be offering the opportunity for Boy Scouts to earn their Swimming and Lifesaving Merit Badges. The Swimming Merit Badge class will take place Monday, October 23. The Lifesaving Merit Badge class will take place Wednesday, October 25. You must preregister for these classes (cost is $20 each) at the Pav YMCA front desk at 2947 S. Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn.

September is Merit Badge Month at Bass Pro Shop. They will be offering free classes at all locations, including their Bolingbrook store. To register, call 630-296-2700. See more info here:
Bass Pro Shop Merit Badge Classes

The Microsoft Store in Oakbrook continues to offer Merit Badge Classes at a cost of $10. See the Upcoming Events section of the Three Fires Council Website.

Save the date for a Merit Badge Academy to take place at Triton Community College on Saturday December 9, 2017. More information will be available on the Council Website as the date approaches.

If you learn of other local opportunities, please email Mrs. Staubus at carrie@staubus.net and we will spread the news to the troop.

If you’re looking for some merit badge opportunities, there’s a merit badge university (MBU) opportunity coming to nearby Bolingbrook, IL on Saturday, August 5th. The Pathways to Eagle MBU is an annual event for Boy Scouts to get together and work on merit badges. Scouts will need to review and complete the prerequisites listed for each subject, and be prepared to discuss them with the Pathways to Eagle merit badge counselors. Here is the website for general information on the event:
http://www.p2e.org

We’ve registered Troop 24 to participate in the Saturday program, and the cost per Scout is only $18.00. To register a Scout to attend, click the following link and register early for the best selection of classes:

http://www.p2e.org/maint/individual_registration.php?unit_id=113

First – “Login to Update Unit Reservation.” You’ll need the following username/password to log in for Troop 24:

Your Username is: troop24-113
Your Password is: 4056T113

Then – “Update Troop 24 individual information” and add your scout and his merit badge choices.

Online registration will be available until 07/22/2017. Please contact Linda Sanduski if you plan to attend, or if you have other questions – email her at lsanduski@gmail.com.

The Pathway to Adventure Council Trading Tech 300 program is offering free Merit Badge Clinics this summer. Get more information and register on the Pathway to Adventure Council calendar or at the following links:
Monday June 26
Journalism and Communication Merit Badge Clinic at the Chicago Board of Trade
scoutingevent.com/456-TT300JohnJLothian
Saturday July 15
Weather Merit Badge Clinic at WGN
scoutingevent.com/456-TT300WGN
Monday July 17 (only for Scouts not attending Tesomas)
American Business and Entrepreneurship Merit Badge Clinic at FourStar Wealth Advisors
scoutingevent.com/456-TT300FourStar
Tuesday July 18 (only for Scouts not attending Tesomas)
Chess and Public Speaking Merit Badge Clinic at Advantage Futures
scoutingevent.com/456-TT300Advantagefutures
Thursday August 17
Digital Technology Merit Badge Clinic at the Chicago Board of Trade
scoutingevent.com/456-TT300Enova
Friday August 18
Electricity Merit Badge Clinic at NIPSCO in Merrillville, Indiana
scoutingevent.com/456-TT300NIPSCO

If you’re looking for some merit badge opportunities, there’s a merit badge university (MBU) opportunity coming to nearby Bolingbrook, IL on Saturday, August 5th. The Pathways to Eagle MBU is an annual event for Boy Scouts to get together and work on merit badges. Scouts will need to review and complete the prerequisites listed for each subject, and be prepared to discuss them with the Pathways to Eagle merit badge counselors. Here is the link for general information on the event:
http://www.p2e.org

We’ve registered Troop 24 to participate in the Saturday program, and the cost per Scout is only $18.00. To register a Scout to attend, click the following website and register early for the best selection of classes:

http://www.p2e.org/maint/individual_registration.php?unit_id=113

First – “Login to Update Unit Reservation.” You’ll need the following username/password to log in for Troop 24:

Your Username is: troop24-113
Your Password is: 4056T113

Then – “Update Troop 24 individual information” and add your scout and his merit badge choices.

Online registration will be available until 07/22/2017. Please contact Linda Sanduski know if you plan to attend, or if you have other questions – email her at lsanduski@gmail.com.

Free to the first scout to respond: kits for the Basketry Merit Badge. Contact Nancy Hopkins.

The Pav YMCA in Berwyn will be offering the Swimming Merit Badge class again on Wednesday, April 19th from 6pm to 8pm. If you plan to participate in this class, you should email Mrs. Staubus at carriestaubus@earthlink.net. The class will be held at the swimming pool at 2947 S. Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn. The Swimming Merit badge is required for any scout to participate in other water activities such as scout boating outings. Scouts will need to bring the $20 class fee, a blue card, swim trunks and a towel to this class.

Oak Brook Trout Unlimited offers a Fly Fishing Merit Badge class on several dates this summer. The class takes place at the Camp Sagawau Environmental Education Center in Lemont, IL. The class is free and has limited enrollment, so register early! Scouts must register directly with the program, and arrange their own transportation. For more information, see 2017 Youth Fly Fishing Program.

First Class or above scouts interested in working on the communications merit badge can begin work with Mr. Jerz and Ms. Murphy on Thursday, March 2 at 7pm at RPC.  For this meeting, please print out the merit badge work sheet (attached below) and complete requirements 1 (a, b or c) and 9.  In addition, if you have planned and served as master of ceremonies at a troop court of honor, blue & gold or campfire program, be prepared to discuss what you did to fulfill requirement 8.

• Merit Badge Worksheet: Communication MB Worksheet
• BSA Booklet: Comm MB Booklet

We will also work on this merit badge at the March 9 troop meeting.

The Des Plaines Valley Community Merit Badge Academy will be
Saturday, March 25, 2017 – 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Elmwood Park High School
8201 West Fullerton Ave., Elmwood Park
$25 per scout, includes lunch and patch
Registration is now open, some classes will fill, register early and list alternate choices. Some classes have prerequisites, see the Council website or office for more information. The program has four periods, so scouts may earn two to four merit badges depending on their class choice. The following merit badges are offered:
Art
Aviation
Chemistry
Citizenship in the Community 2 periods
Citizenship in the Nation 2 Periods
Citizenship in the World 2 Periods
Collections
Disability Awareness
Family Life 2 Periods
Fingerprinting 2 Periods AM Only
Fish & Wildlife Management
Inventing
Journalism
Mammal Study
Moviemaking 2 Periods
Music
Personal Management 2 Periods
Scholarship
Space Exploration
Sustainability 2 Periods
Traffic Safety
Registration is online only, and closes March 20th at 5pm (or sooner if classes fill). Here is the link to registration on the Council website: https://scoutingevent.com/456-11842
Scouts must wear Class A uniforms and bring blue cards signed by their scoutmaster. Scouts who plan to attend should arrange their own transportation.

Pav YMCA in Berwyn will be offering the opportunity for Boy Scouts to earn their Swimming and Lifesaving merit badges. The Swimming merit badge class will take place Monday, March 13 at 6:00 pm. The Lifesaving merit badge class will take place Wednesday, March 15 at 6:30 pm. You must preregister for these classes (cost is $20 each) at the Pav YMCA front desk at 2947 S. Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn. The Swimming Merit badge is required for any scout to participate in other water activities such as scout boating outings. Scouts will need to be able to swim in order to complete these merit badges and scouts will need a blue card, swim trunks and a towel for these classes.