Merit Badge Testing: Scouting's R&D Lab

Council Communications
Jun 18, 2025
1 min read

from the desk of Katie Espinosa Newton

Did you know you can test out Merit Badges?

There are 135 Merit Badges, and Scouting America is constantly evaluating these to determine what is popular, unpopular, outdated, and what might need to be retired. They are also continually working on new Merit Badges in the Scouts BSA Test Lab.

Any Scout can help develop these Test Lab Badges! Complete the requirements before the experiment time ends, and fill out a survey to participate. In the survey, you will vote for or against this becoming a Merit Badge. You can also suggest changes to make it more engaging. Any Test Lab Badges that a Scout completes and submits a survey for, and that are chosen to become an official Merit Badge, will earn you credit for that badge!

Right now, there are three in the Test Lab, and some of them hit close to home for us in the Conquistador Council. Auctioneering, Wildland Fire Management, and Life Skills, which all expire June 30, 2026! I am personally excited to see our Scouts try out the Auctioneering