Susquehanna’s in-person Merit Badge College is returning in 2023!
Sponsored by Susquehanna Council, BSA and Pennsylvania College of Technology (Penn College)
State-of-the-art instructional labs and expert Penn College faculty will enable Scouts to earn up to three different merit badges during this one-day event. Scouts can select from 21 merit badges, including three badges not offered previously (Metalwork, Search & Rescue, and Textile).
Registration Fee is $50.00
Registration opened on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.
Please read all of the following before registering for the event. The link to register is at the bottom of this page.
Note: Consider prior to registration – When selecting merit badges to take during the event, pay attention to the number of sessions required for the merit badge (one, two, or three) and the specific sessions that the merit badge is offered. Also, pay attention to the limits on capacity for a merit badge, especially those offered only once during the event.
Eight of the merit badges require a double session, so the Scout will only be able to select one other merit badge and earn a total of two merit badges.
Four of the merit badges require all three sessions, so the Scout will only be able to earn that one merit badge.
Registration will close on Monday, February 6, 2023.
Event Date is Saturday, February 18, 2023
Event location is the Pennsylvania College of Technology campus in Williamsport. The check-in location is the Klump Academic Center.
Tentative Schedule of Events
| Time | Event |
| 7:30 – 8:00 am | Check-in: ACC/Auditorium |
| 8:00 – 8:20 am | Welcome |
| 8:30 am – 10:30 am | First Merit Badge Session |
| 10:45 am – 12:45 pm | Second Merit Badge Session |
| 12:45 – 1:45 pm | Lunch (provided for Scouts) |
| 2:00 – 4:00 pm | Third Merit Badge Session |
| 4:00 pm | Check-out Depart Campus |
All participants (Scouts and adults) must comply with all health and safety guidelines in effect at Penn College during the MBC. At present, Penn College has no mask guidelines in effect.
Prerequisites and Be Prepared requirements:
Prior to coming to the Merit Badge College, it will be necessary for each scout to complete or be prepared to complete the work on selected requirements for most merit badges (MB). Those requirements are categorized into one of two categories: 1) Prerequisite requirements (complete before the event) and 2) “Be Prepared” requirements (do or prepare before the event). The expectations for those two categories are described below.
Scouts are strongly encouraged to use the merit badge pamphlet for the MB as a resource to prepare for completion of all requirements. The pamphlets are available from another scout, a troop library, the council’s scout store, and on-line download (at scoutshop.org).
Prerequisite requirements
A current completion of all requirements for the Cyber Chip (appropriate to your grade level) is the only prerequisite requirement to attend the MB College. It is a prerequisite for participation regardless which MB the scout signs up to take at the MB College.
The scout must bring evidence of completion, such as a card or certificate. The completion date for the Scout’s Cyber Chip must be 2/1/22 up to the present day to be counted as current for this event. Contact your unit leader if you need to renew your Cyber Chip.
If the scout has not completed the requirement before the event, it will prevent the scout from participating further in the MB offerings at the MB College.
“Be Prepared” requirements
Before the scout attends the MB College event, the expectation is for the scout to do the work to prepare to complete the requirement, such as:
- research,
- learn the required information,
- take notes,
- prepare something in writing,
- visit a place or location.
The “Be Prepared” requirements are mandatory homework for the scout to prepare to meet those requirements. Thus, the scout is prepared to complete the final step at the event to complete a requirement by “showing their stuff” to the counselor. The preparation, prior to the event, is so that the scout can demonstrate to his counselor upon arrival at the event, without any additional time or instruction, that he is able to meet the requirement as stated, such as being able to:
- Verbally discuss
- Verbally explain
- Verbally describe
- Present the required information (such as a list)
- Submit information in writing
- Provide a drawing, sketch, plan, etc.
The counselor may ask the scout to submit their work on some or all requirements in writing in advance to have time to review the scout’s preparation and reduce the time needed for the scout to complete the requirement at the event.
In most cases, if the scout is not prepared to complete the requirement upon arrival, they will not be able to complete that requirement and will receive a partial completion of requirements for the MB.
See the MB listing for the specific “Be Prepared” requirements and special instructions for each MB, available at this link.
Refund policy
A. The Council will refund prepaid fees, less an administrative fee of 10% of all prepaid, if the notice of cancellation or withdrawal is received in writing at the Scout Service Center more than 21 days prior to the start date of the event/activity (before 1/27/22).
B. The Council will refund 50% of all prepaid fees if notice of cancellation or withdrawal is received at the Scout Service Center within a timeframe of 21 days or less before the start date of the event until the closing date of registration for the event (from 1/27/22 through 2/6/23) .
C. The Council will not refund any of the prepaid fees if notice of cancellation or withdrawal is received at the Scout Service Center after the closing date of registration for the event (after 2/6/23).
D. In the event a Scout can no longer attend the Merit Badge College, you may contact Dennis Dugan to determine if it is possible to transfer your fees to another Scout without any fees.
E. Requests must be made via e-mail before 2/7/23 to receive any refund of payments.
F. If the event is canceled due to inclement weather or another unforeseen circumstance, the Council will try to provide a partial refund depending on the expenses already incurred for the event.
Registration is CLOSED