Written by: Adam Riedel, Scoutmaster Troop 899
As of July 1, 2022, the requirements for the rank of Eagle Scout have been updated to reflect the standards set by the Boy Scouts of America on diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical leadership. As your Scoutmaster and Merit Badge Counselor, it is my goal to help Scouts learn why these qualities are important in both society and Scouting, as well as how to help other people at all times and serve as a leader and an upstander. One of the major goals of the BSA continues to be a focus on the commitment to developing a culture in which every youth, volunteer, and employee feels included and welcomed. It is us to each unit to ensure they build a community where every person feels respected and valued.
It is important that we all welcome families and individuals of all backgrounds and identities to help prepare young people to serve as successful members and leaders of our nation’s increasingly diverse communities. We all need to make the commitment to create inclusive environments and promote a culture of respect and belonging. As Scouts, we are guided by the Scout Oath and Scout Law. The definition of “reverent” in the Scout Law states that we expect our Scouts to “respect the beliefs of others,” in and outside of Scouting. We expect and appreciate that our Scouts do their best to make all feel welcomed.
While working through this merit badge we will learn about and learn to understand different identities and abilities with the goal of helping each SCout understand what to do to help make other Scouts feel welcome and find a sense of belonging in Scouting.
My message to Scouts interested in starting this merit badge: At this point, you have probably completed several other merit badges and become familiar with using a merit badge information booklet that typically accompanies the expected requirements. The process of working through this merit badge will be very different. The goal of this merit badge is to intentionally place the responsibility of research and identification of resources on you instead of being able to look things up in a merit badge book.
My hope is you will explore deeply and broadly enough to encourage personal growth. You should expect that I will ask you to identify the sources you used to gather your information. Understand that I will not be providing you with answers or resources, but will instead engage with you in conversation to ask about what you have learned and how you plan to apply your new knowledge to your life in Scouting, and how it applies to being a good citizen in society. At the end of our journey, I hope you will be able to take what you have learned and further demonstrate the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your every life.
As a Scoutmaster, it is my goal to help every one of my Scouts achieve their fullest potential in Scouting and set them on a positive path for life. I believe that the addition of this merit badge to the list of Eagle Scout rank requirements, helps me do that. I believe it will help to create a better culture of acceptance in the unit as well as bring our Troop closer together as we learn to accept each other's differences. I look forward to this journey with each of you and I am excited to see each of you grow as you work to complete this new badge.
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