Please read through this first before clicking on the link below to renew your registration as a Merit Badge Counselor since there have been some new changes that will more than likely affect you:

As of August 1, 2023, National BSA changed the policy so that there is a $25 registration fee for Merit Badge Counselors UNLESS you have an already-paid registration fee in a unit/district/council position.

• IMPORTANT…PLEASE CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION AND TRAINING STATUS BEFORE RENEWING AS A MERIT BADGE COUNSELOR…you will need this information to fill out the Merit Badge Counselor Renewal form.

Log in to your my.Scouting.org account.  If you cannot remember your username and/or password, please email [email protected] with your name and phone # and she will notify you what your username and password is.

When you log in, you will see 6 boxes in the upper right corner:

Click on the box, My Profile. My Member ID # is ____________________.

You will see the positions that you are registered in, the expiration date(s), your merit badges, and whether you are trained or not for your position(s).

Click on the box, My Training.  

It will show you the date you took Youth Protection Training.  

YPT Date Taken _____________________________.

On the left side menu, you can click on Requirements, and it will list the completed training that you have taken for your registered positions.  To take any of the courses, click on the arrow on the right side and it will link you to the training.

Merit Badge Counselor Training Date Taken ___________________.

When you click on Completions, you will get a list of all the training that you have completed.

1. For those of you who would like to continue to serve as a Merit Badge Counselor and do not have a paid registration at the unit/district/council level  there will be a $25 fee.  Please email [email protected] for payment arrangements.  Check your my.Scouting.org account in your profile for Merit Badge Counselor to see if payment is needed.
2.  If you are planning on registering in a unit, for instance to go to summer camp with your troop, it is suggested to register with your troop first and then register as a Merit Badge Counselor.  That way, you’re not paying the $25 fee for Merit Badge Counselors plus then the unit registration fee.  If you register first in a unit then you would “multiple” as a Merit Badge Counselor.
3. And as usual, if you are adding any merit badges, please complete the Merit Badge Counselor application form with your qualifications.
4. Remember…An adult who is registered as a Merit Badge Counselor ONLY does not qualify as an adult leader.  See Guide to Safe Scouting.
5. For your information…As of May 1, 2024, for the 12-month registration fee it will be:
   1. For adults, $65 for the National BSA membership + $30 for the Council activity fee = $95.00.
   2. For youth, $85 for the National BSA membership + $85 for the Council activity fee = $170.  The new member joining fee of $25 for new youth is being discontinued. 
   3. Scout Life magazine is still $15 for any registered youth or adult.
   4. Merit Badge Counselor fee is $25 and there’s no fee when registered in a paid membership position.
6. There is no pro-rating of registration fees any longer.  A person (youth or adult) registers for 12 months no matter what time of year they register.  
7. There is no backdating of registration.  In other words, the month your membership is paid becomes your anniversary month and your membership will expire in 11 months. For example, if you registered with your unit’s Recharter, your paid membership is November 1, 2023 to Oct. 31, 2024 and there is no additional fee to register as a Merit Badge Counselor.
8. In March 2024, National did a re-alignment of positions so that if a person has more than one registration (called “multiple’), the positions were aligned to expire the same as the paid membership.  We were informed that this would not affect the District/Council/Merit Badge Counselor time period which would expire 4/30/24.  However, for some people, it has affected them or at least they have received an unusual message about renewing. 
9. In doing the re-alignment, some Merit Badge Counselors automatically had their registration extended from the regular 4/30/24 to 10/31/24 while others have their Merit Badge Counselor registration ending 4/30/2024 as usual.
   • To date, we have not heard if this is something that National will be continuing so we are asking all Merit Badge Counselors to complete the renewal process.

Thank you for continuing to serve the Scouts in the Mount Baker Council as a Merit Badge Counselor.