Find Merit Badge Counselors by Zipcode

[PeteDunten]

We have a scout who moved but would like to stay in our troop. He would like to find a ‍♂ MB counselor near where he now lives. I understand there is a search-by-zipcode option, but that it can only be used by unit leaders. In the spirit of encouraging scouts to be proactive and independent, can the search capability be opened up to allow scouts to search?

Thanks, Pete Dunten / MB Counselor

[WilliamC]

He might want to contact the Council Office first. Also, Some MB Counselors are only registered for their own Troop.

Is this something that can be done in your unit via Zoom meetings?

[WilliamsburgScouter]

Three separate sections of the Guide to Advancement prohibit scout access to that list both for a) privacy worries and b) concerns that scouts will simply skip/bypass the scoutmaster or unit leader meeting (required under 7.0.0.3 The Scout, the Blue Card, and the Unit Leader) and go direct to MBCs.

The three sections are

7.0.2.1 Getting Started (“The council or district counselor list is reproduced for distribution to troops, crews, and ships. Scouts should not have access.”)

7.0.2.2 Web-Based Counselor Lists (“Scouts should not have access.”)

7.0.2.3 Unit Counselor Lists (“Due to concerns about merit badge counselor privacy, and since Scouts should receive the names and contact information from the Scoutmaster, unit counselor lists should not be made available to Scouts.”)

If he needs a MBC, the place to go is the SM/unit leader.

[CharleyHamilton]

In addition to the points raised by @WilliamsburgScouter, prior posts from the SUAC have indicated that many councils were unwilling to permit their MBC lists to be included in Scoutbook at all if the youth had direct access to them.

[WilliamsburgScouter]

This is going to change in February-March when all MBCs will be loaded into Scoutbook and those not registered as MBCs will get dropped.

On Feb 1, 2021, we will remove any remaining unregistered merit badge counselors from Scoutbook and remove the ability of units to change which MBs are approved for MBCs. At that point the only MBC positions will come in via ScoutNET, and their approved merit badge listing will come in via ScoutNET or via a council upload.