This Historic Merit Badge can be earned only during calendar year 2010,
in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.
It was first offered as "Stalker" in 1911 and discontinued in 1952.
BSA has announced a special program in honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the BSA, which includes the reintroduction, for 2010 only, of four Historical Merit Badges - Carpentry, Pathfinding, Signaling, and Tracking.
The basics of the 2010 Historical Merit Badge program include:
- An overall goal of the program is for a majority of the BSA’s registered Boy Scouts to earn one or more of the merit badges during the centennial year, 2010.
- The badges offered have a history that can be traced back to the origins of the BSA.
- The original requirements are being used, as well as supported by scanned pages of the early merit badge pamphlets so a Scout can view what a Scout 100 years ago used. Supporting the scanned pages of the original pamphlets are information guides for each merit badge that explain what a Scout of 1910 might have experienced, along with background information to assist a Scout in understanding what maybe unfamiliar terms.
- The contemporary merit badges closely resemble the original designs of their counterparts with the exception of the border, which is gold. The unique border will immediately identify it as a 2010 historic merit badge.
- The four historical merit badges may be used toward a Scout’s rank advancement.
- The effective date for earning these new merit badges is April 1, 2010, and requirements must be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2010..
- The BSA will not reprint the pamphlets for these merit badges. Reprints of the original merit badge pamphlets are posted to http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx
- As with all merit badges, units, districts, and councils should recruit and register qualified counselors for these badges.
Download a pdf of the Original Merit Badge Book
Download a pdf with the New Information for This Merit Badge
These are the original requirements as written in 1911, except the merit badge was originally entitled Stalking. Because of what the term stalking means in today’s language, the original name has been changed to Tracking.
Requirements:
To obtain a Merit Badge for [Tracking], a Scout must:
- Demonstrate by means of a [tracking] game or otherwise, ability to [track] skillfully in shelter and wind, etc., showing how to proceed noiselessly and “freeze” when occasion demands.
- Know and recognize the tracks of ten different kinds of animals or birds in his vicinity, three of which may be domestic.
- Submit satisfactory evidence that he has trailed two different kinds of wild animals or birds on ordinary ground far enough to determine the direction in which they were going, and their gait or speed. Give the names of animals or birds trailed, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed; or submit satisfactory evidence that he has trailed six different kinds of wild animal or birds in snow, sand, dust, or mud, far enough to determine the direction they were going and their gait or speed. Give names of animals or birds, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed.
- Submit satisfactory evidence that he has tracked a human being and deducted from the trail whether it was man or woman, young or old, the gait or speed, and also give any other information deduced.
- Submit evidence the he has scored at least 30 points from
the following groups:
[Group (f) and 4 of the 5 groups (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) must be represented in the score of 30 and at least 7 points must be scored from (a), (b), or (c)].Make clear recognizable photographs of:
a. Live bird away from nest 4 points each b. Live woodchuck or smaller wild animal 3 points each c. Live wild animal larger than woodchuck 4 points each d. Live bird on nest 3 points each e. Tracks of live wild animal or bird 2 points each f. Make satisfactory plaster cast of wild animal or bird tracks with identification imprint on back of each 2 points each
NOTE: These requirements differ from the original draft requirements previously posted on this web site. In addition, shortly after the requirements were officially released, BSA noted an error, in that they had omitted one requirement (No 4 above).
In requirement 4, the phrase "has tracked a human being" should be interpreted in terms of "while searching for a missing person"
BSA Advancement ID#:
142
Requirements last updated in:
2010
Pamphlet Stock Number:
NONE
Pamphlet Revision Date:
1942
| Worksheets for use in working on these requirements: | Format | |
|---|---|---|
| Word Format | PDF Format | |
Page updated on: May 24, 2010
