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page last updated: 3/16/2013 at 3:10 PM   How to become a Merit Badge Counselor in the NCAC To register as a new Merit Badge Counselor in the National Capital Area Council (NCAC) you must complete two forms and print out a Youth Protection Training certificate showing you are current with YPT training There are three steps for a new MBC to register with the BSA and begin merit badge counseling: #1. Complete the online Youth Protection Training (YPT) course at http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx and print the completion certificate. (It is also recommended that you save a copy of the YPT certificate to your computer) The site allows anyone not already registered as a Scouter to create a user ID and password, take the youth protection course, save a copy of the completion certificate to your computer, and print the completion certificate. YPT is required every two years. IMPORTANT: When you eventually receive your BSA registration card and PID (personal identification number) you must return to the www.MyScouting.org site, logon with the user ID and password you created, and enter your BSA registration number into your user profile so the system can accurately verify and record your training. #2. Complete the Adult Application form. This form is required in addition to your current registration with your unit. Please pay special attention to filling in the “Council/District Position” as “Merit Badge Counselor”, District Name, and the “Position Code” as "42". Please click here for a copy of the adult application form which is already filled in with MBC position and Code 42 information. Click HERE for the fillable adult application form to be a MBC . NOTE: The entire application form must be filled in and signed, including the Disclosure/Authorization page located before the application form page itself. All applicants and currently Registered Scouters go through a background check – as noted and authorized on the Disclosure/Authorization page of the Adult Application form. ONLY the applicant's signature is required. The other signatures are not required to register as a MBC. The "Unit" blocks remain blank and the block in the lower right corner should also be left blank. The new MBC must submit the new "Code 42" adult application even if they are already registered with their unit or the District. The MBC position is a District level position and requires a separate application approval process. NOTE: Specific emphasis should be taken to accurately, correctly, and completely fill out of the forms. Failure to fill out the forms completely or correctly, and signing and dating them will result in the forms not being processed, and not being added the MBC list. #3. Complete the Merit Badge Counselor Information Form which is used by the District to know which merit badges you want to teach, to show why you are qualified to teach the listed merit badges, and to approve your request. Click HERE for the 2013 printing of the form. This is a new fillable PDF. Before filling it out, read both sides of the form. If you have any questions or need assistance, please talk with your unit MB coordinator, the District MB Dean, or the District Advancement Chair. If you plan to only counsel within your unit, remember to check the "Only with Scouts in these units (indicate whether troop, team, or crew)” and fill in your unit number. If you wish to counsel Scouts outside the unit please check the "All Scouts in these districts” and fill in the District(s). MBCs are authorized to counsel anywhere within the NCAC. Supplemental Instructions for Registering Merit Badge Counselors in the National Capital Area Council.
Click HERE for the instructions providing supplemental guidance to that provided on the reverse of the BSA Merit Badge Counselor Information form, #34405WEB, revised February 2013. What do I do with the forms when I’m done? All three correctly, completed items (1) Adult Application form, (2) Merit Badge Counselor Information form, and the (3) Youth Protection Certificate) make up the MBC application packet. Processing this Application: (from the back of the NCAC MBC info form) Merit Badge Counselors MUST register as adult Scouters and be approved by the District Executive. A new Merit Badge Counselor does not have to pay a registration fee, but must completely fill out a new Adult Application/Disclosure Authorization Form indicating a Code 42 and this Merit Badge Counselor Information form (both pages). Both forms MUST be submitted to the Troop Advancement Chair if associated with a Troop or District Merit Badge Dean if applying through District. The District Merit Badge Dean reviews and approves/disapproves the Merit Badge Counselor Information form and forwards the Adult Application to the District Executive (as appropriate). The District Executive will review and approve/disapprove the Adult Application and forward everything to NCAC (as appropriate). The Scout Executive approves/disapproves the Adult Application and updates ScoutNet (as appropriate). FORMS WILL NOT BE PROCESSED IF SENT DIRECTLY TO THE COUNCIL SERVICE CENTER. All Merit Badge Counselors MUST complete BSA Youth Protection Training before working with Scouts. All Merit Badge Counselors MUST confirm their registration annually. Any changes must be documented using this form. An Adult Application, including the Disclosure Authorization, is only required when registering as a Merit Badge Counselor for the first time or after letting their registration lapse. Scouters may choose to limit their role to counseling only in an affiliated unit or make themselves available to other units in the District. NCAC encourages you to be available to other units since the expertise for some merit badges is not present within many individual units. Counselors will always be able to limit the number of scouts they work with at one time. Please remember to check the box on the front of this form that indicates this choice. General Information Each Unit should have a unit Merit Badge Counselor Coordinator (either a special unit position or the advancement chairman) who will facilitate the registration and re-registration process for only MBCs in their respective units. MBCs who wish to counsel all Scouts in a District must personally turn in all three forms to the District advancement committee chairman as described above. Useful Links for MBCs: Annual Renewal of Merit Badge Counselors All Merit Badge Counselors must register annually. Districts periodically send out a list of MBCs to their units asking for an update of the unit’s respective MBCs, such as contact info, does the MBC want to continue as a MBC, and if not, to advise that the name be removed from the district and council MBC list. The unit list is the best and easiest method to accomplish updates. The unit MBC coordinator should send a list of the unit’s MBCs to the District MBC Dean to confirm annual rollover of registration of existing MBCs for that unit. Persons not on the list submitted by the Merit Badge Dean are automatically dropped, and if they come back, must start over again as a new registration. Unaffiliated MBCs (not affiliated with units) are responsible on their own to advise the District MBC Dean and re-register annually; they are to send an e-mail to a Merit Badge Dean advising they want to continue. Failure to send the annual information from either the units or nonaffiliated individuals will result in them being dropped from the list. If a MBC who was dropped wishes to continue as a MBC he/she must register as a new MBC again using the forms and processes listed above. Youth Protection Training is also required every two years. The Council and District may track this requirement but it is your responsibility to remain current. Failure to keep up to date on YPT and sending the YPT certification from individuals will result in them being dropped from the list. If a MBC is dropped from the council/district MBC list the dropped counselor will have to re-register as a new counselor again.
If you have any questions concerning the above information, forms or process, contact your District Advancement Chair for specific details within your District.
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