LEADERS' GUIDE Summer Camp 2026

* Eagle Required MB     **Eagle Required MB Option

• American Business—Learn how to start your own business!
• American Heritage—For scouts who want to learn more about American History & Culture. Can be completed at camp, & friendly to scouts of all ages.
• American Indian Culture (formerly Indian Lore)—Scouts of all ages learn the fascinating history & culture of various Native American nations.
• American Labor—All aspects of the American Labor movement, from concerns about work conditions, to the role of Labor Unions, to the history of working in America.
• Animal Science – Science behind horses and other livestock while getting in some more barn time.
• Archaeology—Ancient cultures roamed the streams & mountains around our camps. Written work is required.
• Archery—Shooting experience is highly recommended & time is needed to qualify. Must have a signed Firearms Use Permission Slip
• Architecture—Learn about the art & science of the spaces we inhabit.
• Art—Teaches different painting & drawing techniques, as well as artistic style.
• Astronomy—Scouts will observe the beautiful night skies over our three camps. Attendance at Star Parties is required. Career opportunities in astronomy will be discussed.
• Backpacking—Do you love to camp & hike? Why not do both & backpack. Learn the ins-and-outs of getting into the backcountry & seeing things you can’t see from the road.
• Basketry—This is a fun activity, good for all Scouts. This badge may not take all week to complete.
• Bird Study—Learn about the feathered wildlife of our camps. Scouts should be prepared to spend some time making observations of birds at camp.
• Bugling—Earn the least awarded merit badge in all of Scouting with our Camp Maestro. No experience is required, but you must be able to perform after instruction.
• Camping*—This badge is required for Eagle. It requires an overnight camping trip. Scouts should bring appropriate camping equipment (backpack, sleeping bag, etc.)
• Canoeing—Good physical strength & stamina are required for this merit badge. Must be a swimmer to start this badge.
• Chemistry—Come & learn about the everyday chemistry of the world right in front of you. Explore topics like pressure, pollution, & fertilizers.
• Chess—Expand your knowledge of chess beyond the simple moves. Learn about openings & the tactics of this classic game of skill & planning.
• Citizenship in the Nation* or World*—Scouts can earn their Citizenship Badges at camp if they complete the prerequisites. Citizenship in the World covers international government & foreign relations. Citizenship in the Nation covers the United States & Federal affairs.
• Climbing—Throughout the week scouts learn about the preparation, safety, & equipment needed to climb & repel. For this exciting activity, Scouts must be at least 14+ years old. Session limit: 12 scouts.
• Communication*—This merit badge is a good place to start for scouts who want to earn their Eagle- required merit badges. Along with the daily sessions, scouts will be expected to participate in activities at their campsite in order to complete this merit badge.
• Composite Materials—Learn how two materials are used to make a third, even better material that has the best aspects of both. What could be more concrete than that?
• Cooking*— Scouts sign up for 1 session only & meet all week. This badge is a partial. CR note: Sessions overlap meal shift. Scouts will not eat in Dining Hall with their troop starting Monday
• Cycling**—Explore the amazing mountain biking trails around Wente Scout Reservation & learn how to take care of these machines of fun.
• Emergency Preparedness**—This badge can be used as an Eagle-required merit badge. Covers a great deal of written material, & there are skills to master. Familiarity with knots is extremely important. Older Scouts are recommended for this badge. Pre-requisite: First Aid merit badge.
• Energy—Learn where energy comes from, what forms it takes, & how we use it in everyday life.
• Engineering—Explore the FUNdamentals of engineering & the role it plays in society.
• Entrepreneurship—Find out what it takes to bring an idea from the drawing board to a product you can purchase in store.
• Environmental Science**—This badge can be used as an Eagle-required merit badge. It requires day hikes, field notes, & experiments. There is a great deal of written material. This program is recommended for mature Scouts.
• Exploration—The age of exploration hasn’t passed you by. You will learn what it takes to embark on expeditions large & small then you will take an expedition.
• Fingerprinting—The original forensic science-fingerprinting. Come learn about those ridges & whorls on the tips of your fingers.
• Fire Safety—Fire has the power to give warmth & comfort, but it also has the power to destroy. Come learn about the science & safety of fire.
• First Aid*—Scouts will learn safety & how to provide aid for all types of injuries & situations.
• Fish & Wildlife Management—There is some written material for this badge. A conservation project is also required.
• Fishing—Excellent for younger Scouts, requires some written work. Royaneh & Wolfeboro Note: A California State sport fishing license is required for all adults & youth over the age of 16. The Trading Post does NOT sell licenses, so these must be purchased prior to your arrival in camp. (Wente’s private lake requires only a Wente Fish License & camp provides gear)
• Fly-Fishing—Come join our special guests as they teach you how to fish with a fly rod & tie a fly then try your luck in the lake at Wente Scout Reservation. (Wente’s private lake requires only a Wente Fish License & camp provides gear)
• Forestry—Our camps all have excellent opportunities to learn about this topic. Scouts will learn about current issues in forestry, do a conservation project, & learn tree identification.
• Game Design—Single-player. Multi-player. Board games. Video games. Ball games. It’s all there in game design. Harness your gamer instincts, make a new game & challenge your Troop mates.
• Gardening—Learn about growing food & flowers while defending your crops from pests & disease.
• Geocaching—Learn more about GPS units & the fun of geocaching as a way to explore the world.
• Geology—This badge requires a personal rock collection. Scouts will learn to identify rocks & minerals & how they are formed & used.
• Hiking**—Get out & see the world with your feet as transport.
• Horsemanship—The riding instruction Scouts receive is only a small part of this unique badge. Care, feeding, grooming, & safety are all integral parts of the badge. Class size will be limited & varies with the number of horses in the herd. Scouts must be at least 13 years old & a minimum of 5 feet tall (due to equipment restrictions). A weight requirement is dependent on livestock.
• Insect Study—Scouts explore the miniature life of insects at our camps. Scouts will carefully gather specimens for a collection & take hikes to discover the unusual creepy-crawlies all over camp.
• Inventing—Necessity is the mother of invention. With this badge, scouts will learn what it takes to invent a solution to a problem. This is all about harnessing your creativity.
• Journalism—Scouts will learn about the importance of the First Amendment & the role of journalism in transmitting news & information.
• Kayaking—Learn how to kayak in Scout Lake. Good physical strength & stamina are required for this merit badge. Must pass the Swim Test at Swimmer level to start this badge.
• Leatherwork—A great Merit Badge for any Scout. This badge introduces many of the aspects of leather & leatherworking.
• Lifesaving**—This challenging merit badge requires physical strength & stamina. Must have Swimming merit badge & be able to swim 400 yards at start of session.
• Mammal Study—This badge is good for younger Scouts. Requires some written work, a small report, & a conservation project.
• Metalwork—A challenging badge where scouts learn about the metals industry & the tools used in metalworking. Scouts will make several metal projects.
• Mining in Society—Learn about the importance of mining to our society & the economy.
• Moviemaking—Learn about the mechanics of movies then create your very own short feature film. Scouts must bring their own digital device with charging cables to camp.
• Music—Scouts will have the opportunity to sing, develop skits, & teach skits to others. Prerequisites should be completed prior to arrival at camp.
• Nuclear Science—Come explore the atom & the power it contains. Learn about the promises & perils of the power in that nucleus.
• Oceanography—The wonders of the deep will come to light in this program. Scouts are required to do some field studies to complete this badge (yes, at camp).
• Orienteering—Map & Compass is the name of the game. Scouts will complete four orienteering courses across camp. This badge is recommended for older Scouts.
• Photography—Fun for those Scouts looking to learn about the growing influence of digital media. Scout must bring a digital camera with charging cables to camp. Scouts must have Cyber Chip prior to arrival.
• Pioneering—Scouts will put their knots & lashings skills to the test by building gadgets, towers, & structures with rope & poles. Lots of practice will be needed to complete this badge.
• Plant Science—Learn what it takes to grow plants for food with agronomy, horticulture, or the botanical world around us.
• Pottery—Learn how to form clay into functional items & create a work of art.
• Public Health— Scouts will learn about the various aspects & importance of Public Health including how diseases are spread via animals & the environment.
• Public Speaking—Scouts will learn how to address groups & give speeches if they take this course. Those taking this session should expect a lot of speeches in order to complete this course.
• Pulp & Paper—Learn about what it takes to turn trees & plants into paper.
• Railroading—Learn about trains & railroads & how they help the country grow & thrive.
• Reptile & Amphibian Study—This badge requires drawings & night observations. Scouts will be able to handle live animals in this session.
• Rifle Shooting—Shooting experience is highly recommended. Scouts should have strength to handle a rifle. Scouts will need time to qualify. Must have a signed Firearms Use Permission Slip
• Rowing—This session requires physical strength & stamina. Must be a swimmer to start this badge.
• Salesmanship—Learn the important job of a salesperson to our economy then try your hand at selling.
• Scouting Heritage—Learn the history & heritage of the Scouting movement from Baden-Powell to present, from its beginnings in England to your own unit.
• Sculpture—Learn how to turn clay into art.
• Search & Rescue—Learn about the various aspects of Search & Rescue (SAR) then go out & put those ideas & skills into practice.
• Shotgun Shooting—This program teaches Scouts the basics of handling & shooting a shotgun and safety precautions for firearms. Scouts may need time outside of the merit badge sessions to qualify. Must have a signed Firearms Use Permission Slip.
• Signs, Signals, & Codes—Learn how to communicate with others using methods other than speaking or traditional writing.
• Small-Boat Sailing—Learn about sailing & the power of the wind. This merit badge requires physical strength & stamina. Must be a swimmer to start this badge.
• Soil & Water Conservation—This badge requires drawings & a conservation project. It covers a lot of material & is recommended for mature Scouts.
• Space Exploration—Come learn about how we are exploring that final frontier, space.
• Sustainability**—Learn how to live more sustainably with food, Community, Energy, & waste.
• Swimming**—Want to be more confident in the water? Swimming is a great life skill & it is a prerequisite for the Lifesaving merit badge.
• Textile—Learn how we turn fibers into cloth then make some textile yourself.
• Theater—All the world’s a stage. Learn about the theater, directing & acting in this merit badge.
• Weather—Scouts will build a weather instrument & use it to track weather during the week. This badge covers a lot of material & requires observations.
• Wilderness Survival—This badge requires an overnight camping trip where Scouts must build a shelter & sleep in it.
• Woodcarving—Scouts will create wooden sculptures with just a knife. Knives are available or Scouts can bring their personal knives. Remember to bring your Totin’ Chip card or earn it at the Scoutcraft area Sunday evening! This is a more intensive badge for older Scouts looking to learn how to use a variety of woodworking tools.