Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge
Local government, community service, and how scouts can be active, informed members of their community.
Good fit if you like
Tips for Earning This Badge
- 1The civic visit requirement (attending a local government meeting) takes planning — school board meetings count and are often easier to attend than city council sessions.
- 2Take notes during the meeting; you will reference them in your written summary.
- 3The community service project can overlap with service hours you are already doing for rank advancement.
- 4Start the interview with an elected official early — scheduling takes longer than scouts expect.
- 5Counselors want specifics, not generalities — "the council discussed a road repaving budget" lands better than "they talked about town stuff."
- 6A common pitfall: picking a meeting that gets cancelled or rescheduled with no backup date. Have a second meeting on your calendar before you need it.
Available at Merit Badge Colleges
This badge is commonly offered at merit badge college events hosted by councils and universities. A great way to knock it out in a weekend with an experienced counselor. Learn how to find one near you.
Official Requirements
We keep this page focused on tips and what to expect, not a copy of the requirement text — requirements get revised periodically, and scouts are generally held to whichever version was current when they started the badge (the same reason Scoutbook lets you filter by pamphlet version). For the exact, current wording, check your Scoutbook record for this badge or the official page below.
Citizenship in the Community on scouting.org ↗Finding a Counselor
Ask your Scoutmaster for the council's merit badge counselor list. For popular badges, a parent in your troop may already be registered as a counselor. If your troop doesn't have one, your council's advancement chair can help connect you.
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