Merit badges

There are many ways to learn and grow in scouting, merit badges are only one of them.  Merit badges allow the scouts to choose one point in life, then focus and learn about it. In order to achieve a merit badge, you must complete a series of requirements that may include something that takes a certain amount of time, talking to a counselor, or a lot of research.  Once earned, the badge is presented to you at a court of honor, and shows that you were able to complete it.

The Scoutmaster

Most people think that the scoutmaster is in charge of everything.  Wrong!  There only job is to keep the scouts on track, and to not get on the news.  The scouts are the leaders of each other, which is why there's the leadership positions.  That lets the kids have respect for their friends, and their friends' positions.

The Troop

Your troop is the group of scouts that you work with and do scouting activities with.  There are different individual responsibilities for each boy in the troop.  For example, my position is patrol leader, which leads the meetings, keeps the other boys in line, and gives a good example.  There are other leadership positions that focus on different parts of scouting, like the scribe, which keeps track of all activities, and the bugler, which wakes people up on the campouts.  These individual jobs are what keep the troop in order.