Archery merit badge advancement

I am an archery merit badge counselor in the Bay area for the Boy Scouts of America. I can provide testing to allow scouts to pass the merit badge requirements and earn their badge. Here are specifics for how you can schedule time with me to complete the archery merit badge requirements.

Scheduling time for advancement

Getting the merit badge can be done in 3 sessions with some work done at home to build a bow string.

Session one: Complete all the non-practical and non-shooting elements of the merit badge testing by taking a quiz based on this Archery merit badge worksheet. Typically you can book time for advancement and then I’ll give you roughly half an hour to complete it. This is a test. You may not refer to notes in completing this worksheet. You need to prove you know this material. You don’t have to answer all the questions at once. If you want to come and clear 1 of the 4 sections each meeting, you can do it at that pace.

Session two: Build an arrow, demonstrate stringing unstringing a bow, carry arrows safely, demonstrate the nine steps of good shooting using a stretch band. You can do this all in one session.

Session three: This has to be done at the range where you shoot a score of 90 points in 30 arrows at 9 meters on a 60cm target face.

What you can do at home: Make a bowstring using the materials and equipment I give you.

When can I do this?

I have two weekly windows when you can schedule time to test out of merit badge requirements:

Note that if you book the Saturday 1030am-1130am slot, an adult guardian of yours must be present during the entire time we are testing. If your guardian leaves you alone and there are no other club archery coaches present, we will have to suspend testing until your guardian or another coach returns. This requirement is part of the BSA’s Youth Protection program.

There are always other scout leaders present at St. Anne’s, so your guardian need not stay if you attend in that timeslot.

Resources

The merit badge book is online and contains most of the answers you need.

There are laws in California regarding archery (you can google it!). Additionally, localities like San Francisco have archery laws too. To clear this requirement of your merit badge you want to be able to speak intelligently about both state and local laws. I will not ask you about archery laws regarding hunting. I will ask you about laws that govern where you can shoot, how you carry a bow, what mental condition your are allowed to be in, etc.

You can obtain blue cards from your scout troop leaders. The merit badge requirements are listed on the web. If you don’t have the merit badge book, try using Google to find the answers and study for testing. All the answers are findable on the web.

I will be testing you on the verbal portion of your answers using this worksheet. It will not be an open book test, so know your answers before you come.

Shooting your required score for the merit badge can be done with equipment borrowed from my archery club. You just need to show up.

When you need to make a bowstring to satisfy that requirement, I will provide you all the equipment to do so.

Contacting me for other issues

If you have questions you can contact me via email at archery-merit-badge   – at –    safdar.net.  Please cc: your parent or guardian on all emails to me or I will ignore them.