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MERIT BADGES
 Text
Graphic
Note:
Eagle Required
         are in Italics

"A"
American Business
American Culture
American Heritage
American Labor
Animal Science
Archaeology
Archery
Architecture
Art
Astronomy
Athletics
Atomic Energy
Auto Mechanics
Aviation

"B"
Backpacking
Basketry
Bird Study
Bugling

"C"
Camping
Canoeing
Chemistry
Cinematography
Citizenship Community*
Citizenship Nation*
Citizenship World*
Climbing
Coin Collecting
Collections
Communications*
Computers
Cooking
Crime Prevention
Cycling*

"D"
Dentistry
Disability Awareness
Dog Care
Drafting

"E"
Electricity
Electronics
Emergency Preparedness**
Energy
Engineering
Entrepreneurship
Environmental Science*

"F"
Family Life*
Farm Mechanics
Fingerprinting
Fire Safety
First Aid*
Fish & Wildlife Mgmt.
Fishing
Fly Fishing
Forestry

"G"
Gardening
Genealogy
Geology
Golf
Graphic Arts

"H"
Hiking
Home Repairs
Horsemanship

"I"
Indian Lore
Insect Studies

"J"
Journalism

"K"

"L"
Landscape Architecture
Law
Leatherwork
Lifesaving**

"M"
Mammal Study
Medicine
Metalwork
Model Design & Building
Motorboating
Music

"N"
Nature

"O"
Oceanography
Orienteering

"P"
Painting
Personal Fitness**
Personal Management*
Pets
Photography
Pioneering
Plant Science
Plumbing
Pottery
Public Health
Public Speaking
Pulp and Paper

"Q"

"R"
Radio
Railroading
Reading
Reptile & Amphibian Study
Rifle Shooting
Rowing

"S"
Safety
Salesmanship
Scholarship
Sculpture
Shotgun Shooting
Skating
Skiing
Small Boat Sailing
Soil & Water Conservation
Space Exploration
Sports**
Stamp Collecting
Surveying
Swimming**

"T"
Textile
Theatre
Traffic Safety
Truck Transportation

"U"

"V"
Veterinary Medicine

"W"
Water Skiing
Weather
Whitewater
Wilderness Survival
Wood Carving
Woodwork

"X"
"Y"
"Z"

 

stamp_collecting.gif (8582 bytes)  Stamp Collecting
Requirements
2001

  1. Do the following:
    1. Discuss how you can better understand people, places, institutions, history, and geography as a result of collecting stamps.
    2. Briefly describe some aspects of the history, growth, and development of the United States postal system. How is it different from postal systems in other countries?
  2. Define topical stamp collecting. What are some other types of stamp collections?
  3. Show at least ONE example of each of the following:
    1. Perforated and imperforate stamps
    2. Mint and used stamps
    3. Sheet-booklet and coil stamps
    4. Numbers on plate block, booklet, coil, or marginal markings
    5. Overprint and surcharge
    6. Metered mail
    7. Definitive, commemorative, semipostal, and airmail stamps
    8. Cancellation and postmark
    9. First day cover
    10. Postal stationery (aerogramme, stamped envelope, and postal card)
  4. Do the following:
    1. Demonstrate the use of ONE standard catalog for several different stamp issues. Explain why catalog value can vary from the corresponding purchase price.
    2. Explain the meaning of the term CONDITION as used to describe a stamp. Show examples that illustrate the different factors that affect a stamp's value.
  5. Demonstrate the use of at least THREE of the following stamp collector's tool:
    1. Stamp tongs
    2. Water and Tray
    3. Magnifiers
    4. Hinges
    5. Perforation gauge
    6. Envelopes and sleeves
    7. Watermark fluid
  6. Do the following:
    1. Show a stamp album and how to mount stamps with or without hinges. Show at least ONE page that displays several stamps.
    2. Discuss at least THREE ways you can help to preserve stamps, covers, and albums in first-class condition.
  7. Do at least TWO of the following:
    1. Design a stamp, cancellation, or cachet.
    2. Visit a post office, stamp club, or stamp show with an experienced collector. Explain what you saw and/or did.
    3. Write a review of an interesting article from a stamp newspaper, magazine, or book.
    4. Research and report on a famous stamp-related personality or the history behind a particular stamp.
    5. Describe the steps taken to produce a stamp. include the methods of printing, types of paper, perforation styles, and how they are gummed.
    6. Prepare a two-to-three page display involving stamps. Using ingenuity, as well as clippings, drawings, etc., tell a story about the stamps. How do they relate to history, geography, or a favorite topic of yours?
  8. Mount and show, in a purchased or homemade album, ONE of the following:
    1. A collection of 250 or more different stamps from at least 15 countries.
    2. A collection of a stamp from each of 50 different countries, mounted on maps to show the location of each.
    3. A collection of 100 or more different stamps from either one country or a group of closely related countries.
    4. A collection of 75 or more different stamps on a single topic. (Some interesting topics are Scouting, birds, insects, the Olympics, sports, flowers, animals, ships, Christmas, trains, famous people, space, and medicine) Stamps may be from different countries.
    5. A collection of postal items discovered in your mail by monitoring over a period of thirty days. Include at least five different types listed in requirement 3, above.
 

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Last Update May 15, 2023