2023 MERIT BADGE WEEKEND
June 2-4, 2023
Mount St. Helens Science and Learning Center
Get ready for an outdoor learning experience like no other! Join Volcano Scouting for its first Merit Badge Weekend at Mount St. Helens in three years. Scouts will conduct real-world scientific inquiry, hear from outdoor professionals, and engage in ecological restoration at the Mount St. Helens Science and Learning Center on June 2-4. These unique experiential learning activities will provide scouts with an opportunity to earn the Geology and Soil & Water Conservation merit badges. Field camp accommodations, staff-prepared meals, learning materials, a t-shirt, and a patch are included with registration. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity at one of the most studied volcanoes in the world!
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Registration is Closed; Event is Cancelled
$65
/youth scout
$45
/adult Scouter
We do not accommodate "lone scouts." All youth must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian or adult leader of the same gender, in accordance with BSA Youth Protection guidelines. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us at volcanoscouting@gmail.com.
Included with registration:
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Educational programming
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Field camp accommodations
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Four (4) Staff-prepared meals
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Learning materials
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Program t-shirt
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Program patch
Registration is limited to:
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A maximum of 100 participants.
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Registered members of the Boy Scouts of America.
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Participants 13 years of age and older as of June 2, 2023.
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Residents of Washington and Oregon.
Required paperwork:
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Signed copy of the Boy Scouts of America waiver.
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Signed copy of the Mount St. Helens Institute waiver.
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Copies of BSA Part A and B Medical Forms.
Registration Restrictions Explanation
Due to limited venue accommodations, our in-person events are restricted to 100 participants (including scouts, adult leaders, and staff).
We have limited registration for this event to residents of Oregon and Washington to prioritize serving our local Scouting community. Volcano Scouting events, with our 100-participant restriction, are extremely popular and have sold out prior to the registration deadline in the last two years that in-person programming was offered.
We have limited registration for this event to scouts 13 years of age and older for two reasons. First, the merit badge completion rate of scouts 13 years and younger at in-person events is below the event average. Our curricula and guest lectures are designed at a fast-paced high-school grade level. Second, given the popularity of our in-person events and track record of selling out before the registration deadline, we have elected to filter participants in the easiest and most equitable way possible, using age. The Boy Scouts of America often uses the benchmark of 13 years of age for program restrictions at summer camps and for highly-technical activities. We encourage those interested but not yet older enough to participate in this year's event to join us for virtual merit badge opportunities or at a future in-person event.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Selected merit badges:
Geology
Merit Badge
Soil & Water Conservation
Merit Badge
Merit badge completion and certification are not guaranteed with registration or attendance.
Pre-filled merit badge blue cards must be signed by a unit leader and provided at check-in.
Anticipated activities:
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Geologist lecture
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Interpretive ranger talk
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Rock identification activity
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Geologic map exploration
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Geology field study
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Soil and water experiments
Example presenters:
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Mount St. Helens Institute
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U.S. Forest Service
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U.S. Geological Survey
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Washington Department of Natural Resources
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Washington State Parks
VENUE INFORMATION
The Mount St. Helens Science and Learning Center is a 12,000 square-foot retired visitor center located in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The building and surrounding area is owned and managed by the USDA Forest Service. The Mount St. Helens Institute offers educational programs, community events, and overnight reservations through a special use permit with the Forest Service. The building includes two bathrooms with flush toilets and potable water, a full-service kitchen, dining hall, two indoor sleeping areas, a movie theater, and two interpretive rooms. Although there is no cell phone service or internet available within the Monument, there is an emergency telephone located inside the Science and Learning Center.
Located just minutes from the Science and Learning Center, a large primitive campsite offers approximately 35 bare-ground tent pads, several picnic tables, and a large vault toilet. A spectacular view of Mount St. Helens can be seen from every tent pad. There is no potable water or trash receptacles in the campsite. Campfires and dutch oven cooking is prohibited in the campsite.