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Discontinued merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)

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This is a list of merit badges formerly offered by the Boy Scouts of America. In some cases, the entire subject has been dropped from the merit badge roster. In others, the merit badge's name has been changed, with or without significant revision to the badge's requirements.

In 2010, in celebration of Scouting's 100th anniversary, four historical merit badges were reintroduced for one year only—Carpentry, Pathfinding, Signaling, and Tracking (formerly Stalking). Bugling merit badge was briefly discontinued in 2010 but reinstated after complaints from volunteers.

Merit badge Created Discontinued Notes Related subjects References
Aerodynamics 1942 1952 Created with Aeronautics, Airplane Design, and Airplane Structure to replace Aviation; replaced, along with Aeronautics, Airplane Design, and Airplane Structure, by new Aviation Aerodynamics [1]
Aeronautics 1942 1952 Created with Aerodynamics, Airplane Design, and Airplane Structure to replace Aviation; replaced, along with Aerodynamics, Airplane Design, and Airplane Structure, by new Aviation Aeronautics [1]
Agribusiness 1987 1995 Replaced Farm and Ranch Management Agribusiness [1]
Agriculture 1911 1975 Agriculture [1]
Airplane Design 1942 1952 Created with Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Airplane Structure to replace Aviation; replaced, along with Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Airplane Structure, by new Aviation Fixed-wing aircraft [1]
Airplane Structure 1942 1952 Created with Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Airplane Design to replace Aviation; replaced, along with Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Airplane Design, by new Aviation Fixed-wing aircraft [1]
Ambulance 1910 1911 Replaced by First Aid First aid [1]
Angling 1911 1951 Replaced by Fishing Angling, Fishing [1]
Animal Industry 1928 1975 Replaced by Animal Science Animal science [1]
Atomic Energy 1963 2004 Replaced by Nuclear Science Nuclear energy [1]
Auto Mechanics 1992 2008 Replaced by Automotive Maintenance Auto mechanic [1]
Automobiling 1911 1963 Automobile safety [1]
Automotive Safety 1962 1974 Replaced by Traffic Safety Automobile safety [1]
Aviation 1911 1942 Replaced by Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, Airplane Design, and Airplane Structure Transportation [1]
Bee Keeping 1915 1955 Replaced Beefarming; replaced by Beekeeping Beekeeping [1]
Beef Production 1928 1975 Beef cattle [1]
Beefarming 1911 1914 Replaced by Bee Keeping Beekeeping [1]
Beekeeping 1956 1995 Replaced Bee Keeping Beekeeping [1]
Blacksmithing 1911 1952 Blacksmith, Forging [1]
Bookbinding 1927 1987 Created with Basketry, Cement Work, Leathercraft, Metalwork, Pottery, Wood Carving, and Woodwork to replace Craftsmanship; replaced, along with Printing/Communications, by Graphic Arts Bookbinding [1]
Botany 1921 1995 Botany [1]
Business 1911 1966 Replaced Clerk; replaced by American Business Business [1]
Carpentry 1911 1952 Reintroduced for 2010 only Carpentry [1]
Cement Work 1927 1952 Created with Basketry, Bookbinding, Leathercraft, Metalwork, Pottery, Wood Carving, and Woodwork to replace Craftsmanship Cement [1]
Cinematography 1990 2013 Replaced by Moviemaking Cinematography [1]
Citizenship 1947 1951 Replaced Civics; replaced by Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Home, and Citizenship in the Nation Citizenship [1]
Citizenship in the Home 1952 1972 Created with Citizenship in the Community and Citizenship in the Nation to replace Citizenship Family [1]
Citrus Fruit Culture 1931 1952 Citrus [1]
Civics 1911 1946 Replaced by Citizenship Citizenship [1]
Clerk 1910 1911 Replaced by Business Business [1]
Communications 1965 2009 Replaced by Communication Communication [1]
Computers 1967 2014 Replaced by Digital Technology Computer [1]
Conservation 1911 1952 Conservation movement, Habitat conservation [1]
Conservation of Natural Resources 1966 1972 Replaced by Environmental Science Conservation movement, Habitat conservation [1]
Consumer Buying 1975 1995 Consumerism [1]
Corn Farming 1928 1975 Maize [1]
Cotton Farming 1931 1975 Cotton [1]
Craftsmanship 1911 1926 Replaced by Basketry, Bookbinding, Cement Work, Leathercraft, Metalwork, Pottery, Wood Carving, and Woodwork Artisan [1]
Cyclist 1910 1911 Replaced by Cycling Cycling [1]
Dairying 1911 1975 Dairy farming [1]
Dramatics 1932 1966 Replaced by Theatre Acting [1]
Electrician 1910 1911 Replaced by Electricity Electrician [1]
Farm and Ranch Management 1980 1987 Replaced Farm Records; replaced by Agribusiness Agribusiness [1]
Farm Arrangement 1960 1973 Replaced Farm Home and Its Planning and Farm Layout and Building Arrangements; replaced by Farm Arrangements Agriculture, Agricultural science [1]
Farm Arrangements 1974 1979 Replaced Farm Arrangement Agriculture, Agricultural science [1]
Farm Home and Its Planning 1928 1959 Replaced, along with Farm Layout and Building Arrangements, by Farm Arrangement Agriculture, Agricultural science [1][2]
Farm Layout and Building Arrangements 1928 1959 Replaced, along with Farm Home and Its Planning, by Farm Arrangement Agriculture, Agricultural science [1][2]
Farm Records 1959 1980 Replaced Farm Records and Bookkeeping; replaced by Farm and Ranch Management Agriculture, Agricultural science [1]
Farm Records and Bookkeeping 1928 1958 Replaced by Farm Records Agriculture, Agricultural science [1]
Firemanship 1911 1995 Replaced by Fire Safety Firefighter, Fire safety [1]
First Aid to Animals 1911 1972 Replaced by Veterinary Science Veterinary medicine [1]
Food Systems 1978 1987 Food systems, Botany [1]
Forage Crops 1959 1975 Replaced Grasses, Legumes, and Forage Crops Forage [1]
Foundry Practice 1923 1952 Foundry [1]
Fruit and Nut Growing 1953 1975 Fruit, Nut [1]
Fruit Culture 1928 1954 Fruit [1]
Gardener 1910 1911 Replaced by Gardening Gardening [1]
General Science 1972 1995 Science [1]
Grasses, Legumes, and Forage Crops 1938 1958 Replaced by Forage Crops Grass, Legume, Forage [1]
Handicap Awareness 1985 1993 Replaced Handicapped Awareness; replaced by Disabilities Awareness Disability, Disability studies [1]
Handicapped Awareness 1980 1985 Replaced by Handicap Awareness Disability, Disability studies [1]
Handicraft 1911 1942 Replaced by Home Repairs Home repair [1]
Hog and Pork Production 1928 1958 Replaced by Hog Production Pork [1]
Hog Production 1959 1975 Replaced Hog and Pork Production Pork [1]
Horseman 1910 1911 Replaced by Horsemanship Equestrianism [1]
Insect Life 1923 1987 Replaced by Insect Study Entomology [1]
Interpreting 1911 1952 Interpreting [1]
Invention 1911 1917 Earned by only 10 Scouts, one known surviving specimen earned by Stephen Porter.[3] Invention [1]
Landscape Gardening 1930 1958 Replaced by Landscaping Landscaping [1]
Landscaping 1959 1966 Replaced Landscape Gardening; replaced by Landscape Architecture Landscaping [1]
Leather Work 1928 1951 Replaced by Leatherwork Leather crafting [1]
Leathercraft 1927 1952 Replaced Leatherworking, and created with Basketry, Bookbinding, Cement Work, Metalwork, Pottery, Wood Carving, and Woodwork to replace Craftsmanship Leather crafting [1]
Leatherworking 1911 1927 Replaced by Leathercraft Leather crafting [1]
Life Saving 1911 1959 Replaced by Lifesaving Lifesaving [1]
Machinery 1911 1995 Machine [1]
Mammals 1972 1987 Replaced by Mammal Study Mammal [1]
Marksman 1910 1911 Replaced by Marksmanship Shooting [1]
Marksmanship 1911 1966 Replaced Marksman; replaced by Rifle and Shotgun Shooting Shooting [1]
Masonry 1911 1995 Masonry [1]
Master-At-Arms 1910 1911 Martial arts [1]
Mechanical Drawing 1933 1964 Replaced by Drafting Technical drawing [1]
Medicine 1991 2011 Replaced by Healthcare Professions Medicine [4]
Metallurgy 1965 1971 Replaced by Metals Engineering Metallurgy [1]
Metals Engineering 1972 1995 Replaced Metallurgy Metallurgy [1]
Mining 1911 1937 Replaced by Rocks and Minerals Mining [1]
Musician 1910 1911 Replaced by Music Music [1]
Nut Culture 1928 1954 Nut [1]
Ornithology 1911 1913 Replaced by Bird Study Ornithology [1]
Pathfinding 1911 1952 Reintroduced for 2010 only Blazing, Orienteering [1]
Personal Finances 1962 1971 Replaced by Personal Management Personal finance [1]
Personal Health 1911 1952 Replaced, along with Physical Development, by Personal Fitness Physical fitness [1]
Physical Development 1914 1952 Replaced, along with Personal Health, by Personal Fitness Physical fitness [1]
Pigeon Raising 1933 1980 Pigeon keeping [1]
Pioneer 1910 1911 Replaced by Pioneering Pioneering [1]
Poultry Farming 1911 1913 Replaced by Poultry Keeping Poultry [1]
Poultry Keeping 1914 1974 Replaced Poultry Farming Poultry [1]
Printing 1911 1981 Replaced by Printing/Communications Printing [1]
Printing/Communications 1982 1987 Replaced Printing; replaced, along with Bookbinding, by Graphic Arts Printing [1]
Rabbit Raising 1943 1993 Rabbit [1]
Reptile Study 1927 1993 Replaced Reptiles; replaced by Reptile and Amphibian Study Herpetology [1]
Reptiles 1926 1926 Replaced by Reptile Study Herpetology [1]
Rifle and Shotgun Shooting 1967 1987 Replaced Marksmanship; replaced by Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting Shooting [1]
Rocks and Minerals 1937 1953 Replaced Mining; replaced by Geology Geology [1]
Safety First 1916 1926 Replaced by Safety Safety [1]
Seaman 1910 1911 Replaced by Seamanship Seamanship [1]
Seamanship 1911 1964 Replaced Seaman; replaced by Small-Boat Sailing Seamanship [1]
Sheep Farming 1928 1975 Domestic sheep [1]
Signaling 1911 1991 Replaced Signaller; reintroduced for 2010 only Flag semaphore, Morse code [1]
Signaller 1910 1911 Replaced by Signaling Flag semaphore [1]
Skiing 1938 1999 Replaced by Snow Sports Skiing [1]
Small Grains 1959 1975 Replaced Small Grains and Cereal Foods Cereal [1]
Small Grains and Cereal Foods 1943 1958 Replaced by Small Grains Cereal [1]
Soil Management 1928 1952 Replaced by Soil and Water Conservation Erosion, Soil science [1]
Stalker 1910 1911 Replaced by Stalking Tracking [1]
Stalking 1911 1952 Replaced Stalker; reintroduced as Tracking for 2010 only Tracking [1]
Taxidermy 1911 1952 Taxidermy [1]
Textiles 1927 1972 Replaced by Textile Textile [1]
Veterinary Science 1973 1995 Replaced First Aid to Animals; replaced by Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Medicine [1]
Waterskiing 1969 2007 Replaced by Water Sports Waterskiing [1]
Wildlife Management 1952 1972 Replaced by Fish and Wildlife Management Wildlife management [1]
Wireless 1919 1923 Replaced by Radio Radio [1]
Wood Turning 1930 1952 Woodturning [1]
World Brotherhood 1952 1972 Replaced by Citizenship in the World; original badge design was a globe, then in 1968 it was changed to be the Scout sign on a blue background.[5] Citizenship [1]
Zoology 1930 1972 Zoology [1]

Original 57 merit badges

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Main article: Original 57 merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds Henning, Steve (May 8, 2022). "Merit Badge History". US Scouting Service Project. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Bulletins from HQ". Scouting: 26. March 1961.
  3. ^ Eby, Dave (December 2015). "History of the Invention Merit Badge" (PDF). International Scouting Collector Association Journal. 15 (4): 2–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  4. ^ "Health Care Professions merit badge debuts, replacing the Medicine merit badge".
  5. ^ Duersch Jr., Fred (2003). Merit Badge Field Guide. Downs Printing Inc.
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