Silver Cross
Medal of Merit
Thanks Badge
Community Service Award
Scholarship Badge

Proficiency Tests and Merit Badges

1. INTRODUCTION

A girl must be a Second Class Scout before receiving a Merit Badge in
any subject. However, this does not mean that she cannot begin to study
her subject and plan for passing the test at any time.

Proficiency in these tests is to be determined by the Local Council, or
by persons competent (in the opinion of the Council) to judge it. If no
Local Council exists, certificates should be secured from persons
competent to judge each subject, such as teachers of music, dancing or
drawing, riding masters, motorists, electricians, milliners,
dressmakers, artists, craftsmen, scientists and so forth. These
certificates should be sent to the National Headquarters or to the
nearest District Headquarters for inspection. Headquarters will either
pass on these, or indicate the nearest local body competent to deal with
them.

The tests as given are topical outlines of what a Scout should know
about the subject rather than formal questions. Captains and others
giving the tests will adapt the wording to the needs of the particular
case.

With many subjects a list of standard references is given. It is
desirable that a girl should read at least one of these books, not in
order to pass an examination but that she may be familiar with the
general field and the great names and principles associated with it.
Where a whole troop is working on a subject, portions of the books may
be read at troop meetings, or several Scouts can read together and
discuss their impressions.

It is important that every Girl Scout should understand that the winning
of any one of the following Merit Badges does not mean that she is a
finished expert in the subject.

What does it mean then? It means three things:

1. She has an intelligent interest in the subject

2. She has a reasonable knowledge of its broad
principles

3. She is able to present some practicable proofs
of her knowledge, so that a competent examiner can
see that she has not simply "crammed it up" from a
book. Doing, not talking or writing is the
principle of the Girl Scouts

One of the great things about these Merit Badges is that they require a
definite amount of perseverance. This is a quality in which women