Discontinued merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)

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	1941	1952	Created in 1941 with Aeronautics to replace Aviation; replaced, along with Aeronautics, by Aviation in 1952	Aerodynamics
Aeronautics	1941	1952	Created in 1941 with Aerodynamics, to replace Aviation; replaced, along with Aerodynamics, by Aviation in 1952	Aeronautics
Agribusiness	1987	1995	Replaced Farm and Ranch Management, Discontinued in 1995	Agribusiness
Agriculture	1911	1975	Replaced by Animal Science and Plant Science in 1975	Agriculture
Airplane Design	1942	1952	Replaced, along with Airplane Structure, by Aviation in 1952	Fixed-wing aircraft
Airplane Structure	1942	1952	Replaced, along with Airplane Design, by Aviation in 1952	Fixed-wing aircraft
Ambulance	1910	1911	Replaced by First Aid in 1911	First aid
Angling	1911	1951	Renamed Fishing 1951	Angling, Fishing
Animal Industry	1928	1975	Replaced by Animal Science in 1975	Animal science
Atomic energy	1963	2005	Replaced by Nuclear Science in 2005	Nuclear energy
Auto Mechanics	1992	2009	Renamed Automotive Maintenance in 2009	Auto mechanic
Automobiling	1911	1963	Replaced by Automotive Safety in 1963	Automobile safety
Automotive Safety	1962	1975	Replaced by Traffic Safety in 1975	Automobile safety
Aviation	1911	1941	Replaced by Aerodynamics and Aeronautics in 1941; reintroduced in 1952 to replace Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, Airplane Design, and Airplane Structure	Transportation
Bee Keeping	1915	1995	Renamed Beekeeping in 1955, then discontinued in 1995	Beekeeping
Beef Production	1928	1975	Replaced by Animal Science in 1975	Beef cattle
Beefarming	1911	1914	Renamed Bee Keeping in 1915	Beekeeping
Blacksmithing	1911	1952	Discontinued in 1952	Blacksmith, Forging
Bookbinding	1927	1987	Merged into Graphic Arts, 1987	Bookbinding
Botany	1921	1995	Discontinued in 1995	Botany
Business	1911	1966	Replaced Clerk, replaced by American Business in 1966 and Entrepreneurship in 1998	Business
Carpentry	1911	1952	Discontinued in 1952, reintroduced for 2010 only	Carpentry
Cement Work	1927	1952	Discontinued in 1952
Citizenship	1947	1951	Replaced Civics, replaced by Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation and Citizenship in the World and Citizenship in the Home and World Brotherhood in 1951	Citizenship
Citizenship in the Home	1952	1972	Replaced Citizenship, discontinued in 1972, replaced by Family Life in 1992	Family
Citrus Fruit Culture	1931	1952	Replaced by Fruit and Nut Growing in 1952	Citrus
Civics	1911	1946	Replaced by Citizenship in 1946	Citizenship
Clerk	1910	1911	Replaced by Business in 1911	Business
Conservation	1911	1952	Replaced by Wildlife Management in 1952 and Conservation of Natural Resources in 1966	Conservation movement, Habitat conservation
Conservation of Natural Resources	1966	1974	Replaced Conservation, replaced by Environmental Science in 1974	Conservation movement, Habitat conservation
Consumer Buying	1975	1995	Discontinued in 1995	Consumerism
Corn Farming	1928	1975	Replaced by Plant Science in 1975	Maize
Cotton Farming	1931	1975	Replaced by Plant Science in 1975	Cotton
Craftsmanship	1911	1927	Replaced by Basketry, Bookbinding, Cement Work, Leathercraft, Metalwork, Pottery, Wood Carving, and Woodwork in 1927	Artisan
Cyclist	1910	1911	Replaced by Cycling in 1911	Cycling
Dairying	1911	1975	Replaced by Animal Science in 1975	Dairy farming
Dramatics	1932	1966	Replaced by Theatre in 1966	Acting
Electrician	1910	1911	Replaced by Electricity in 1911	Electrician
Farm and Ranch Management	1979	1987	Replaced by Agribusiness in 1987	Agribusiness
Farm Arrangement	1960	1973	Replaced Farm Home and Its Planning, replaced by Farm Arrangements in 1973	Agriculture, Agricultural science
Farm Arrangements	1974	1979	replaced by Farm and Ranch Management in 1979	Agriculture, Agricultural science
Farm Home and Its Planning	1928	1959	Replaced by Farm Arrangement in 1959	Agriculture, Agricultural science
Farm Record and Bookkeeping	1928	1958	Replaced by Farm Records in 1958	Agriculture, Agricultural science
Farm Records	1959	1979	Replaced Farm Records and Bookkeeping, replaced by Farm and Ranch Management in 1979	Agriculture, Agricultural science
Fireman	1910	1911	Replaced by Firemanship in 1911	Firefighter, Fire safety
Firemanship	1911	1995	Replaced Fireman, replaced by Fire Safety in 1995	Firefighter, Fire safety
First Aid to Animals	1911	1995	Replaced by Veterinary Science in 1972, which was renamed Veterinary Medicine in 1995	Veterinary medicine
Food Systems	1978	1987	Merged into Plant Science in 1987	Food systems, Botany
Forage Crops	1959	1975	Replaced Grasses, Legumes and Forage Crops, replaced by Plant Science in 1975	Forage
Foundry Practice	1923	1952	Discontinued in 1952, Metalwork now covers this topic	Foundry
Fruit and Nut Growing	1953	1975	Replaced Citrus Fruit Culture, Fruit Culture, and Nut Culture, replaced by Plant Science in 1975	Fruit, Nut
Fruit Culture	1928	1952	Replaced by Fruit and Nut Growing in 1952	Fruit
Gardener	1910	1911	Replaced by Gardening in 1911	Gardening
General Science	1972	1995	Replaced Zoology, discontinued in 1995	Science
Grasses, Legumes and Forage Crops	1938	1958	Replaced by Forage Crops in 1958	Grass, Legume, Forage
Handicap Awareness	1985	1993	Replaced Handicapped Awareness, replaced by Disabilities Awareness in 1993	Disability, Disability studies
Handicapped Awareness	1980	1984	Replaced by Handicap Awareness in 1984	Disability, Disability studies
Handicraft	1911	1942	Replaced by Home Repairs in 1942	Home repair
Hog and Pork Production	1928	1958	Replaced by Hog Production in 1958	Pork
Hog Production	1959	1975	Replaced Hog and Pork Production, replaced by Animal Science in 1975	Pork
Horseman	1910	1911	Replaced by Horsemanship in 1911	Equestrianism
Insect Life	1923	1984	Replaced by Insect Study in 1984	Entomology
Interpreting	1911	1952	Merged into World Brotherhood in 1952	Interpreting
Invention	1911	1915	Discontinued in 1915, earned by only 10 Scouts, no known surviving specimens	Invention
Landscape Gardening	1930	1958	Replaced by Landscaping in 1958	Landscaping
Landscaping	1959	1966	Replaced Landscape Gardening, replaced by Landscape Architecture in 1966	Landscaping
Leathercraft	1927	1952	Replaced Leatherworking and Craftsmanship, replaced by Leatherwork in 1952	Leather crafting
Leatherworking	1911	1927	Replaced by Leathercraft in 1927	Leather crafting
Machinery	1911	1995	Discontinued in 1995	Machine
Mammals	1972	1984	Replaced Zoology, replaced by Mammal Study in 1985	Mammal
Marksman	1910	1911	Replaced by Marksmanship in 1911	Shooting
Marksmanship	1911	1966	Replaced by Rifle and Shotgun Shooting in 1966	Shooting
Masonry	1911	1995	Discontinued in 1995	Masonry
Master-At-Arms	1910	1911	Discontinued in 1911	Martial arts
Mechanical Drawing	1933	1964	Replaced by Drafting in 1964	Technical drawing
Metallurgy	1965	1971	Replaced by Metals Engineering in 1971	Metallurgy
Metals Engineering	1972	1995	Replaced Metallurgy Discontinued in 1995, now Metalwork	Metallurgy
Mining	1911	1937	Replaced by Rocks and Minerals in 1937	Mining
Musician	1910	1911	Replaced by Music in 1911	Music
Nut Culture	1928	1954	Replaced by Fruit and Nut Growing in 1954	Nut
Ornithology	1911	1915	Replaced by Bird Study in 1915	Ornithology
Pathfinding	1911	1952	Discontinued in 1952, reintroduced for 2010 only	Blazing, Orienteering
Personal Finances	1962	1971	Replaced by Personal Management in 1971	Personal finance
Personal Health	1911	1952	Replaced by Personal Fitness in 1952	Physical fitness
Physical Development	1914	1952	Replaced by Personal Fitness in 1952	Physical fitness
Pigeon Raising	1933	1980	Merged into Bird Study in 1980	Pigeon keeping
Pioneer	1910	1911	Replaced by Pioneering in 1911	Pioneering
Poultry Farming	1911	1913	Replaced by Poultry Keeping in 1913	Poultry
Poultry Keeping	1914	1974	Replaced Poultry Farming, replaced by Animal Science in 1974	Poultry
Printing	1911	1981	Replaced Printing/Communication in 1981	Printing
Printing/Communication	1982	1989	Merged into Graphic Arts	Printing
Rabbit Raising	1943	1993	Discontinued in 1993	Rabbit
Reptile Study	1927	1993	Replaced Reptiles, replaced by Reptile and Amphibian Study in 1993	Herpetology
Reptiles	1923	1927	Replaced by Reptile Study in 1927	Herpetology
Rifle and Shotgun Shooting	1967	1987	Replaced Marksmanship, replaced by Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting in 1987	Shooting
Rocks and Minerals	1937	1953	Replaced Mining, replaced by Geology in 1953	Geology
Safety First	1916	1926	Replaced by Safety in 1926	Safety
Seaman	1910	1911	Replaced by Seamanship in 1911	Seamanship
Seamanship	1911	1964	Split into Motorboating and Small-Boat Sailing	Seamanship
Sheep Farming	1928	1975	Replaced by Animal Science in 1975	Domestic sheep
Signaller	1910	1911	Replaced by Signalling in 1911	Flag semaphore
Signaling	1911	1992	Discontinued in 1992, reintroduced for 2010 only	Flag semaphore, Morse code
Skiing	1938	1999	Replaced by Snow Sports in 1999	Skiing
Small Grains	1959	1975	Replaced Small Grains and Cereal Foods, replaced by Plant Science in 1975	Cereal
Small Grains and Cereal Foods	1941	1958	Replaced by Small Grains in 1958	Cereal
Soil Management	1928	1952	Replaced by Soil and Water Conservation in 1952	Erosion, Soil science
Stalker	1910	1915	Replaced by Stalking in 1915	Tracking
Stalking	1915	1952	Replaced Stalker, discontinued in 1952, reintroduced as Tracking for 2010 only	Tracking
Taxidermy	1911	1952	Discontinued in 1952	Taxidermy
Textiles	1927	1972	Replaced by Textile in 1972	Textile
Veterinary Science	1973	1995	Replaced First Aid to Animals, replaced by Veterinary Medicine in 1995
Waterskiing	1969	2007	Replaced by Water Sports in 2007
Wildlife Management	1952	1972	Replaced Conservation, replaced by Fish and Wildlife Management in 1972
Wireless	1919	1923	Replaced by Radio in 1923	Radio
Wood Turning	1930	1952	Discontinued in 1952	Woodturning
World Brotherhood	1952	1972	Replaced part of Citizenship, replaced by Citizenship in the World in 1972 The original badge design was a globe, then in 1968 it was changed to be the Scout sign on a blue background	Citizenship
Zoology	1930	1972	Replaced by General Science and Mammals in 1972	Zoology

Original 57 merit badges

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

See also

Scouting portal

• History of merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)
• Merit badge (Boy Scouts of America)

References

• Duersch Jr., Fred (2003). Merit Badge Field Guide. Downs Printing Inc.