Merit Badge College 2026 brings nearly 140Scouts to Windward Campus on Feb. 14
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February
2026
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19:03 PM
Europe/Amsterdam
More than 50 Del Mar College faculty and staff volunteered to provide instruction to ranging from cybersecurity to farm mechanics to public speaking to welding and more
Article by Richard Guerrero, Jr.
p-3Merit Band College 2026
Nearly 140 Scouts from throughout the 17-county area of the South Texas Council, along with others from surrounding councils, attended morning and afternoon sessions.
Merit Badge College Chair Mike Jones, DMC Professor of Speech and Scoutmaster, says that there are currently 141 Merit badges in the Scouts BSA catalogue. As of January 2026, over 80 merit badge requirements have been updated to reflect modern careers, outdoor ethics and safety.
“A new program in Scouts BSA is the Merit Badge Test Lab where prospective badges are offered, and Scouts can help pilot new offerings,” he notes. “Scouts receive a certificate upon completing the test badge; and if the National Council decides to make the badge official, the Scouts receive the badge, too.”
Current test badges are Auctioneering, Wildland Fire Management, Life Skills, Physics, Sewing & Needlework, Dance and Psychology.
Scouts were also able to earn more than one badge in a single class, which includes Aviation, Communication, Public Speaking and Crime Prevention and Fingerprinting where they can earn two badges.
p-7Merit Band College 2026
Scout participants practice honing their rescue techniques by tossing a personal floatation device to improve accuracy during an outdoor activity at Merit Badge College.
About Del Mar College
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.
Latest DMC News
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