What Merit Badges Would Star Trek's Captain Archer Need To Be A 22nd Century Eagle Scout?
In the "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode "Rogue Planet" (March 20, 2002), it was mentioned that Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) had achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in his youth, having earned a whopping 26 merit badges while part of the organization. Even into the 22nd century, the Boy Scouts of America will persist as a bellwether of decency, and the terms "Boy Scout" and "Eagle Scout" will still be used colloquially to denote tenacity, moral righteousness, and hard work. Indeed, Archer himself might be described as a Boy Scout, indicating that he is emblematic of all the adjectives listed in the Boy Scout Oath: a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Well, in "Star Trek," there is no money, so he's not thrifty, and it takes place on a post-religious Earth, so he's probably not reverent either, but he likely appreciates the proper allocation of resources, and deeply respects the religious beliefs of other alien worlds.
The BSA, now just called the Scouts, remains active to this day. They have faced many deep controversies in recent years (see below), and have certainly contracted in membership and popularity because of said controversies, but overall it persists as an organization, having become more progressive than it has ever been.
Any former Scouts reading this know how the ranking system works, but it's likely obscure for most laypeople. Outsiders may know that Eagle Scout is the highest rank in scouting, but may not know the other ranks a Scout progresses through to get there. Many may also know of the existence of Merit Badges, having seen Scouts wearing sashes at public functions, but few might know how many Merit Badges there are, or how many are required to get promotions.
The controversies in the BSA
It's worth noting that "Rogue Planet" was written in 2002, a few years before the real-life Boy Scouts of America faced a battery of public controversies. The BSA already had to address the rampant bullying that was part of the organization throughout the 1970s, having to correct the issue with active, aggressive measures in the 1990s. This was followed by the breaking of a massive sexual abuse scandal; in 2020, when the BSA filed for bankruptcy, it revealed it had fielded 92,000 abuse complaints since 1968.
The BSA also faced scrutiny for its longtime open rejection of queer and transgender Scouts and Scoutmasters. Many Scouts dropped out because of the organization's dated attitudes toward queer scouts, and the BSA was increasingly regarded as stodgy, conservative, old-fashioned, and even bigoted. To the organization's credit, it instigated a more stringent screening process for its Scoutmasters and a transparent whistleblowing campaign when it comes to abuse. The BSA majorly overhauled its charter, to strongly oppose bullying, and the organization now openly accepts queer and trans youths. Indeed, in 2018, they stopped being the Boy Scouts as girls were allowed to join for the first time. They are now just called Scouts. Certain bigoted conservative churches left the BSA as a result of their acceptance of queer kids, and the Scouts happily bid them adieu.
Perhaps by the 22nd century, the Scouts will have become a healthier and more wholesome organization again. That certainly seems to be the implication with Captain Archer and his ability to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. The idealist inside me like to think that the 22nd-century Boy Scouts evolved into a proto-Starfleet, built to teach diplomacy, tolerance, multiculturalism, and pacifism.
Boy Scout ranks
There are seven ranks in Scouting: Scout, Tenderfoot, Scout Second Class, Scout First Class, Star Scout, Life Scout, and Eagle Scout. While Scouts can earn Merit Badges throughout their tenure in the organization, even when they are very young, there are no official Merit Badge requirements until progressing to Star. There are two classes of Merit Badge: electives and required.
The required Merit Badges include: First Aid, Citizenship in the World, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the Community, Communication, Cooking, Personal Fitness, Personal Management, Camping, and Family Life. There are also options within the required Merit Badges. One can pursue Swimming, Cycling, or Hiking. One can take Environmental Science or Sustainability. And one can take Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving. The newest required Merit Badge, Citizenship in Society, was added in 2021.
To become a Star Scout, one has to earn six Merit Badges, including four from the required list. To become a Life Scout, one must earn five more, including three from the required list. At this point, a Scout should have at least 11. Becoming an Eagle Scout is a toughie, as one will need to earn seven additional required Merit Badges, and three additional electives. This is why Scouts typically earn so many early in their careers.
In total, a Scout needs 21 Merit Badges to get promoted to Eagle. Eagle Scout candidates also have to engage in a massive community service project that they organize themselves. That's a can of worms unto itself.
I earned 23, personally.
Star Trek Merit Badges
As of 2022, there are 138 Merit Badges in toto. Even a hardworking Scout cannot conceivably earn them all; the large number is merely meant to provide options for the ambitious Scout. Part of earning a badge is initiative, and a Scout has to approach the Scout leader about beginning a Merit Badge course; no one is strictly required to rack up badges like it's school. Back in 1911, there were only 26 Merit Badges in toto, with only six required. Badges were slowly added from then on. Since this author was a Boy Scout in the '80s and '90s, 29 additional Merit Badges were added to the roster. The most recent was Healthcare Professions in 2021. There are also Merit Badges for Filmmaking, Geocaching, Robotics, and Video Game Design.
On "Enterprise," Captain Archer was said to have earned 26 Merit Badges, which is certainly above average. Of course, by the 22nd century, there will likely be many, many more to choose from. Indeed, there is a line of dialogue about how certain characters might be earning their Exobiology Badges.
Archer may have happily gotten his Kayaking Merit Badge, but it's also likely he would have had a chance to study something only "Star Trek" characters would have access to. I imagine one of the newer Merit Badges would be devoted Xenolinguistics. It's also likely one would have to study Space Travel or Warp Physics in order to be a well-rounded citizen of the 22nd century. There's no doubt that there would be a Citizenship in the Galaxy Merit Badge, and its educational courses would have a lot to do with First Contact protocols and rudimentary diplomacy.
Given that there is no money in "Star Trek," the Personal Finance badge would likely be no more.