Scout Interest Badges
Scouts can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers as they earn interest badges. There are more than 100 badges. A Scout may earn a Scoutcraft badge at any time. Interest badges are aimed at Scouts from 13 years and older. Some Interest badges require a Scoutcraft badge to be completed first.
Scoutcraft badges
- Air Planner
- Athletics
- Aviation Skills
- Camping
- Canoeing
- Charts
- Climbing
- Computer Pilot
- Conservation
- Dance
- Drone Operator
- Entrepreneurship
- Fires & Cooking
- First Aid
- Fitness
- Food for Life - Starter
- Food for Life - Silver
- Geocaching
- Heritage
- Hiking
- Hobbies
- Home Carer
- Map Reading
- Oarsman
- Observation
- Patrol Activities
- Pioneering
- Religion & Life
- Sailing
- Sports Fan
- Survival
- Swimming
- Watermanship
Scoutcraft Badge gallery
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Air Planner
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Athletics
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Aviation Skills
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Camping
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Canoeing
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Charts
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Climbing
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Computer Pilot
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Conservation
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Dance
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Drone Operator
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Entrepreneurship
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Fires & Cooking
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First Aid
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Fitness
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Food for Life - Starter
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Food for Life - Silver
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Geocaching
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Heritage
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Hiking
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Hobbies
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Home Carer
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Map Reading
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Oarsman
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Observation
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Patrol Activities
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Pioneering
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Religion & Life
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Sailing
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Sports Fan
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Survival
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Swimming
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Watermanship
Interest badges
- Advanced Navigation
- Air Glider
- Air Mechanic
- Air Meteorologist
- Air Navigator
- Air Spotter
- Air Traffic Controller
- Amateur Radio Operator
- Archaeologist
- Archer
- Artist
- Astronomer
- Athlete
- Beekeeper
- Boardsailing
- Boatman
- Boatswain
- Camp Quartermaster
- Campfire Leader
- Canoeist
- Carpenter
- Charting
- Chess Player
- Coin Collecting
- Collector
- Computer
- Cook
- Cyclist
- Designer
- Disaster Risk Management
- Draughting
- Drone Pilot
- Electrician
- Electronic Engineer
- Entertainer
- Entrepreneur
- Environmental Awareness
- Equestrian
- Farmer
- Firefighter
- First Aid
- Fishing
- Food for Life - Gold
- Forester
- Gardener
- Genealogy
- Geocaching
- Geologist
- Guide
- Handcrafts
- Helmsman
- Hike Leader
- Home Carer
- Home Maintenance
- Journalist
- Leather Worker
- Lifesaver
- Linguist
- Mapping
- Master-at-Arms
- Mechanic
- Metal Worker
- Model Aero Engineer
- Model Engineer
- Musician
- Ornithologist
- Patrol Leadership
- Personal Fitness
- Pet Keeper
- Photographer
- Pioneer
- Plumber
- Power Boating
- Public Health
- Reader
- Religion & Life
- Rock Climbing
- Safety Code
- Scribe
- Sharpshooter
- Ship Quartermaster
- Signaller
- Snorkelling
- Space Explorer
- Speaker
- Sports
- Stamp Collector
- Survival
- Swimmer
- Veldcraft
- Videographer
- Virtual Aviator
- Voyager
- Water Biologist
- Wave Rider
- Weathercaster
- Woodcrafts
- World Friendship
Scout Interest Badge gallery
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Advanced Navigation
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Air Glider
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Air Mechanic
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Air Meteorologist
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Air Navigator
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Air Spotter
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Air Traffic Controller
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Amateur Radio Operator
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Archaeologist
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Archer
-
Artist
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Astronomer
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Athlete
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Beekeeper
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Boardsailing
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Boatman
-
Boatswain
-
Camp Quartermaster
-
Campfire Leader
-
Canoeist
-
Carpenter
-
Charting
-
Chess Player
-
Coin Collecting
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Collector
-
Computer
-
Cook
-
Cyclist
-
Designer
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Disaster Risk Management
-
Draughting
-
Drone Pilot
-
Electrician
-
Electronic Engineer
-
Entertainer
-
Entrepreneur
-
Environmental Awareness
-
Equestrian
-
Farmer
-
Firefighter
-
First Aid
-
Fishing
-
Food for Life - Gold
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Forester
-
Gardener
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Genealogy
-
Geocaching
-
Geologist
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Guide
-
Handcrafts
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Helmsman
-
Hike Leader
-
Home Carer
-
Home Maintenance
-
Journalist
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Leather Worker
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Lifesaver
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Linguist
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Mapping
-
Master-at-Arms
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Mechanic
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Metal Worker
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Model Aero Engineer
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Model Engineer
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Musician
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Ornithologist
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Patrol Leadership
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Personal Fitness
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Pet Keeper
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Photographer
-
Pioneer
-
Plumber
-
Power Boating
-
Public Health
-
Reader
-
Religion & Life
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Rock Climbing
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Safety Code
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Scribe
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Sharpshooter
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Ship Quartermaster
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Signaller
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Snorkelling
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Space Explorer
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Speaker
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Sports
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Stamp Collector
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Survival
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Swimmer
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Veldcraft
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Videographer
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Virtual Aviator
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Voyager
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Water Biologist
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Wave Rider
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Weathercaster
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Woodcrafts
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World Friendship
Wearing of Badges and Insignia
Scoutcraft Badges are removed from the shirt sleeve when the equivalent Interest Badge is earned, with the Interest Badge worn in the place of the corresponding Scoutcraft Badge.
Common Myths about Scoutcraft and Interest Badges
- A Scout must complete a badge within one year.
False. A Scout can continue to work on any badge until they reach the age of 18. - At least two Scouts must work together on a badge. This is called the "Buddy System".
False. A Scout must present themselves to a Scouter or examiner with a buddy being present; however, their buddy can be a friend or relative, male or female, adult or youth. - A Scout can only work on "X" number of Scoutcraft badges at one time.
False. They can work on as many as they desire beginning on the day they join the troop. Interest badges are designed for older scouts from the age of 13 years upwards. Some even have an age requirement that must be met before beginning. - A parent cannot be their child's badge examiner.
False. While one of the purposes of earning a badge is to interact with other adults, it is possible for a parent to examine their child (as long as they are a registered examiner for that badge). - Similar tasks performed for one badge or advancement item cannot be used for another.
False. As long as the Scout has completed the task as stated in the requirements, they have completed the task, unless specific requirements state otherwise. - A Scout must have approval from their Troop Scouter prior to meeting with a badge examiner.
True. The Troop Scouter should provide a list of valid examiners that have committed to working with the Scouts of their troop. The Troop Scouter must approve the application prior to this meeting. - Scoutcraft or Interest badge examiners are subject to the decisions of the Group committee or Troop Scouter when in doubt concerning a requirement.
False. If a Scoutcraft or interest badge examiner has a question concerning their understandings of a Scoutcraft or interest badge requirement, they should contact the STM Scout Programme or DC. No Troop, Group, District or Region has the authority to change or modify any requirement for any reason. - Scoutcraft or interest badge examiners have a lot of leeway as to deciding if a requirement has truly been completed.
True. No tasks should be added to or deleted from the national requirements; however, the examiner must show discretion when accepting or rejecting a Scout's task completion. - If the Troop, District or Regional advancement coordinator suspects that the examiner did not follow the guidelines and approved an application, the badge can be withheld.
False. If a registered badge examiner approves a badge, it must be awarded. There is no troop review process for Scoutcraft, Interest and Challenge Award badges. If an examiner is suspected of not following the guidelines, the STM Scout Programme should be notified immediately. Badge examiners serve at District or Regional level, even if they only work with Scouts from a single troop. Please also note that badges gained toward Springbok need to have the examiner approved before a Scout starts a badge. Failure to do this could lead to a scout not gaining their Springbok award if these badges need to be counted towards the award.
Scout Badges 2020 update
The Scout Interest and Scoutcraft badges were reviewed and published in November 2020. The following changes were made. Comments are welcome, and can be sent to info@scouts.org.za.
Badge name changes
The names of 17 badges have changed.
| Old badge name | New badge name |
|---|---|
| Backwoodsman | Survival |
| Cameraman | Videographer |
| Civil Defence | Disaster Risk Management |
| Craftsman | Handcrafts |
| Fisherman | Fishing |
| Handyman | Home Maintenance |
| Horseman | Equestrian |
| Marksman | Sharpshooter |
| Microcomputer | Computer |
| Motorboatsman | Power Boating |
| Numismatist | Coin Collecting |
| Philatelist | Stamp Collector |
| Physical Fitness | Personal Fitness |
| Sportsman | Sports |
| Weatherman | Weathercaster |
| Woodcraftsman | Woodcrafts |
New Scoutcraft badges
Seven new Scoutcraft badges have been introduced:
- Charts Scoutcraft Badge
- Drone Operator Scoutcraft Badge
- Entrepreneurship Scoutcraft Badge
- Geocaching Scoutcraft Badge
- Heritage Scoutcraft Badge
- Hobbies Scoutcraft Badge
- Oarsman Scoutcraft Badge
New Scout Interest badges
Six new Interest badges have been introduced:
- Amateur Radio Operator Scout Interest Badge
- Beekeeper Scout Interest Badge
- Charting Scout Interest Badge
- Drone Pilot Scout Interest Badge
- Entrepreneur Scout Interest Badge
- Geocaching Scout Interest Badge
New Challenge badges
Two new Challenge badges have been introduced:
Other changes
- The Badges for Artist and Designer have swopped around as some time in the past they badges were incorrectly allocated to the requirements.
- The requirements for 64% of the badges have been updated, modernised, and amended.
- The badge designs for Watermanship Scoutcraft and Metal Worker have been updated.
See also
- Scout uniform
- List of Scoutcraft Badges and equivalent Interest Badges
- Scout Advancement Programme
- Scout Challenge Awards
- SDG badges
- Cub Interest Badges
- Cub Advancement Programme
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