Winding Rivers Advancement Fair

March 28th, 2026

Athens High School

The Winding Rivers District, Great Falls Council, will host an Advancement Fair on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Athens High School, 400 Frederick Street, Athens, PA 18810 from 8am to 4pm.

            The program will provide Scouts an opportunity to earn 1-2 merit badges.  All troops must pre-register for this event by Wednesday, March 25, 2025.   Anyone not pre-registered will not be allowed to participate. 

         Register on-line will be in Black Pug for this event.  Merit badge advancement will be recorded in Black Pug.  Blue cards are optional. Registration fee for this event will be $10.00 for all Scouts.

            Any prerequisites for a badge are listed below.  If these are completed before March 28, the badge can be completed on the day of the Advancement Fair.  If not, these requirements will have to be completed by April 13 to be entered into Black Pug. After that date, arrangement will have to be made with the Counselor.   Every effort will be made to notify each unit in advance so that the Scouts will know which merit badge they will be taking.  Scouts are expected to be prepared with knowledge of all of the requirements for the badge as well as the contents of the merit badge book prior to the date of the event.  Scouts should be in Scout uniform and bring paper, pen or pencil, and a filled out worksheet for the merit badge(s) (see www.meritbadge.org or www.usscouts.org (in advancement section)). 

NOTE:  Merit badge requirements for many badges being offered changed on January 1, 2026.  These new requirements will be followed at the Advancement Fair.  Merit badge worksheets are not being updated so be sure to check scouting.org (https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/) for the current requirements.

            All participants need to bring a bag lunch and a water bottle.  Scouts will be free to leave when their last badge is complete unless they need to wait for a ride.

            Adults do not have to pay the registration fee for this event.  We need an adult in each merit badge class.

Family Life and Personal Management, which have a 60-90 day requirement will have the Merit badge counselor attached to the scout. Work will be completed and sent to the counselor with 2 deep leadership. All other work will be completed by April 13th.

Schedule:

8:00-8:45am    Registration/Check-in                                                 Entrance Hallway

8:45am            Opening                                                                      Cafeteria

9:00am            Scouts go to merit badge classes                                Class Rooms

12:00pm          Lunch break                                                                Cafeteria

12:30pm          Program resumes

4:00pm           Classes end – no closing

Registration Note: You will need your Scouting America ID at time of registration. This is used to verify current registration in the Scouting America program. This can be found in my.scouting.org. For members of your Unit this can be found under the Roster in my.scouting.org or under the profile in Scoutbook Plus. IF you logged in and have access to your Unit Roster this will automatically fill in, if you use Auto Fill.

Merit Badge Prerequisites

MORNING SESSIONS

Citizenship in the Nation

• minimum age  12
• class size 20 max
• 9am-12pm
• Prereqs are 5, 6, 7 (do 2 of a,b,c,d), 8
• Be prepared to discuss 1, 2, 3, 4

Communication

• Eagle required
• No minimum age
• Class size 12 max
• 9 am -12pm
• Every step (1 to 7) has a requirement that needs to get done ahead of time.  For 3 they can give the speech to the group.

Music

• no minimum age
• class size max 10
• 9am-12pm
• Prereqs: Be prepared to demonstrate #1 and complete #3
• Bring your instrument if you play one. Piano will be available. Bring music. You will be able to store them in the choir room.

Scouting Heritage

• No minimum age
• Class size 20 max
• 9am-12pm
• New requirements this year:
• Prerequisites 1,2, 3, 5, 6, 9
• Bring patches and memorabilia to show classmates. You will learn games to take back to your troop.
• We will have veteran scouts come in and share their stories. Please bring a few questions you wish to ask them!

Communication

• Eagle required
• No minimum age
• Class size 12 max
• 9 am -12pm
• Every step (1 to 7) has a requirement that needs to get done ahead of time.  For 3 they can give the speech to the group.

Health Care Professional

• No minimum age
• Class Size 12 max
• 9 am -12pm
• Prerequisites
• 1,2,3,4,8

Crime Prevention

• Pete Quattrini
• No minimum age
• Class size 20 max
• 9am-12pm
• Crime Prevention 
• 4 b,c

Engineering

• Minimum age 12
• Class size 12
• 9 am -12pm
• Req 1: (<30min) Complete activity and document section in MB Workbook.
• Req 2: (5min) Watch the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 video, take some notes in the MB workbook, rest done in class.
• Req 3: (15min) Read pp.23-34 in MB and watch video: “Solve Problems: Be an Engineer”
• Req 5: (5min) Watch the video: “The Engineering Process,” take notes in MB workbook. Design activity will be done in class.
• Req 8: (10min) Watch at least one of the two videos on Engineering Ethics, answer question 8 in MB workbook
• Req 9: (~30min) ~1 page summary of your findings answering the question (do not use the MB workbook as question 9 has changed slightly)
• Review the Engineering MB Pamphlet:https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/engineering/
• Materials or examples you would like the scouts to bring: 
• Engineering MB Worksheet: http://usscouts.org/mb/worksheets/Engineering.pdf
• Pen, pencil, and eraser
• Expectations:
• Students will participate in hands-on demonstrations and an engineering design challenge during the class time!

Archaeology

• No minimum age
• Class size  12 maximize
• 9 am -12pm
• For archaeology,  Scouts should complete requirement 4.a and b, 8., 9., and 11 to receive full credit.  Scouts should download and read the Scouting America Archaeology Pamphlet.

Weather

• no minimum age
• class size 20 max
•  9am-12pm
• Prerequisites: 6,8,9,11,12

Entrepreneurship

• Minimum age 12
• Class size 10 max
• 9 am -12pm
• Prerequisites are: #3, #4, #5a (1), #5a(2), #5a(3), #5a(4), #5a(5),, #5b(1), #5b(2), #5b(3), #5c(1), #5c(2), #5c(3), #5d(1), #5d(2). #5e(1). #5e(2). #5e(3). #6

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

Geology

• minimum age 12
• Class size 12 max
• 12:30-4pm
• For geology, we will be doing the Earth History option.  Scouts should complete requirements 4.D-6 and 6 to receive full credit.  Scouts should download and read the Scouting America Geology Pamphlet.

Insect Study

• no minimum age
• class size 20 max
• 12:30-4pm
• Prereqs:  3b, 4b,4c,5b,9a,9b

Traffic Safety

• No minimum age
• class size 20 max
• 12:30-4pm
• Prereqs: 2 and 3
• 1. a-d, 3. c, d, 4c, d, 5 do either a, b or c.
• Scouts should be prepared to go outside as we will be working in and around a vehicle and in a parking lot. 

Chess

• No minimum age
• Class size 12
• 12:30-4pm
• All requirements should be covered. Scouts willing to bring personal sets are encouraged but only traditional sets -NO  Harry Potter, Star Wars, Mario etc. No age requirement, desks preferred and P.  board preferred. Prerequisite: be able to discuss requirement 1-2. Writing utensils and paper encouraged.

Fire Safety

• No minimum age
• Class size 20 max
• 12:30-4pm
• Pre-reqs
• 5d,g
• 8 d,e,f,h (scout master can verify)
• 10a or b

Reptiles and Amphibians

• Class size 20 max
• No mimimum age
• 12:30-4pm
• Pre-Reqs: 1, 3, 8 , 9

Signs, Signals, and Codes 

• no minimum age
• class size max 15
• 12:30-4pm
• Prereqs: 1., 2., 3.b (come prepared to demonstrate your name and the 6 to 10 word message), 4(main question) and 4.b, 5.b, 6.a, 7 (have your scoutmaster sign off that you completed this), 8 (Be prepared to demonstrate 3 of the 5 choices and demonstrate at class), 9 a-c, 10.

Coin Collecting

• no minimum age
• class size 20
• 12:30-4pm
• New requirements for this year!
• Prerequisites: 4 gather the coins and bring to class.
• Paper, pencil and workbook.

Personal Management

• minimum age 12
• class size 10 max
• 12:30pm-4pm
• Use worksheet at http://usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/worksheets/list.aspscouts.org
• 1 (be prepared to discuss with the counselor)
• 2 (scout presents results to the counselor for part c, and review part d).
• 3, 4, 5, 6, 7: counselor to complete during session
• 8 (be prepared to review part d)
• 9 (complete and present to the counselor during session)
• 10 (be prepared to review part d)
• Contact the counselor via email with any questions harmcor@roadrunner.com

Family Life

• Eagle required
• no minimum age
• class size 10 max
• 12:30-4pm
• Prereqs: 1,2,3,4,5,6
• NOTES: Requirements 4 & 5 are for two DIFFERENT projects. Requirement 3 lasts 90 days; it is okay if it is not complete by Advancement Fair. 
• Contact the counselor via email with any questions: Scout must include parent or Scout Leaders on email, otherwise Audrey McKean will not reply

ALL DAY SESSIONS

Emergency Prep

• Class size 8
• 9am-4pm
• All Day Course
• First Aid merit badge must be completed
• Proof of Family Team meeting- signed by parent
• Proof of Troop movement-signed by parent or scoutmaster

First Aid

• Eagle Required
• Class size 12 max
• Second Class  min
• 9 am -4pm
• All Day
• Requirement 1 – The Scout must have completed (with Scoutmaster approval) all the first-aid requirements for the First Class rank.
• Requirement 7 – If the Scout has completed this requirement to the satisfaction of the Scoutmaster, an outline of the teaching presentation must be brought to the class along with the teaching aids used.
• Expectations:
• 1) Scouts should bring a pen and paper, along with the merit badge booklet if available.
• 2) Scouts should review all first aid requirements of the Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks prior to beginning the merit badge class. Reviewing the current First Aid Merit Badge pamphlet before the class will maximize the Scout’s benefit from earning the badge.
• 3) No requirement will be considered completed unless the Scout is actively involved in the class discussion of each requirement’s content.
• 4) While merit badge workbooks may be used as a resource during the class, requirements will NOT be signed off by the counselor until each item is discussed in a one-to-one conversation at a subsequent date.

Pioneering

• Second Class  min
•  class size 8 max
• 9 am -4pm
• All Day course
• Expectations: Scout should have mastery of knots and lashings prior to the course.

After registration you will receive a conformation email. If you don't please check your spam folder. Look for an email from no-reply@247scouting.org