Becky sent in this question:
I understand only an older scout can sign off on rank requirements, but when do the scouts learn the skills and do the items they need? Is it only during scout events?
It is typical for them to learn the skills at meetings and events. Meetings will often involve games and activities which teach or reinforce the skills in the early rank requirements. Campouts and troop outings also provide opportunities for skill instruction.
It is not required that they learn the skills in the troop setting though. If they have the skills necessary to do the requirement as written, then the youth leader should sign it off regardless of where they learned and practiced the skill. They just have to demonstrate the skill or do what the requirement says to do. The requirements must be done as written. No more. No less.
You do have to see if the requirement says something like “under the auspices of the BSA”. In that case, it will matter at what type of event the requirement was fulfilled. See this post from Bryan on Scouting related to that topic.
This is interesting. My oldest just crossed over to Boy Scouting, and we have been told by his new Scoutmaster that he can only work on merit badges if he has another Scout who will be working on the same merit badge at the same time with him. Do you know if that is actually the case? I realize some things must be done “under the auspices of the BSA” but I hope my son will be able to earn any merit badge he wants (or all of them if he wants to!) without having to convince another Scout to do the badge with him… or worse, only getting to do the merit badges that the Scoutmaster selects for the troop to do.
They do need a buddy for 2 deep leadership nothing says the buddy has to also be working on the merit badge at all. Sounds like a rule the SM made up for the troop but not a real BSA rule.