Times are strange, and we’re all doing our best to provide opportunities for our youth. As such, we would like to make clear the COVID situation that we are navigating with the Rolla Merit Badge University. The Missouri S&T campus is open for outside groups and has confirmed this event. As of this announcement there is no mask requirement in place. That said, circumstances may change.

We are requiring everyone to bring a mask with them in order to participate in this event. Based on the COVID situation on February 12, temperature checks may also be conducted at check-in.

Our Merit Badge Counselors are volunteers and represent a variety of different health backgrounds. If your merit badge counselor asks that you wear a mask in their workshop, it is expected that the Scouts and Scouters will do so. Some workshops may require Scouts to work together in close quarters and a merit badge counselor may ask that the Scouts wear their masks for that period of time.

There are Scouts and Scouters who are extremely uncomfortable wearing masks. We can not guarantee that Scouts will be allowed to participate without masks. If this is a need from the Scout or Scouter’s side, we would recommend participation in a different event.

Another COVID change for this year is that this MBU will not provide lunches this year, a change from the past events. In the interest of keeping the spread of germs to a minimum, Scouts and Scouters will need to provide for their own lunches. As Scouts from the same troop may be in different locations at lunch, we request that Scouters not attempt to purchase lunches locally and then try to track down their Scouts around the campus.

Please send Scouts with a lunch they can take with them when they check in at registration in the morning. In turn, the cost of this MBU has been reduced to $15 per Scout, Scouters are no charge.