Where can I find the Registration link to sign up? 
You will find it posted in several locations. On our Facebook page, on our illiowascouting.org and on https://illowascouting.org/mbu/ under Classes & Registration. Click on the Register Today button.

What is the date and location of MBU?
MBU will be held at Scott Community College 500 Belmont Road Riverdale, Iowa 52722 on March 28, 2026.

What time does MBU end?
All formal classes are finished at 4:30pm. Please coordinate a pickup time with your Scout and or Troop. Many Scouts remain after class to demonstrate their work and to meet individually with their instructor.

Who may attend? 
Any Scouts BSA or Venturer may attend MBU.

What is included in the Registration fee?
All the merit badges and other activities you can squeeze into a single day along with lunch!

Can I sign up via my mobile device?
Sure. Our registration page may be used on any platform, but it’s best viewed on a desktop computer or larger iPad or tablet.

Why do you put age and rank restrictions on Eagle badges?
We have a limited number of Eagle badge classes and we want our more senior Scouts (1st Class and above) to have the opportunity to choose these classes – as they typically need them to advance to Eagle in the short term. Our younger Scouts have plenty of time to earn these badges – plus, the content of the badges may be too advanced for our younger Scouts.

I have lots of questions about the content of the classes and what will be taught that day. Where do I get the details?
Start with the MBU Class Catalog on the Classes and Registration page. The Catalog provides a description of the merit badge being taught, any prerequisites required by the Instructor and any class notes. Most Instructors will send a preparatory email out to their students a few days ahead of the class as a reminder to bring required materials and work to class. Please remember that many classes have prerequisites and that most Scouts will not earn the merit badge in a single day unless those prerequisites have been completed in advance.

My Scout has a ‘partial’ from MBU last year. The work’s now completed and they need the final requirement signed off. Does he/she have to register for the class just to get a few requirements signed off?
Yes. Our Instructors are teaching tons of Scouts in a single day across multiple classes. It’s best to sign up for the class and review the requirements and present the work in class for sign off. You may also contact the instructor via the contact information on the blue card you received last year to make arrangements to meet/discuss the completion of the requirements. You may also contact any merit badge instructor (for that particular badge) in your home district to review the work and obtain signoff.

Can my Scout register and take only a single class? Is there a reduced fee?
A Scout may take a single class at MBU but there’s no reduced fee. Your Scout must check in when he/she arrives and may depart after taking the class. Please coordinate in advance so that you meet your Scout at the main entrance.

​Are there any Adult Classes at MBU?
YES!

I need to make a change to my Scout’s classes or I need printout of the schedule. How do I do that?
When you registered, you received an email with a registration number and a link back to your Scout’s registration. Simply go back in using that number and make schedule/class changes right up to our cut off a few days before the event. You may also print a copy of your Scout’s schedule from the registration page.

​Do I have to have the BSA book for my merit badge?
Please remember that the official source for requirements for a particular merit badge is the BSA Merit Badge Pamphlet. These are available via the BSA for FREE. You can find and print the pdf for any merit badge HERE. Worksheets downloaded from various sources are for organizing and presenting your work. The official BSA pamphlet will take precedent over worksheets when it comes to requirements. Many of our Instructors use the worksheets as a tool in class. If you’re tracking your work in the official BSA Pamphlet, you may bring it with you to class. MBU Instructors do NOT modify BSA requirements.

How many merit badges can my Scout earn in a single day?
There are 2 periods throughout the day. Most Eagle badges take both periods. A Scout can earn 1-2 badges in a day – provided he or she completes the pre-requisites ahead of time. Your Scout should keep in touch with his or her Instructor and continue to work on the badge after the MBU. Once the work has been completed, the Instructors and your Scout will meet/talk and review the requirements. The Instructor will then sign off on the completion of the badge.

Do you need Merit Badge Instructors? 
Absolutely. We’re always looking for qualified Instructors! We need primary and assistant instructors to provide two deep leadership.  Visit https://illowascouting.org/mbu and click on the Apply Now button under “We Need Instructors” to join our team.

I don’t see <insert merit badge here>, Why don’t you teach it?
​We do our best to teach as many badges as possible. We’re also limited by our classroom space and the number of Instructors.

My Scout needs <insert merit badge here> and the class is closed. Is there a waitlist? 
Can’t you fit just one more in the class? Registration is on a first-come first-served basis. Eagle classes fill quickly, but we offer multiple classes throughout the day. Unfortunately, we don’t maintain a wait list.

Will you be adding additional classes before registration closes?
Not usually. Occasionally we’ll announce openings in a particular badge – either we’ve added an instructor or classroom space has become available. We announce additional classes on our Facebook page.

Does my Scout have to wear a uniform?
MBU is a uniformed event. All Scouts and Venturers must wear their uniform for the entire day. We represent Scouting and can expect local Press and dignitaries throughout the day.

I’m an adult volunteer/committee member/volunteer parent and I don’t have a uniform.
If you are a non-uniformed volunteer participating as Staff or on our Registration or Lunch team – you don’t need to wear a uniform.

What merit badges do you recommend for New Scouts?
Just our opinion, but we think newer Scouts should load up their merit badge sash! Take some fun merit badges that can be earned in a single day – Railroading, Transportation, Art, Collections, etc. You’ll need to check out the prerequisites, but you can come home with 2 badges – if you budget your time. If your Scout is 10, he’s got plenty of time to earn those Eagle badges!

I don’t have a credit card. Can I mail in my payment?
We can’t accept mail-in payments. We accept credit card payments only on Tenteroo. Or you can visit us at our council office at 4412 N Brady Street Davenport Iowa 52806 prior to MBU to make a cash payment.

Can I register and make a payment at the Scout Shops?
No, sorry for the inconvenience.

I’m booking my Troop/Crew from out of State. Will you take a check for registration via mail?
No mail-in registrations or payments.

My schedule’s pretty busy. I’m not sure if I can make it yet. Can I sign up at MBU on the day of the event?
This is a once-a-year event and our Scouts look forward to it every year and make it a priority to attend. We will be accepting walk-ins as classes will allow.

I’m having trouble registering through your system. I need help!
Don’t worry we can assist. Send an email to the MBU Organizers and one of our volunteers will contact you within 24 hours.

Our plans have changed. I need a refund.
​Unfortunately we do not issue refunds. We order food and have limited space available in classes. You may transfer your registration to another Scout. Contact the MBU Organizers to arrange a transfer. You may also donate your registration fee.

I really need to talk to a human. Can I speak to someone in authority at MBU?
Sure. Please email our MBU Organizers and one of our volunteers will contact you within 24 hours. Please remember, we’re all volunteers and lead full and productive lives outside of MBU. We do our best to get back to folks as quickly as possible. Please recognize that the volume of requests gets really high just prior to the event. Always start by reviewing our frequently asked questions list.

My Scout lost the MBU blue card.
This is the number one issue we encounter as a volunteer team with MBU. Here’s how blue cards work at MBU:

• We print your Scout’s MBU blue card in advance. It contains his/her name and instructor’s contact information. Your Scout’s individual blue cards are handed to him/her at check in on the morning of the event. We do not accept blue cards from outside of MBU.
• During class, our instructor (or an assistant) will review your Scout’s pre-work (if he’s done any prerequisites ahead of class) and sign off on those requirements as necessary. For example, the Personal Fitness merit badge cannot be earned in a single day at MBU. There is a requirement to track and measure fitness goals over a multi-week period. If your Scout has done the work ahead of time, then our instructor will review and sign off on that work.
• If your Scout hasn’t done the pre-work – don’t panic! Your Scout will go home, continue to work on the badge, staying in contact with our instructor until the work is completed. The Scout will then arrange to review the work with the instructor – via email, in person, via photographs, etc. to get the final approval for completion of the badge.
• In fact, your Scout doesn’t even need to have our instructor sign off on the work. Any other merit badge instructor, qualified in the particular badge – in your district or council – may work with your Scout to complete the rest of the work.
• If the work IS completed at MBU, your Scout will receive a signed, completed blue card sheet with the instructor’s signature showing that all the requirements have been met. The instructor keeps the bottom 1/3 of the sheet for his records.
• If SOME of the work is completed in class, our instructor will list and initial the requirements completed the day of the event. Our instructor will hand your Scout the entire blue sheet at the end of class. It is the responsibility of the Scout not to lose this partially completed blue card. MBU does NOT maintain copies of blue cards – completed or partial. Nor do we track who’s completed what badges. We only maintain records of who attended a particular class on the day of the event.
• If a blue card is lost, we can look up your Scout’s registration, determine who the instructor was and put you in contact. Given that an instructor sees hundreds of Scouts on event day, he may or may not remember your individual Scout. Please ensure that your Scout holds tight to his completed or partial blue cards.

If you have a question that is not on this list, please feel free to reach out to the MBU Organizers to get an answer to your questions.