May Merit Badge Leadership

Learning to lead is an important skill that will benefit you far beyond this hobby of rockhounding. As you learn from your youth leader, I hope you will be inspired to take the initiative to become a leader yourself.  As you develop and deepen your knowledge and skill gained through Future Rockhounds of America activities, assist in teaching your fellow youth members and in helping your youth leader to decide which activities to pursue with the group.


A junior member helping two pebble pups.

To earn your leadership badge, you must complete three of the following activities:

Activity 1.  Become a leader within your rock club's youth group and help decide what topics and activities your group will do this year and next year.

Activity 2. Organize a group display, take charge of organizing a group pebble pup display at your club show or at another venue.

Activity 3: Lead a show-and-tell session or presentation.  Lead a group show-and-tell session, presentation, or symposium to adult members of your club or to the group of pebble pups.

Activity 4. Plan and lead a field trip

Activity 5: Manage a youth activity booth at a local gem show. Either on your own or working with adult members of your club, help to decide on activities in a kids' activity both at your local gem show, and then help to run the booth during the show.

Activity 6: Oversee a newsletter column for a year in your club's newsletter.

Activity 7: Become a mentor to younger or less experienced members of your club, sharing your knowledge and experience with them in a specific project, such as how to build a collection.

Adult leader discussing how pebble pups should prepare a collection.

Learning about dinosaurs

Adult leader telling juniors and pebble pups how to work a diamond saw to cut geodes