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Requirements June 1953 until September 1963

1. (a) Build a fireplace out of stone, brick, clay, logs, or other locally gathered material.  (b) Build a fire in the fireplace.  (c) Give evidence satisfactory to the Counselor that he has cooked over this fire a satisfactory meal for at least four persons, including hot soup, meat or fish, two fresh vegetables, a dessert which requires cooking, and a hot beverage, timing his cooking so that the courses will be ready to serve at the proper time.  (d) Order and pack properly for transportation the necessary materials to make this meal.  (e) Dispose of garbage in a proper manner, clean utensils, put out fire, and clean up the site thoroughly.

2. Mix dough and bake biscuits or other bread for four or more persons outdoors in a reflector oven, clay or dutch oven, or other improvised outdoor oven.

3. Give evidence that he has carved properly and served correctly to a Patrol or family group at table.

A Second Class Scout must first qualify for First Class Scoutcraft Requirement 4.

4. COOK YOUR MEALS

a. CAMP COOKERY-Construct a simple outdoor fireplace and use it to prepare for yourself and a companion, from raw ingredients, a complete breakfast of fruit, hot cereal, and bacon and eggs (or pancakes) and a complete dinner of meat (or fish or poultry), vegetable, dessert, and bread (or biscuits, or twist baked on a stick).  Clean up thoroughly afterwards.

b. EDIBLE WILD PLANTS-Find at least four different edible wild greens, roots, or fruits.  Tell what they are and how to prepare them for eating.

Requirements September 1963 until December 1966

Complete First Class Test 2b.

1. Do the following:

(a) Build a fireplace out of stone, brick, clay, logs, or other locally gathered material.

(b) Build a fire in the fireplace.

(c) Give evidence satisfactory to the counselor that you have cooked over this fire a satisfactory meal for at least four persons, including hot soup, meat or fish, two fresh vegetables, a dessert which requires cooking, and a hot beverage, timing your cooking so that the courses will be ready to serve at the proper time.

(d) Order and pack properly for transportation the necessary materials to make this meal. 

(e) Dispose of garbage in a proper manner, clean utensils, put out fire, and clean up the site thoroughly.

2. Mix dough and bake biscuits or other bread for four or more persons outdoors in a reflector oven, clay or dutch oven, or other improvised outdoor oven.

3. Give evidence that he has carved properly and served correctly to a Patrol or family group at table.

1st Class Test

2. Take at least two camping trips of not less than 24 hours  each with your troop, your patrol, and adult, or another Scout who is at least First Class.  Before each camp submit a camp plan for approval (unless this is a troop camp) to your Scoutmaster or an adult assigned by him.  Before leaving on each of these camping trips, present yourself for inspection suitably clothed for the locality, season, and weather and equipped for the occasion.  On each of these camping trips, follow proper sanitation practices and safety precautions and leave a clean camp.

Note that these camping experiences are not restricted to troop overnight camps, but where qualified and approved can be by patrol or with a buddy.  The plan must be approved before the trip.

(B) On at least one of these overnight camps, prepare from raw, dried, or dehydrated ingredients and cook over a fire in the out-of-doors a complete breakfast of fruit, hot cooked cereal, hot beverage, and bacon and eggs (or pancakes); and a complete dinner or supper of meat (or fish or poultry), vegetable, dessert, and bread (or biscuits or twist).  Clean up afterward, properly dispose of garbage and trash, and put out your fire.

A boy may cook for himself, for himself and a buddy, or for his patrol to meet this test.

Requirements December 1966 until September 1967

Complete First Class Test 2h.

1. Plan menus for 3 consecutive days (nine meals) of camping, including:

(a) A camp dinner which includes soup, meat (fish or chicken), two fresh vegetables, beverage, and a dessert, all to be cooked.

(b) A one-pot dinner, using foods other than canned.

(c) A breakfast, lunch, and dinner suitable for a trail or backpacking trip where light weight is important and using, to the extent possible, dehydrated or dry frozen foods which can be obtained from local food stores (not specialty stores). All foods used should be capable of several days storage on the trail without refrigeration. The lunch planned should not require a fire or cooking at the time of serving. The dinner should include hot soup, meat (fish or chicken), vegetable, and starch food such as spaghetti, or a second vegetable, biscuits (to be cooked over the fire), and beverage.

(The menus for the remaining two breakfasts and two lunches shall be suitable for preparation in camp or on the trail.)

2(h) On at least one of these overnight camps, prepare from raw, dried, or dehydrated ingredients and cook over a fire in the out-of-doors a complete breakfast of fruit, hot cooked cereal, hot beverage, and bacon and eggs (or pancakes); and a complete dinner or supper of mean (or fish or poultry), vegetable, dessert, and bread (or biscuits or twist).

2. Do the following:

(a) Make a food list, indicating cost and quantities sufficient to feed three or more boys using the menus planned in Requirement 1.

(b) List all the basic utensils needed to cook and serve these menus.

(c) Compute the weight, including packaging, of the menu planned in Requirement 1c.

3. Using the menus planned in Requirement 1:

(a) Prepare and serve to the satisfaction of your counselor, for yourself and (at least) two others, the three dinners, the trail lunch, and the trail breakfast planned in Requirement 1. Time your cooking so that each course will be ready to serve at the proper time.*

(b) For the meals prepared in Requirement 3a, for which a fire is required, select a spot suitable for your fire and build a fireplace, including a support for your cooking utensils from rocks, logs, or other locally gathered material using one of the methods described in the Cooking merit badge pamphlet. (Where local regulations do not permit the fulfillment of this requirement, the counselor may modify this requirement to comply with legal requirements.) The same fireplace may be used for more than one meal. Use charcoal as fuel in cooking at least one meal.

(c) For each meal prepared in Requirement 3a, use the safe food handling practices, the correct method of disposing of garbage, tin can, foil, paper, and other trash by burning and using a tote-litter bag. After each meal, clean up the sites thoroughly.

*NOTE: The meals in Requirement 3a may be prepared for separate hikes or camps, and need not be prepared consecutively. Scouts earning this merit badge in summer camp should plan the menus for these meals around food available in the camp commissary.

Requirements September 1967 until January 1969

Complete First Class Test 2b.

1. Earn Cooking merit badge by doing the following:

(a) Plan menus* for three complete days, including

(1) A one-pot meal using fresh or nonrefrigerated foods.

(2) A trail or camp dinner, using nonrefrigerated trail-type foods (dehydrated or freeze-dried), obtained in the local store or supermarket, and including hot soup, meat, fish, or chicken, two vegetables, hot bread or biscuits, dessert, and a hot beverage.

(3) A complete camp dinner, including hot soup, meat, or fish, two fresh vegetables, a dessert that requires baking.

(b) Make a food list, indicating quantities and current prices sufficient to feed a patrol of from four to six persons for the menus planned. List the basic utensils needed to cook these foods for your patrol.

(c) Obtain and pack properly for transportation the necessary provisions for the meals planned.

* NOTE: The meals in Requirement 1a may be prepared for separate hikes or camps, and need not be prepared consecutively. Scouts earning this merit badge in summer camp should plan the menus around food available in the camp commissary.

2. Prepare for your Cooking requirement by doing the following:

(a) Select a spot suitable for your fire. Where permissible, build a fireplace area by raising the soil with at least 2 inches of unburnable soil. Build a support for your pots from rocks, logs, or other locally gathered materials, using one of the methods described in the Cooking merit badge pamphlet.

(b) Build a cooking fire using wood or charcoal. Explain the best type of fire to use according to weather conditions at various times of the year.

3. Over the described fires, to the satisfaction of your counselor, prepare at least two breakfasts, one trail lunch, and three dinners as described in Requirement 1a for a patrol of at least four to six persons. Time your cooking so that the courses will be ready to serve at the proper time.

4. Show the correct method of disposing of garbage, tin cans, foil, paper, and other trash by burning and using a tote-litter bag. Demonstrate proper dishwashing procedures, clean utensils, put out your fire, and clean up the site thoroughly.

2.(a) Take at least two camping trips of not less than 24 hours each with your troop, your patrol, an adult, or another Scout who is at least First Class. (b) Before each camp submit a camp plan for approval (unless this is a troop camp) to your Scoutmaster or an adult assigned by him.

Note that these camping experiences are not restricted to overnight camping trips taken with the troop, but can be taken with the patrol or with a buddy if a plan is approved before the trip.