Boy Scouts may earn merit badges. For most, you don't need to have had rank advancement to be eligible. For some, there are specific rank advencement requirements that are necessary for you to earn the merit badge. For example, Scouts must complete all First Aid skill in all ranks up through First Class before starting to work on the First Aid merit badge. The same goes for the Cooking merit badge.

You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister or other relative, or a friend.

You are expected to meet the requirements as they are stated—no more and no less. You are expected to do exactly what is stated in the requirements. If it says "show or demonstrate," that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn't enough. The same thing holds true for such words as "make," "list," "in the field," and "collect," "identify," and "label."

If a Scout has already started working on a merit badge when a new edition of the pamphlet is introduced, he should continue to use the same merit badge pamphlet and fulfill the requirements therein to earn the badge. He need not start all over again with the new pamphlet and possibly revised requirements.

Many adults in the troop and in the community have agreed to be a Merit Badge Counselor.
2018 Troop 214 Merit Badge Counselors.

The link below leads to the official list of merit badges in the official Boy Scouts of America website. Scroll down the page to see the complete list of merit badges and their respective requirements and list of resources.

A merit badge insigna with a silver ring denotes an Eagle required merit badge.
BSA Merit Badges web page