From left, Life Boy Scout Edward Ditch, instructors Eagle Scout, Mitchel Ray, and Life Scout Anthony Ostrowski weld the wings on an eagle as part of one of the new badges Scouts can earn. The Moraine Trails Boy Scout Camp Bucoco added welding and other trades to its merit badge offerings.

Garrett Kamerer pulled a shield over his eyes and let the sparks fly.

The metal eagle he welded together would be a reminder of the recap of the skill and the Boy Scout merit badge he earned in welding.

“It's interesting and fun,” said Kamerer, 15, of Butler, who has attended Camp Bucoco for five years.

The badge gives Scouts an opportunity to learn a skill they otherwise would not know, he said.

And sparks also flew earlier this month at Camp Bucoco, 150 Bucoco Lane, Slippery Rock Township, as campers worked to earn their welding merit badge.

Welding is one of 45 different merit badge classes at the camp that the 70 Boy Scouts, ages 11 to 18, from Butler County and surrounding counties earned over the course of the weeklong camp.

Welding is the process of joining with a weld — joining or combining similar pieces of metal by heating them with a flame torch or an electric current, then hammering or pressing them together while they are soft.

Eagle Scout instructor Mitchel Ray of Butler taught the course for his first year.

The first day of camp, Scouts watched a safety video and covered a course summary, said Ray, who has worked at the camp for four years.

Campers started their practice projects midweek and finished up the badge session by making a metal eagle.Although Ray is going to study computer engineering at the university level, he enjoys welding as a hobby.“It's something not many people can do,” Ray said.Scouts must be 14 or older to earn the welding badge, said Bob Seman, the camp director. The session has a capacity of eight and one instructor must be 18.“It's an opportunity for the older Scouts who have been here to do something new with their experience,” Seman said.Safety is the first lesson before any badge activity starts, he said.Paul Groth & Sons Inc. of New Brighton, trained camp staff to teach the two-hour session that took place three days a week, said Ray Tennent, Boy Scouts of America Moraine Trails Council Scout executive.In the past eight years, the camp has included more trade merit badges, Seman said.Other trade skills and merit badges are for robotics, automotive maintenance, electronics, digital technology and electricity.During the first year the camp offered metalwork, it was the second-most popular merit badge, Tennent said.

Welders are in demand.Merit badges that started as life skills have evolved to career development, Tennent said.“The kids, they don't know anything about these jobs or careers till you expose them to it,” Tennent said. “That's the purpose behind the merit badge program even 100 years ago when they started it.”In 1911, most badges were geared toward agriculture because of the jobs at the time, he said.Now, the rabbit-raising patch has changed to animal science where Scouts are given a choice of four animals to raise, Seman said.The computer merit badge has evolved into digital technology.Next year, plumbing will be introduced to the merit badge lineup, Tennent said.“Society's changed and the jobs have changed over the years,” he said. “The Boys Scouts have tried to update it.”

Life Boy Scout, Edward Ditch, 14, of New Castle welds the wing onto his eagle at Camp Bucoco.

Edward Ditch, 14, of New Castle brushes the wing of his Eagle before welding it together at Camp Bucoco.