Girl Scouts do not call them "merit" badges. Girl Scouts earn badges and other awards. And yes, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) offers badges for various areas of the Arts such as painting, drawing, pottery, or comic artist.
This depends on your interests and the available badges. The best Girl Scout badge to earn is one that you are interested in and can complete by following the badge requirements. Many Girl Scouts like to start with on of the badges which covers learning about Girl Scouts - "The Girl Scout Way".
No. As of August 2011: The Boy Scouts of America has 127 merit badges in the Boy Scouting program for boys ages 10 to 18. The Girl Scouts of the USA programs in the same age range as Boy Scouting includes Juniors with 117 Girl Scout Junior badges and Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors with 88 Girl Scout Interest Project Awards. In addition: Beginning in September of 2011, Girl Scouts of the USA is introducing a new program. The new book is called "The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting" and each Girl Scout level will have between 10 and 40 badges to earn.
The highest award a Girl Scout may earn in Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is the Girl Scout Gold Award. The highest award an adult in GSUSA may receive is the Thanks Badge. For each level there is an award. It starts with Juniors who earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, then the Cadettes earn the Girl Scout Silver Award. Then the Seniors/Ambassadors may earn the Girl Scout Gold Award. The process is very long but you know you helped your community and maybe even the world!
Yes, in Germany the Girl Guides earn promise badges, camp symbols, and activity badges.
Girl Scout Awards are earned recognitions. Girl Scouts earn the awards by completing the requirements. Awards include the Girl Scout Badges; the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards; the Journey Awards, etc.
Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding in France is pretty much like Girl Guides and Girl Scouts everywhere. They are concerned with community development and with intercultural relationships and learning about other religions. They work to build a system of values based on spiritual, social and personal principles. They are concerned about the environment and nature conservation.
It depends on who is asking the questions and why they are asking questions. If you are asking about becoming a Girl Scout: What activities do Girl Scouts do? How much does it cost to be a Girl Scout? What badges do Girl Scouts earn? When are the troop meetings? What Girl Scout level would I be? What is the Girl Scout uniform like? If you are going to be asking a Girl Scout questions about Girl Scouting: Who founded Girl Scouts? When did the first girl scout troop form? Why did you want to become a girl scout? Why do Girl Scouts sell cookies? If you are a Girl Scout and will be questioning the children: Who was Juliette Gordon Low? Who started Scouting? What do you want to know about Girl Scouts?
Girl Scouts of the USA do not have a "must earn" requirement. Girls may earn as many or as few badges as they choose to earn. However, if they want to earn one of the Awards, they must earn which ever badges are required as part of earning that award. For example, currently (August 2011), girls must complete two Senior or Ambassador level Journeys or earn the Girl Scout Silver Award and complete on Senior or Ambassador Journey as part of the requirements for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Because they earn them.
Earn boyscout badges, have fun, listen carefully, camp, play and that's probably it.
To earn Star Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, you must earn six merit badges, including any four from the required list for Eagle Scout.