I hope you find it helpful. Dear Catherine, Don De Young told me you wanted to find out what merit badges a first year camper should take. I'll be glad to attempt to answer your question. Please keep in mind that all of the below is my personal opinion and others may disagree. Scouts enjoying their first year at summer camp should focus on advancement not merit badges.
Most summer camps have first year programs that focus on advancement.
Nearly all first year Scouts under twelve years old should participate in this type of program. Scouts who have already earned Second Class and above shouldn't participate because they would probably be bored - they've already had the experiences they would be exposed to in the program. Scouts twelve and older probably won't like having to hang out all week with younger Scouts. The first year camper programs usually leave some time for a couple of merit badges. It is VERY important that first year campers successfully complete whatever they work on.