Advancement

From the first campout to the Eagle board of review.

I. Rank advancement

Scouts advance at their own pace. Advancement is a byproduct of a busy outdoor program, not a classroom exercise. Every rank follows the same four steps:

  1. Learn and do. Skills are taught and practiced at meetings and campouts, mostly by older scouts.
  2. Get signed off. A scout demonstrates each requirement and has it recorded in his handbook. The handbook is the record; guard it like treasure.
  3. Scoutmaster conference. When the requirements are done, the scout asks the Scoutmaster for a conference. It is a conversation, not a test.
  4. Board of review. A panel of committee members confirms the rank (see below), and it's awarded at the next Court of Honor.

The ranks, in order:

  1. Scout. The basics: the Oath, the Law, and how the troop works.
  2. Tenderfoot. First campouts: cooking, knots, first aid, fitness.
  3. Second Class. Navigation, nature, swimming, service.
  4. First Class. The complete outdoorsman; ready to lead.
  5. Star. Leadership positions and merit badges take over.
  6. Life. More leadership, more service, Eagle in sight.
  7. Eagle. The service project, the board of review, the rank for life.

Through First Class the focus is outdoor skills; from Star on it shifts to leadership, service, and merit badges.

II. Boards of review

The board of review is the last step of each rank: three to four members of the troop committee talk with the scout about his experience: what he did, what he learned, where he's headed. This is not a test. Boards are typically convened on the first Thursday of the month. The scout must come in Class A uniform with his handbook.

Member families: once the Scoutmaster conference is done, the Scout must sign up for a board of review in the hub

III. Merit badges & blue cards

Merit badges let scouts explore more than a hundred subjects, from First Aid to Robotics. The process in our troop:

  1. The scout asks the Scoutmaster for a signed blue card for the badge.
  2. The Scoutmaster suggests a registered merit badge counselor.
  3. The scout contacts the counselor and works the requirements (always two-deep: bring a buddy or a parent).
  4. The completed card comes back to the troop for recording.

Many Eagle-required badges are offered through troop programs and summer camp. Records are tracked in Scoutbook, where parents can follow along.

IV. Requirements

The official, current requirements for every rank live on the Scouting America site. Always check there (or the latest handbook printing) rather than an old list:

V. The trail to Eagle

Life scouts nearing Eagle work with the troop's Eagle advisor:

  1. Meet with the Eagle advisor to review where you stand, early and well before the 18th birthday.
  2. Plan and lead an Eagle service project (approved before work starts).
  3. Finish the required merit badges and time in a position of responsibility.
  4. Assemble the Eagle application; the council verifies it.
  5. Sit the Eagle board of review; one member comes from outside the troop.

It's a multi-month effort and the best leadership practice Scouting offers. Roughly 391 scouts have made Eagle here since 1967.

Questions?

Start with the FAQ or ask any uniformed leader at a meeting. New families: here's how the troop works.

Advancement | Troop 599