Have your Scouts earned a Rank Advancement or Merit Badge? Be sure to Record and Recognize them!

Are your Scouts working on Advancement in your Troop? Have they completed their rank or merit badge requirement? Be sure to record their achievement and recognize their accomplishment today!

Advancement is one of the methods that deliver on the Aims of Scouting. Advancement is about what Scouts are now able to learn and to do, and how they have grown. As the youth completes the requirements, the aims of Scouting are being achieved: to develop character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, to develop leadership skills, and to develop physical and mental fitness. It is important to remember that in the end, badges recognize that Scouts have gone through experiences of learning things they did not previously know. Through increased confidence, Scouts discover or realize they are able to learn a variety of skills and disciplines.

Advancement is not so much a reward for what has been done. It is, instead, more about the journey: As a Scout advances, the Scout is measured, grows in confidence and self-reliance, and builds upon skills and abilities learned.

The badge signifies that a young person—through participation in a series of educational activities—has provided service to others, practiced personal responsibility, and set the examples critical to the development of leadership; all the while working to live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

The badge signifies a young person has provided service to others, practiced personal responsibility, and set the examples critical to the development of leadership.

BSA recommends discussing Scouts BSA advancement during new Scout and parent orientation. Some points to make:

• Advancement in Scouts BSA is based on individual initiative with guidance and encouragement from the patrol leader, Scoutmaster, and other youth and adult leaders.
• Scouts BSA has seven ranks: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle. Requirements are found in the Scouts BSA Handbook and online.
• Advancement has four steps: Learn, Test, Review and Recognize.
• Some of the requirements for each rank have a time element, so Scouts will want to plan ahead so they don’t run out of time.
• Alternative advancement paths are available for Scouts with permanent physical or developmental challenges.

Be sure to Record your Scout’s Advancement using Scoutbook or via the Internet Advancement for those units not using Scoutbook.

Need help with recording Advancement? Contact your Commissioner or Jim Bollback [email protected], our Program Relations Exec.