Advancement or Rank

BSA lists all the ranks, achievements and awards in scouting with links to explanation and requirements.  Click here to advance to this link.

Advancement in Scouts means working on the skills, requirements, material and merit badges necessary to advance to the next highest rank in this order: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, Eagle.

When a Scout joins a troop he enters at the rank of "Scout." He will work on the necessary requirements listed in the back of his Scout Handbook on his own, with a parent, with an adult leader or with an older scout. Requirements do not necessarily have to be done in any particular order, for example a "Scout" working on "Tenderfoot" can fulfill a requirement for "First Class" or a merit Badge for "Star".

Scoutmaster Conference: Once he has fulfilled the requirements for the next rank (in this case "Tenderfoot"), he asks the Scoutmaster for a Scoutmaster Conference. This conversation will generally take place at a regular meeting or possibly at Camp Richard or Camp Yawgoog. The Scoutmaster uses the opportunity to get to know the scout, test what he has learned and talk about how he is doing in scouting and how he is applying Scouts to his life. If the Scoutmaster feels he is ready, he will approve him for the next step, a Board of Review.

Board of Review: The Board is a formal meeting between the Scout and at least three members of the Troop Committee. The Scout is asked questions that get at how Scouting is shaping his life and to insure that the Scout is progressing and is ready for the next rank. Generally the Boards of Review get somewhat harder as the scout progresses through the ranks. He will have up to six opportunities to go through this process as he progresses to the rank of Eagle.

This process is intended to help boys get used to sharing their thoughts to others and getting feedback from adults other than parents and teachers in both an informal and formal setting. It can help give the Scout confidence down the road as he pursues greater challenges such as college and a career.

Recognition: Recognizing a Scout for his accomplishments is a keystone of Boy Scouts. Whenever a Scout earns a merit badge, earns an award or advances to the next rank he is recognized in front of the troop at the next convenient opportunity and presented with the patch or award. He is recognized a second time in front of the troop, troop committee and parents at the next Court of Honor.

Troop 1 Richmond holds a Court of Honor at the last meeting in December, at the last meeting in June and on the last day of Camp Yawgoog. Praise and recognition are essential to a Scout's growth and development. These are important milestones for a Scout. For the benefit of your son, it is important to make time to attend each Court of Honor so that you are there when he is recognized and. so that you can congratulate him in person.

Keeping Track of Advancement: Besides being a wealth of information, the Scout Handbook has a section in the back that serves as a record of the scout's advancement. Because of that, over time, the Scout Handbook becomes an irreplaceable record of a Scout's achievement and must remain in good condition through all his years as a Boy Scout. That can be a lot to ask of a young scout. Help your son by purchasing a waterproof book cover and making sure he keeps it in a secure place at home. He will also be instructed to put his name on the book in a certain way so that it can be easily identified as his. During his first few years he will also use it to keep track of events he has gone on, the number of times he has camped out in a tent and the number of hours of service he has given. As he begins to earn merit badges, patches and awards he will also need a method for keeping those organized. Many scouts keep a three ring binder and purchase game cardholders for it to store their merit badge "blue cards", merit badge patches, event participation patches, etc.

There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.