Advancement

BSA Reference Material

• The big difference between Cub Scout advancement and Scouts BSA Advancement

  • This short article provides a comparison between Cub Scout and Scout advancement. Though doable, Troop 280 does not push Scouts to complete First Class in 18 months. Scouts may be involved in multiple activities while other Scouts take time between ranks. 

• Scouts BSA Advancement and Awards

  • This article from BSA explains the philosophy behind BSA’s Advancement and Awards. It includes BSA’s list of Awards such as Totin’ Chip, Cyber Chip, Mile Swim BSA, Religious Emblem, and many more. 

• Guide to Advancement

  • This detailed manual is BSA’s reference material. Any question a parent, committee member or volunteer might ask is answered in this manual. A table of contents, index, questions for Boards of Review, sections on Merit Badges and rank advancement, Eagle ranking, and more are covered. Please see a committee member if a question is not answered in the manual. 

Signing Off Your Own Scout

Parents are not allowed to sign off for rank advancement, merit badges, scoutmaster conferences, or boards of review. 

There are only 2 exceptions to the above:

1. If a parent is serving as a registered merit badge counselor for a badge and is simultaneously counseling multiple scouts; then the parent can sign off for merit badge requirements or completion.

2. If a scout is completing a partial merit badge and the parent is the only readily available counselor, then after notifying the Scoutmaster of that situation, then the parent can sign off their scout. 

Please refer to the above policies for advancement and the pages on merit badge procedures.

Advancement Through First Class: Ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class

The ranks up to and including First Class each have a set of skill-based requirements in multiple areas such as cooking, tools, camping, etc. There are several ways that a scout is “signed-off” for completion of these requirements.

Who is the first point of contact for rank advancement through First Class?

• A Scout's Patrol Leader should be the starting point for advice on all scouting matters. 

Who can sign off these requirements (in general)?   

• Rank requirements are generally always signed off by another Scout in the troop.  Before a Scout reaches First Class that other scout must be at least First Class rank or higher.

Some Special Considerations for Rank Requirements

• There are water safety rank requirements at both the Second Class and First Class levels.  Troop 280's policy is that these requirements cannot be signed off by another scout.  They must be signed off and approved by an adult leader in the troop who is trained in "Safe Swim Defense" and "Safety Afloat".  The related requirements are:  Second Class Requirements 5a,5b,5c,5d  and First Class Requirements 6a,6b,6c,6d,6e.

• Starting at First Class, a scout is required to participate in community, conservation or Eagle service projects - Requirement 9d.  Before a scout does volunteer service, they must consult with the Scoutmaster before doing the service to get their approval that it meets the criteria.  After a scout completes their service hours they should record that in their physical scoutbook but also make sure that is communicated to the Advancement Chair such that those hours are officially recorded online in Scoutbook.  The advancement chair, Scoutmaster, or an Assistant Scoutmaster should "sign-off" this requirement for a scout's completion of this requirement.  This ensures that hours are logged correctly in Scoutbook.

• Requirements that can be signed off by a parent

  1. Scout requirement 6 - (Youth protection)

  2. Second class 7 c - (Substance abuse)

  3. Star requirement 6 - (Youth protection)

Where are some opportunities for advancement sign off?

• The scout can learn the skill on his own and demonstrate it to a First Class or above ranked scout who “signs him off.” This is made easier by the fact that each requirement in the Scout Handbook lists the page(s) teaching that skill. This approach requires initiative and assertiveness on behalf of the scout. 

• Troop 280’s leadership runs programs in troop meetings and monthly camp outs on specific advancement requirements. For example, our troop regularly has meetings committed to knots, lashings, fire building, sharp tools (axe, saws, etc.), first aid, and other areas. Scouts will be able to learn a skill and demonstrate it to a First Class-or above-ranked scout who will be able to “sign him off” in his Scoutbook.

• Summer Camp, Winter Camp, and Merit Badge Universities have First Class programs which instruct and test scouts on a subset of these requirements. They can usually cover 100% of the Scout rank and a decreasing percentage of each successively higher rank. For example, after taking such a program, a scout may still have 40% of 1st class rank to complete. These programs have names like “Baden-Powell” or “Journey to First Class” or “Journey to Eagle.”

Some rank advancement tips learning that overlaps with merit badges.  (UNDER CONSTRUCTION DO NOT TREAT AS CORRECT)

Note although these requirements are similar, the demonstration is to two different sign off individuals.    A merit badge counselor signs off the merit badge where as as first class or above scout signs off the rank requirement.  A merit badge counselor may or may not choose to accept completion of these requirements before starting the merit badge.  So talk to the scoutmaster about starting this merit badge and getting assigned a counselor before attempting these tips.   Tf the scout does so they can demonstrate the requirements for both rank advancement and the merit badge in the same timeframe.

• Camping Merit Badge related.   

  • Tenderfoot 1a - Camping 5e.    If both are approved by the scoutmaster.

  • If you complete Camping 2 it should satisfy tenderfoot 1c.

  • Tenderfoot 4a, Second class 6a overlap with camping 1c.

  • Second class 2d and 2e, First class 2a and 2e overlap with camping 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d.  (cooking related).    They are not identical but a scout can do sign off with a first rank scout for the rank advancement and an assigned MBC for the merit badge at 

• First Aid Merit Badge:   The first aid requirements for tenderfoot, second class, and first class overlap with those for this badge.   If a scout wants to get both signed off they should look at the merit badge requirements and compare which match the rank advancement requirements and get both signed off by the MBC and the scout-leader at around the same time.

• Personal Fitness Merit Badge - if the scout plans for their personal fitness merit badge with a Personal Fitness Merit Badge Counselor (needs scoutmaster approval), those requirements can double count for the fitness requirements for tenderfoot, second class, and first class.   Note, just doing the tenderfoot, second, and first class requirements does NOT satisfy the Personal Fitness merit badge requirements.

Advancement Ranks of Star & Life

Star and Life ranks move the scout from skills development to leadership.  Star rank is usually achieved in four to six months by most Scouts. It includes an four month active participation in the Troop and a four month timed leadership component.  Star also includes merit badges with an emphasis on “Eagle Required” and service hours.  Life rank may take more time depending on the number of “Eagle Required” merit badges a Scout still need to complete. Life rank includes a six month active participation in the Troop and leadership component.  It also includes service hours; three of which must be conservation based.

Eagle Rank

Please refer to this page for details on the rank of Eagle: Eagle Rank 

Merit Badges: How to Start Work on Them

Please refer to this page for details on Merit Badges: Merit Badges 

A scout can work on some (but not all) Merit badges at any rank if they follow the polices at the link above.

The focus of rank advancement before Star & Life ranks is on skill-based requirements - not merit badges.  However this does not preclude a scout from working on merit badges in parallel.  

As the scout completes First Class and works toward Star, Life, and Eagle, merit badges become more important.

Maintaining Records

🆕 A scout's records are maintained using the following mechanisms:

• Rank Requirements are first captured in the Scout's physical Handbook.  

  • Scouts should always have their books with them at each meeting and on each Scout outing, where they have opportunities to get requirements completed.

  • Scouts are responsible for regularly turning in their physical Scout handbook to the Advancement Coordinator after four or five requirements have been completed.   This should take place at a regularly schedule Troop Meeting.  If a scout does not turn in his book, Scoutbook is not updated. 

  • The Advancement Coordinator will then log the updated requirement completions online in https://scoutbook.scouting.org.

  • The scout or parent can also email a photograph of the scout's handbook pages to the Advancement Coordinator, if they are unable to attend a meeting or forget to do so at a meeting.  Please have them write the scout's name at the top of each page so it's clear.

• Merit Badge Requirements and completions are recorded using a Blue Card or logged into Scoutbook by the Merit Badge counselor

  • The use of "Blue Cards" is close to being a thing of the past, but there are still some counselor or camps which use these.  A Blue Card can be provided to a scout at any time by requesting one from the Advancement Coordinator.  The merit badge counselor will then fill in the informationon the card and mark off requirements as they are completed.  When a blue card is uses, it is VERY IMPORTANT that the scout does not lost the Blue Card as the becomes the only record of their work, until the same records are updated in Scoutbook.

  • Most merit badge counselors have gone digital now and will use Scoutbook to record a Scout's requirements as they are met for badge.

  • Regardless of which method is used for recording the completion of a merit badge (or partial completion), it is the responsibility of the scout to contact the Advancement Coordinator when a badge has been completed.  

  • Please refer to the Merit Badges pages for additional details and procedures

• All other awards and accomplishments are recorded directly in Scoutbook

  • Upon completion of an award, please work with the Advancement Coordinator to get that recorded in Scoutbook.  

🎗️As a precaution, scouts should make sure their rank advancement sign-off pages in their scout handbook are regularly photographed or scanned in case the book or page gets damaged our lost.

Scouts should carefully keep any and all other records and proof of activities until they have confirmation that the associated requirement or award has been marked completed or awarded in Scoutbook.

Recognition

Rank Recognition

Scouts are awarded their ranks at troop meetings upon completion of his Board of Review.

Merit Badges and Awards

🆕 Scouts are awarded their merit badge patches and any awards at the next Court of Honor.

Courts of Honor

Troop 280 has 3 “Courts of Honor”: Feb/March, December combined with our Christmas party, and August/September. Merit badges and other awards are also awarded during these events. In addition, scouts “ranking up” since the last Court of Honor are recognized by receiving a rank card and a Mother’s pin. Spring and Fall Courts of Honor include a celebration of incoming and outgoing youth leadership and positions of responsibility.