Advancement Guidlines an Overview of Updates

February 2007 publication

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Page 3 Introduction
Everything done to advance and earn these ranks, from joining to leaving the program, should be designed to help the young person have an exciting and meaningful experience. Education and fun are functions of the Scouting program, and they must be the basis of the advancement program.
Just because a group of youth join at the same time, not everyone will earn the same awards at the same time. Let all members earn the awards at their own pace.
No council, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to or subtract from advancement requirements. (For the policies concerning youth members with special needs see pages 39-43.)


Page 10
In Boy Scout Troops:

Pages 16-17 Advancement Rules and Regulations
Boy Scout Advancement
  • Clause 5. Basis for Advancement: The Boy Scout requirements for ranks shall be the basis for the Scout's advancement. There shall be four steps in the Boy Scout advancement procedure: learning, testing, reviewing, and recognition.
  • · Clause 6. Ranks. There shall be the following ranks in Boy Scouting: Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. The requirements shall be those authorized by the Executive Board and set forth in official Scouting publication. Eagle Palms may also be awarded on the basis of requirements authorized by the Executive Board and set forth in official Scouting publications.
  • Clause 7. Responsibility of the Troop Committee. It shall be the responsibility of the troop committee, under the leadership and guidance of the local council, to make sure that the program of the troop is conducted in such a way that Scouts have an opportunity to advance on the basis of the four steps outline in clause 5.
  • Clause 13. The responsibility for merit badges shall rest with the merit badge counselor approved by the local council and district advancement committee. Merit badge counselors shall be registered adult members of the Boy Scouts of America. The merit badge counselor shall prepare and qualify youth members. There shall be no board of review procedure for merit badges, but public recognition may be given at a unit court of honor or other suitable occasion.


    • Page 23
    One of the greatest needs of young men is confidence. There are three kinds of confidence that young men need: in themselves, in peers, and in leaders.
    Educators and counselors agree that the best way to build confidence is through measurement. Self-confidence is developed by measuring up to a challenge or a standard. Peer confidence develops when the same measurement system is used for everyone - when all must meet the same challenge to receive equal recognition. Confidence in leaders comes about when there is consistency in measuring - when leaders use a single standard of fairness.
    No council, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to or subtract form any advancement requirement. A Boy Scout badge recognizes what a young man is able to do; it is not a reward for what he has done.


    Page 24
    Four Steps of Advancement
    1. The Boy Scout Learns. A Scout learns by doing. As he learns, he grows in ability to do his part as a member of the patrol and the troop.
    2. The Boy Scout is tested. A Scout may be tested on rank requirements by his patrol leader, Scoutmaster, assistant Scoutmaster, a troop committee member, or a member of his troop.
    3. The Boy Scout is reviewed. After a Scout has completed all requirements for a rank, he has a board of review. For Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star Life, and Eagle Palms, the review is conducted by members of the troop committee. The Eagle Scout board of review is conducted in accordance with local council procedures.
    4. The Boy Scout is recognized. When the board of review has certified a boy's advancement, he deserves to receive recognition as soon as possible. This should be done at the next troop meeting.

    A Scout will be considered "active" in his unit if he is


    Pages 25-26
    Troop Advancement Goals
    The Scoutmaster must be in charge of advancement in the troop. … It is important that the troop committee and the Scoutmaster set an advancement goal for the year. A basic goal should be for each Scout to advance a rank during the year. New Scouts should earn the First Class rank during their first year in the troop.


    Scoutmaster Conferences
    In large troops, Scoutmasters occasionally assign this responsibility to assistant Scoutmasters or members of the troop committee; but this is unfortunate…


    A good conference should be unhurried. It helps the Scout evaluate his accomplishments and set new goals with his Scoutmaster. This can be accomplished at a troop meeting, camping trip, or in the Scout's home.


    The requirement for advancement is that the Scout participates in a Scoutmaster conference, not that he "passes" the conference. When Advancement is going to be deferred, the Scout should not come to the Scoutmaster conference thinking that everything is OK and then be surprised that his advancement is deferred. He should have had plenty of warning and guidance prior to the Scoutmaster conference. This is not a time to shut the door on advancement, but rather to work with the Scout to create goals that will allow him to succeed. However, even after a negative Scoutmaster conference for the ranks of Tenderfoot to Life, if the Scout desires a board of review, he should be granted his request.


    Record Keeping
    Each troop is responsible for keeping its own records and reporting advancement to the local council service center. This is done on an advancement report form. One copy is kept by the troop and two are sent to the council with an order for badges and awards. t is best that this form be submitted at least monthly so that troop records remain current and Scouts are able to receive their awards quickly after earning them. Awards cannot be purchased or presented until the advancement report has been files with the council office. A troop/team record book, to be maintained by the troop scribe, is available.
    At the discretion of the local council, computer-generated advancement reports may be used. If used, two copies of the computer-generated report must be submitted to the council service center. You can also use the advancement program on unit software authorized by your council for entering and submitting this report.


    Group Instruction of Merit Badges
    Group instruction and orientation are encouraged where special facilities and expert personnel make this most practical, or when Scouts are dependent on only a few counselors for assistance. However, this group experience should be followed by attention to each individual candidate's projects and his ability to fulfill all requirements. In the end, the Scout must be reviewed individually by the counselor to ensure completion of the badge's requirements.


    Page 27-28 Service Projects

    For a service project to qualify as an Eagle Scout service project, the Scout, while a Life Scout, must plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project benefiting any religious institution, school, or community.


    The Eagle Scout service project provides the opportunity for the Eagle Scout candidate to demonstrate the leadership skills he has learned in Scouting. He does the project outside the sphere of Scouting. As a demonstration of leadership, the Scout must plan the work, organize the personnel needed, and direct the project to its completion.


    Service to others is important. Work involving council property or other BSA activities is not acceptable for an Eagle Scout service project. The service project also may not be performed for a business, or be of a commercial nature, or be a fund-raiser.


    Routine labor, a job or service normally rendered, should not be considered. There is no minimum number of hours that must be spent on carrying out the project. The amount of time spent must be sufficient for the Scout to clearly demonstrate leadership skills.

    Fund-raising is permitted only for securing materials or supplies needed to carry out the project.

    The Scout must secure the prior approval of his unit leader, his unit committee, and the benefactor of the project. The project must also be reviewed and approved by the district of council advancement committee or their designee to make sure it meets the stated standard for Eagle Scout service project before the project is started. This preapproval of the project does not mean that the board of review will approve the way the project was carried out.


    All the work on the project must be done while the candidate is a Life Scout and before the candidate's 18th birthday, unless a time extension has been allowed. The Eagle Scout service project is an individual matter; therefore, two Eagle Scout candidates my not receive credit for working on the same project.


    Page 28-29 Boards of Review

    The review is not an examination; the board does not retest the candidate. Rather, the board should attempt to determine the Scout's attitude and his acceptance of Scouting's ideals. A discussion of the Scout Oath and Scout Law is in keeping with the purpose of the review, to make sure that the candidate recognizes and understands the value of Scouting in his home, unit, school, and community.


    The decision of all boards of review is arrived at through discussion and must be unanimous.


    Scouts who have completed all requirements for a rank prior to their 18th birthday should submit their application and be reviewed and recognized within three months of that date. Boards of review conducted between three and six months after the candidate's 18th birthday must be pre-approved by the local council.


    Review for Tenderfoot through Life ranks and Eagle Palms: The board of review is made up of at least three and not more than six members of the troop committee. One member serves as chairman. Unit leaders, assistant unit leaders, relatives, or guardians may not serve as board members of a Scout's board of review.


    The review has three purposes:


    If the board decides that the Scout is not ready to advance, the candidate should be informed and told what he has not done satisfactorily. The members of the board of review should specify what must be done to rework the candidate's weaknesses and schedule another board of review for him. A follow-up letter must be sent to a Scout who is turned down for rank advancement, confirming the agreements reached on the actions necessary for advancement.


    Page 33-34 Courts of Honor

    Each time a Scout advances in rank, he should be recognized on two occasions. The first should occur as soon as possible after a Scout has been approved by a board of review and an Advancement Report has been filed with the council office - preferably at the next unit meeting. This ceremony should be dignified but simple, involving not much more than presenting the Scout with his new badge of rank.


    The second occasion is a court of honor, a public ceremony to recognize Scouts for successful achievement and to describe the importance of the program. Formal courts of honor should be conducted at least four times a year.



    Some Questions and Answers
    Text not directly from Guidelines

    Boards of Review - who can serve


    Eagle Projects:


    Advancement


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