Overview of Rank Advancement
Advancement supports an exciting, educational and fun Scouting experience. The path to earning a new rank teaches scouts how to set and achieve obtainable goals.
Scouts earn seven ranks sequentially. The ranks are roughly divided into "Knowledge Ranks" of Scout, Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, and 1st Class. These ranks focus on basic skills such as first aid, citizenship and fitness.
The final three ranks are considered “Leadership Ranks" of Star, Life, and Eagle Scout. These ranks focus on leadership, merit badges, and service.
Recording Rank Advancement
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In our Troops, each scout is accountable for their progress. With help from parents, scouts are responsible for the accuracy of advancement records. Our Troops use a physical Scouts BSA Handbook and virtual Scoutbook to track rank advancement, camping nights, service hours, and other info. Please remind your scout to bring their physical handbook to each meeting and campout. We encourage scouts to work on requirements at home that won’t be completed at a meeting. Please also continually reconcile advancement in the physical handbook and Scoutbook online.
Scoutbook Tutorial for Parents
The physical handbook has signature pages at the end. For each requirement completed within a rank, an initial and date, or “sign-off”, is needed. Parents or scout siblings cannot sign-off on rank requirements or merit badges.
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For Scout through 1st Class Ranks, a Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters and scouts who are 1st class and above can sign-off on requirements. Our troops prefer that 1st class scouts make the sign-off.
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For Star, Life and Eagle Ranks, only a Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters can sign off on requirements.
For more information, please contact Gaby Gonzalez, Advancement Subcommittee Chair.