Transitioning to Boy Scouts from Cub Scouts can be quite difficult. Enabling Scouts to take responsibility for their own advancement involves educating the boys and their parents. The Scoutmaster and registered leaders emphasize that the Scouts need to bring their Boy Scout Handbook to all meetings and camping trips. When a requirement is successfully completed, Scouts must request that it be initialed as completed (this is known as signing off). The Scoutmaster or someone designate by the Scoutmaster signs off. In addition, Scouts take responsibility for their own advancement by requesting from the Scoutmaster a Scoutmaster Conference followed by a request to the Advancement Chair for a Board of Review.

What is the job of the Advancement Chair? Working with the Scoutmaster, Scouts and registered leaders, the Advancement Chair:

• maintains the Scouts' and registered leaders' records in Scouttrack
• maintains the list of approved merit badge counselors and recruits, processes the application and trains new merit badge counselors
• once approved by the Scoutmaster, the Scoutmaster (or person designated by the Troop--usually the Advancement Chair)assigns a Merit Badge Counselor to a Scout
• processes paperwork for advancements and merit badges
• arranges Board of Reviews for Scouts who completed requirements for advancement
• guides Scouts through the Eagle Scout Project process including reviewing all paperwork, requesting approval for the project from the district and submitting completed paperwork to the District Advancement Chair to schedule an Eagle Board of Review
• when scheduled, provides advancement information to the Court of Honor (COH) Coordinator
• attends Everglades District Advancement meetings, as scheduled.

All the information needed for advancement is found in the Boy Scout Handbook. Scouts should review the Handbook whenever working on Advancement. The Handbook is used to verify that Scouts successfully completed all the requirements for rank advancement. Scouts must present their Boy Scout Handbook at every Scoutmaster Conference and every Board of Review.

Joining Requirements

Chapter 1 of the Boy Scout Handbook includes the basic information needed to begin the Boy Scout Journey, including the joining requirements. The Scout Oath, Law, Motto and Slogan are in this section as well as the basic requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class ranks. The page numbers where you can find the information to understand and complete each requirement are included next to each requirement.

The Trail to First Class

Tenderfoot is the first rank earned as a Boy Scout. The requirements for becoming a Tenderfoot provide basic skills to begin preparing the Scout for higher adventure outings.

Second Class Scouts work on building their outdoor survival and camping skills. Compass work, nature observation, camp tools and swimming are areas where new skills are mastered and demonstrated. A second class Scout, having completed all the requirements, should be able to lead a hike, care for his own equipment, set up a campsite and perform basic first aid.

A First Class Scout has learned all the basic camping and outdoors skills of a Scout. He can fend for himself in the wild, lead others on a hike or campout, set up a campsite, plan and properly prepare meals and provide first aid for most situations he may encounter. A First Class Scout is prepared.

Scouts are not required to complete any merit badges to advance from Tenderfoot through First Class. Scouts are required to complete merit badges for Star, Life and Eagle Rank. However, most Scouts choose to work on Merit badges while on the Trail to First Class. Merit badges vary in the degree of difficulty. Before beginning any Merit Badge, the Scout must discuss it with the Scoutmaster.

Trail to Eagle

A Scout attains the Star rank with participation in the Troop, leadership, service and self-directed advancement through merit badges. Before beginning any merit badge, the Scout must obtain approval from the Scoutmaster.

The Life Scout rank is earned by fulfilling additional leadership positions, service hours and merit badges. A Life Scout is expected to be a role model and leader in the troop, providing guidance to new Scouts and helping the troop however he can. Becoming a good leader can only be learned through working as a leader. Troop leadership positions allow the Scout to make decisions, lead discussions and encourage other.

After the Scout has achieved Life Rank, he can begin taking the steps to becoming an Eagle Scout. His first step is to download the Eagle Scout Workbook and review the information. This workbook must be used by all Scouts planning Eagle projects beginning January, 2012. Like each rank advancement before it, the Eagle rank is a major advancement milestone. (see The Eagle Scout Requirements To become an Eagle Scout, 21 merit badges must be completed. Of these 21, eleven (11) are Eagle required.

Prior to any planning, fundraising or work on a project, the Scout must schedule a conference so that the Scoutmaster is aware of the Scout's intention and so that the scout is aware of requirements (including merit badges, project guidelines, required approvals, etc.) that must be completed, the procedures that must be followed and the paper work that must be completed. For an Eagle Project, a scout must plan, develop and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project must benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) The organization benefiting from the effort must approve the project idea. Actual work on fundraising or the project cannot begin until final approval is given by the District Advancement Chairperson.

See Merit Badges for more Information