Boy Scout Troop 346

Parish of St Michael, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Advancement is one of the eight methods of Scouting. The troop advancement program encourages boys to meet significant challenges that lead to personal growth. As a Scout works his way from Tenderfoot through the ranks towards Eagle, the requirements he must complete will help him develop physically, emotionally, and morally into manhood.

Four Steps to Advancement

  1. A Scout learns.

    2. Learning is a natural outcome of Scouting activities. The requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class provide hands-on experience to challenge young Scouts. Since a Scout may complete any requirement at any time, he is rewarded based on his own pace.

    At the higher ranks, merit badges and required community service open new doors for older boys. Some requirements may lead to rewarding careers and life-long hobbies.

  2. A Scout is tested.

    3. A Scout wanting to complete a requirement for advancement must demonstrate that he has mastered that skill. Once he has been tested and found competent in that skill, the Scoutmaster or another approved leader will sign his advancement record.

  3. A Scout is reviewed.

    4. Once a Scout has completed all requirements for any rank from Tenderfoot to Life, his progress will be review by the Scoutmaster and the Troop Committee.

    The Scoutmaster Conference. The Scoutmaster Conference is an opportunity for the Scoutmaster to discuss with the Scout his activity in the troop and his understanding of the ideals of Scouting. The Scoutmaster will review with him the requirements for his next rank and expectations for the Board of Review.

    Board of Review. The last step to advance to a rank is the Board of Review. The Board consists of three to six members of the Troop Committee. The purpose of the board is not to retest the Scout but to ensure he has completed all the requirement. They also determine the quality of his troop experience and encourage him to advance to the next rank. Each review will begin with the recitation of the Scout Oath and Law.

  4. A Scout is recognized.

    5. Recognition is a powerful incentive of the BSA program. Our Scouts will receive new badges as soon as possible after the Board of Review has certified his achievement. Every three months, the troop holds a Court of Honor to publicly recognize advancing Scouts in front of family and friends.

Merit Badges

There are over 100 merit badges covering a wide variety of subjects. Of these, a Scout must earn 21 for Eagle Scout. Twelve of these 21 must come from a list of fifteen required badges. You can find more information as well as the requirements for each badge at USScouts.org.

When a Scout is ready to begin a merit badge, he needs to have the Scoutmaster sign a merit badge application, commonly called a blue card. At that time, he'll be told who the counselor is for the badge and how to make arrangements to begin working on the badge. The general rule for our troop is that a boy not work on more than two merit badges at a time to get the best learning experience.

Leadership Positions

Every rank past First Class requires serving in a leadership position for a specified amount of time. Leadership positions are critical in meeting the aims of the Scouting program. Positions which meet this requirment are the Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, Quartermaster, Scribe, Historian, Librarian, Instructor, Chaplain Aide, Den Chief, OA Chapter Representative and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster.

There are also several positions in the patrol which Scouts may hold that do not count toward rank advancement. Younger Scouts may want to hold one of these positions to gain experience while working his way toward the First Class rank. These positions include Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Scribe, Patrol Quartermaster and Patrol Grubmaster.