Rank Advancement
For First Year Scouts — Four Ranks in Four Calendar Quarters
- Understand the Process – Our first-year Scout program is structured to guide boys who join in March or April to achieve key milestones: earning the Boy Scout rank in the spring, reaching Tenderfoot by fall, advancing to Second Class in winter, and attaining First Class by the following spring.
- Ensure Attendance – We cover indoor requirements weekly, so it’s important for your son to attend as many meetings as possible. If he misses a meeting, please check what requirements were covered and help him catch up to stay on track.
- Encourage Participation in Campouts – Outdoor requirements are completed during our camping trips, so it’s important for your son to join these outings. If he misses a trip, ensure he knows what activities or requirements were covered and remind him to complete them during the next opportunity.
- Encourage Participation in Additional Activities – To achieve Second Class and First Class ranks, Scouts must attend activities beyond regular meetings: five for Second Class (requirement 3a) and an additional five for First Class (requirement 3), totaling ten activities. With around 40 events available, including major activities, highway cleanups, and service projects, your son will have ample opportunities. Make sure he is aware of these requirements and participates in enough activities to fulfill them.
For the Higher Ranks of Star, Life and Eagle
The requirements for Star, Life, and Eagle all follow a similar pattern which includes the following basic categories:
Scout Spirit: Scouts must live up to the ideals of scouting as expressed in the Scout Oath, Law, Slogan, Motto, and the Outdoor Code
- Participation: Scouts must be active in their Troop and Patrol for a specified period of time. The requirement does not define “active”, so our review boards use the following guidelines:
- Star and Life: 75% attendance of meetings and 50% of monthly trips
- Eagle: 75% of meetings and 67% of monthly trips
- Leave of Absence: Scouts can take a leave for a period of time while they’re engaged in other activities. That time won’t count toward the participation requirement, but absences during that time won’t count either
- While these are only guidelines, and not rigidly enforced, a Scout will not be approved for advancement if the Troop leadership believes he has not been sufficiently active
- Skills: Scouts meet the skills requirement by earning merit badges. They must earn six for Star, five more for Life bringing their total to eleven, and ten more for Eagle so that they have twenty-one in all
- Leadership: All three of these ranks require the Scout to serve actively in a leadership position within the troop
- Service: For Star and Life Scouts must give a certain number of hours in service to others. For Eagle, Scouts must organize and lead a service project
Life to Eagle: By far the most difficult rank advancement is the jump from Life to Eagle. Once a Scout reaches the Life rank, he and a parent should schedule a meeting with the Troop Leadership to review the Life to Eagle process. A document describing the process, as well as all the forms needed to conduct the service project and apply for the Eagle rank, can be found in the Life to Eagle Process page.