Boy Scouts of America - TROOP 414

Spring, Texas

Training boys to become godly men

Troop 414 Trail to 1st Class

Rank Advancement Explanations, Resources, & Guidelines

NOTE TO PARENTS OF NEW SCOUTS:

This note is to provide some education on the Scout rank advancement process to first year Scout's and their parents.

The primary responsibility for tracking and completing rank advancement requirements belongs to the Scout.

The Scout is provided direction and many opportunities to complete requirements individually, with his patrol, or with the troop as a whole at meetings, day events, and campouts. The Scout Masters and boy leaders provide motivation and assistance, but ultimately the desire and work must be done by the Scout, and it must be done well and thoroughly. This is why achieving Eagle Rank is a high honor that is only bestowed upon a small percentage of Scouts.

Boy Scouting employs a 'no more, no less' approach to determining whether a Scout has completed a requirement toward rank advancement. While it is always fine to encourage and even promote that a Scout do more and learn more with regard to a particular skill requirement, in the end we sign off on the completion of a requirement based on the 'no more, no less' philosophy.

The Scout learns many life skills along the way and he learns responsibility in developing and attaining these skills. The parent is a major part of the motivation, but the parent cannot do the work, earn the rank, nor sign off on rank requirements; this latter step is only done by the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmasters. Parents can definitely assist in putting a plan in place, setting goals for the Scout, supporting and enabling his regular attendance at opportunities to learn and advance skill development, and by providing strong, positive encouragement. They can also assist the boy in perfecting a skill and reviewing their book to see where they are in their current requirements.

Speaking of assistance, see the various RESOURCES links below for information, tips, insights, and illustrations that may help your son as he learns and perfects the skills for each rank. The links are categorized by topic to make it easy for a Scout to find out more about a certain requirement and learn what he needs to know to master it.

The Boy Scout Ranks

There are seven ranks earned in Boy Scouting on the 'Trail to Eagle'. They are, in order from first to last, as follows:


Scout
Tenderfoot
Second Class
First Class
Star
Life
Eagle

Does a Scout have to complete one rank before he can begin the next one?

A Scout can simultaneously work on requirements for Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class rank, but each rank must be earned in sequence as explained below. That is, a Scout may actually complete all the requirements for 1st Class before completing those for 2nd Class, but he must finish all of the 2nd Class rank requirements and successfully complete a Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Review for 2nd Class rank before he will be allowed to officially complete 1st Class rank. This is not the case for the three ranks following First Class.

Troop 414 requires a Scout to complete a Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Review for one rank before he is allowed to partake in a Scoutmaster conference for the next rank. For example, he may not complete a Scoutmaster Conference for 2nd Class and then immediately thereafter partake in a Scoutmaster Conference for 1st Class rank; the two Scoutmaster Conferences must be separated by the successful completion of a Board of Review, in this example for 2nd Class rank.

Completion of the each of the “higher” (Star, Life, and Eagle) ranks involves the following:

Rank advancement is not a race! The BSA program is put together so most Scouts reach First Class in one year, although this depends a lot on their participation level. They should reach Life by 8th grade and complete their Eagle rank around 9th or 10th grade.

Once a Scout completes all the requirements, what comes next?

When a Scout thinks he has completed his next rank or he has a question about that he needs to complete, he should meet with the Scoutmaster or an Assistant Scoutmaster (collectively referred to as the “Scoutmasters”). He can also ask his patrol leader if he is ready. The Scoutmasters are normally available for these discussions during campouts and at troop meetings, including 30 minutes after a meeting.

When a Scout is ready to officially finish up a rank he will need to schedule a Scoutmaster Conference with the Scoutmaster. These conferences are usually held during troop meeting time, but may also be held immediately after the meeting. Note that Scoutmaster Conferences for Star, Life, and Eagle typically take from 30 minutes to one hour so these are not normally held after a troop meeting and may need to be scheduled for another, special time. Note that each rank includes a requirement that reads as, "“Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. Discuss four specific examples of how you have lived the points of the Scout Law in your daily life.”" This requirement is completed during the Scoutmaster Conference.

Once the conference is completed the Scout will be instructed to request a Board of Review (BOR) from the Advancement Chair both verbally and via e-mail. A BOR is typically scheduled to take place during a troop meeting, and involves a formal meeting with three adults that are not Scoutmasters; these three individuals are selected in advance by the Troop Advancement Chair.

Expected attire for a Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Review

The Scout is expected to wear his full Class-A uniform and bring his Boy Scout Handbook. This is a formal activity so the Scout should be clean, with hair combed and neat, teeth brushed, and looking his best. His uniform should include the following and be washed and ironed, with the shirt neatly tucked in: Tan Class-A shirt with all required and earned patches sewn onto the shirt in the correct locations, green Boy Scout (or accepted equivalent) pants or shorts, green Boy Scout belt with Boy Scout belt buckle, green or white Boy Scout (or approved alternative) socks, appropriate shoes (NO flip-flops, Crocks, or sandals), Troop 414 neckerchief with an approved BSA slide or woggle.

Not sure where the patches should go on the uniform? See the Letter From Scoutmaster regarding patch placement on Scout shirt & merit badge sash document on the Resources page.

Once the Scout completes his BOR he has officially achieved the rank. He will be presented with that rank’s pocket patch at a subsequent troop meeting or Court of Honor, which ever comes first. The Scout’s accomplishment is formally recognized at the next Court of Honor (COH) where, with his parent(s) at his side, he receives the official BSA Rank Advancement card and will be asked to hug his father and kiss your mother and then present her with a rank advancement pin for her Advancement ribbon.

So where should your Scout be right now?

All Scouts should have earned their Scout Rank within the first two or three weeks of joining Boy Scouts. If he has not yet earned Scout rank then please see the Scoutmaster. This rank requires a Scoutmaster Conference, but does not require a BOR. Once completed, the Advancement Chair will record the advancement and the Scout will receive a Scout patch at the next Troop meeting. The patch should be sewn on the left pocket as described in the Letter From Scoutmaster regarding patch placement on Scout shirt & merit badge sash document on the Resources page.

Still have questions? Talk with the Scoutmaster or an Assistant Scoutmaster. He’'ll be happy to help you!

RESOURCES

Rank Requirements

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Teaching Using the EDGE Technique

EDGE™ is an effective method used to teach Scouting skills in a troop. The key to making EDGE™ work is to use it for all teaching opportunities. Make it a habit.

EDGE is an acronym that reflects the sequence of steps used to deliver training that lasts; the four letters stand for Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, and Enable.

Flag Display & Etiquette

Knots & Lashing

Evidence of Animals

Texas Plant Information

Map & Compass

Leave No Trace

Meal Planning & Cooking

Stoves & Lanterns

First Aid

Please check your personal first aid kit against the following list (from the 2010 Boy Scout Handbook):

First Aid Item
Quantity Required
Adhesive bandages
 6
Sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inch)
 2
Adhesive tape (small roll)
 1
Mole skin, (3 x 6 inch piece)
 1
Soap (Small bar) or Sanitizing Gel
 1
Antiseptic (Small tube)
 1
Scissors
 1
Disposable Non-Latex Gloves
 1 pair
CPR breathing barrier
 1
xxPlastic goggles (optional)xx
 1
Pencil & paper
 1 each

Everything on this list should fit easily into a plastic, resealable bag. This personal first aid kit should be taken to all campouts and summer camp.

Woodcraft Skills