Scouting Advancement Guide
Troop 78 Scouts Advancement Guide
Advancement in Scouts BSA is a journey of growing skills, confidence, leadership, and service. Scouts advance through seven ranks: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle Scout.
Scouts learn by participating in meetings, campouts, service projects, leadership opportunities, and merit badges. Advancement is completed at each Scout’s own pace. Requirements for Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class may be worked on at the same time, but the ranks must be earned in order.
Scout Rank — Learning How the Troop Works
Scout rank introduces a new member to the values, traditions, organization, and basic skills of Scouts BSA. Scouts learn the Scout Oath and Law, the Scout sign, salute, and handshake, the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace principles, the patrol method, basic knots, rope care, and pocketknife safety.
Scouts also learn how advancement and merit badges work, complete required personal-safety activities with a parent or guardian, and participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
Parent perspective: This is an orientation rank rather than a measure of outdoor experience. Help your Scout learn the basics, but encourage them to speak with youth leaders and adult leaders for themselves.
Tenderfoot — Building the Basics
Tenderfoot focuses on the essential skills needed to participate safely and successfully in troop activities. Scouts camp overnight, help prepare a meal, demonstrate knots and woods-tool skills, practice basic first aid, use the buddy system, learn hiking safety, participate in service, and begin a personal fitness plan.
To complete the rank, the Scout demonstrates Scout spirit, participates in a Scoutmaster conference, and completes a board of review.
Parent perspective: Regular meeting and campout attendance makes Tenderfoot much easier. Fitness requirements include tracking improvement over time, so they should not be left until the last minute.
Second Class — Becoming a Capable Camper
Second Class expands the Scout’s outdoor independence. Scouts participate in multiple troop or patrol activities, camp overnight, plan and cook outdoors, use a map and compass, practice fire building and safe tool use, identify natural hazards, learn swimming and water-rescue basics, and demonstrate more advanced first aid and emergency preparedness.
Scouts also continue fitness work, provide service, demonstrate Scout spirit, participate in a Scoutmaster conference, and complete a board of review.
Parent perspective: Second Class is earned through participation and practice. Encourage your Scout to attend outings and keep track of activities, service hours, fitness dates, and skills completed.
First Class — Prepared to Lead and Contribute
First Class represents a strong foundation in the core skills of Scouting. Scouts demonstrate that they can function confidently on campouts, navigate outdoors, prepare meals, use knots and lashings, understand weather and environmental hazards, respond to first-aid emergencies, complete swimming and rescue skills, serve others, and teach a skill using the Teaching EDGE method.
First Class Scouts are prepared to take a more active role in helping their patrol and troop succeed. Completion includes Scout spirit, a Scoutmaster conference, and a board of review.
Parent perspective: Scout through First Class is primarily about learning and demonstrating practical skills. These ranks may be worked on simultaneously, but they must be awarded in sequence.
Star Scout — Leadership and Merit Badges
Star is the first rank that places major emphasis on sustained participation, merit badges, service, and leadership. After earning First Class, a Scout must remain active for the required period, earn the required number and combination of merit badges, complete approved service, and serve responsibly in an eligible leadership position or approved leadership project.
Completion also includes demonstrating Scout spirit, participating in a Scoutmaster conference, and completing a board of review.
Parent perspective: At this stage, planning becomes important. Encourage your Scout to track leadership dates, service hours, and merit badges in Scoutbook Plus and to meet regularly with troop leaders.
Life Scout — Preparing for Eagle
Life rank builds on the Star requirements with a longer period of active participation and leadership, additional merit badges, continued service, and the responsibility to teach another Scout using the Teaching EDGE method.
A Life Scout should begin looking carefully at the remaining Eagle-required merit badges, leadership timing, service records, and the Eagle Scout service project process. Completion includes Scout spirit, a Scoutmaster conference, and a board of review.
Parent perspective: Help with calendars, transportation, and organization, but allow the Scout to communicate with leaders, merit badge counselors, and project contacts. Eagle is intended to demonstrate the Scout’s own leadership.
Eagle Scout — The Highest Scouts BSA Rank
Eagle Scout is the culmination of the Scouts BSA advancement journey. A Life Scout must remain active for the required period, demonstrate Scout spirit, earn 21 merit badges, serve in an eligible leadership position, plan and lead an approved Eagle Scout service project, participate in a unit leader conference, complete the Eagle Scout rank application, and successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review.
As of February 27, 2026, Eagle requires 13 Eagle-required merit badges and eight additional merit badges. Citizenship in Society was discontinued; eligible Scouts who began it before that date have limited transition provisions through the end of 2026.
Parent perspective: Eagle requirements generally must be completed before the Scout’s 18th birthday. Start planning early, use the current Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and application, and work closely with the troop and council advancement teams.
How Advancement Is Completed
- Learn: The Scout learns a skill through instruction and practice.
- Test: An authorized leader confirms that the Scout completed the requirement as written.
- Review: The Scout participates in the required Scoutmaster conference and, for Tenderfoot through Eagle, a board of review.
- Recognize: The troop presents the rank as soon as practical and celebrates it formally at a court of honor.
How Parents Can Help
- Encourage regular attendance at meetings, campouts, and service projects.
- Help your Scout keep track of dates, records, and long-term requirements.
- Review progress together in Scoutbook Plus.
- Provide transportation and encouragement without completing the work for the Scout.
- Encourage your Scout to contact the appropriate youth or adult leader when help is needed.
- Remember that advancement is only one part of Scouting; outdoor experiences, friendships, service, and leadership matter too.
Important: This page is a family-friendly overview. It does not replace the current Scouts BSA Handbook, Scouts BSA Requirements book, Guide to Advancement, or official Eagle Scout materials. Requirements must be completed exactly as published; units may not add to or subtract from them.
View the official Scouts BSA rank requirements