Advancement is the process by which Scouts progress from rank to rank and promotes and encourages ongoing member involvement and commitment. The Advancement method provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps to overcome them. Scouts plan their advancement and progress at their own pace as they meet each challenge. Scouts are recognized and rewarded for each achievement, which helps them gain self-confidence. The steps in the Advancement system help a Scout grow self-reliance and the ability to help others. It works best when it is built into a unit’s program so participation leads to meaningful achievement, recognition, and a continually improving readiness for more complex experiences.
Tracking Advancement
Tracking a Scouts (Cub, Scouts BSA, Venturing) is done in a variety of ways:
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- Youth Handbook
- Blue Cards
- Scoutbook
- Troop Master
No matter how your Unit tracks advancement, remember to enter it in Scoutbook Plus, to create the National BSA record. By recording advancement in IA you can:
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- Generate purchase reports
- Ensure all requirements for advancement are met
- Ensure Eagle Application prints properly
- Allow Units to run advancement reports on individual Scouts
The easiest method for entering the information is to use the Scoutbook app provided to all Units and families as a part of your charter & registration fees. Scoutbook also has a parent app found on both Android & IOS.
Merit Badge Counselors
The merit badge counselor is a key player in the Scouting America advancement program. Whatever your area of expertise or interest—whether it is a special craft or hobby (basketry, leatherwork, coin collecting), a profession (veterinary medicine, aviation, engineering), or perhaps a life skill (cooking, personal management, communications)—as a merit badge counselor, you can play a vital role in stirring a young man’s curiosity about that particular topic. By serving as a merit badge counselor, you offer your time, knowledge, and other resources so that Scouts can explore a topic of interest.
Information For Merit Badge Counselors
Board of Review
A periodic review of the progress of a Scout is vital for the effectiveness of the Scouting program in the unit. The unit committee can judge how well the Scout being reviewed benefits from the program. The unit leader can measure the effectiveness of his or her leadership. Scouts can sense that they are, or are not, advancing properly and can be encouraged to make the most of their Scouting experience.
Not only is it important to review those Scouts who have learned and been tested for a rank, but also to review those Scouts who have shown no progress in their advancement over the past few months.
Participants in a Board of Review must keep these objectives in mind:
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- Ensure the Scout has completed the requirements for the rank.
- Evaluate the experience the Scout is having in the unit.
- Encourage the Scout to progress further.
When is a board of review required?
Cub Scouts: Boards of review are not required at any level.
Scouts BSA: Board of review required for every rank from Tenderfoot to Eagle Scout. (See rank requirements here.)
Venturing: Board of review required for Discovery, Pathfinder, and Summit awards. (See a Venturing board of review guide here).
Sea Scouts: Bridge of review is required for all ranks. (Learn more here)
Eagle Scout Information
Find all the information regarding the Eagle Scout process on our Eagle Scout Process page.
Contacts
Helpful Links
Advancement News Newsletter Archive
Advancement Resources Page – Scouts, BSA & Venturing Advancement Resources
Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook
Cub Scout Adventure Requirements Side-by-Side Ranks
Merit Badge Counselor Information
