This page was assembled by Chris P. our Advancement Chairman.  We use this information to help the incoming WEBELOS parents adjust to the Boy Scouts.
 
 

 The Boy Scout program is for 11 – 17 year old boys and focuses on achieving the BSA’s three-fold mission of developing character, citizenship and personal fitness through a vigorous program focused on outdoor activities.  It is here that the Parents role becomes fully supportive.  You are no longer required to attend meetings or activities.  Your son will begin learning leadership and teamwork skills on his own.  A Scoutmaster will be leading your boys in all activities.  Your basic function here is to make sure they get to where they need to be and provide them with all the resources they need.

 What resources do they need?  They will need to have the proper clothing and equipment for campouts and hikes.  They may have food assignments for campouts that not only affect them, but the other scouts who were counting on them.  They need to have good things to eat – don’t send them off on a 3-day campout with only a box of Hostess Cupcakes and some Hershey Bars!  As Scouts get older, they can become distracted by other activities like driving a car, dating, sports or any number of other activities.  This is why only 4% of all Scouts ever become Eagles.  Your job as a parent will be to lovingly remind them of their goals.  I imagine there would be far fewer Eagle Scouts if parents had not kept after their Scouts to finish the program.

 I have yet to meet a parent who was not proud of their Eagle Scout.  It is an accomplishment that shows true character.  Show me an Eagle, and I will show you a person who can set and achieve difficult goals.  Show me an Eagle, and I will show you a responsible, valuable citizen.  Show me an Eagle, and I will show you a parent who has assisted, supported and nurtured a little boy all the way through the ranks of Scouting so that he could stand on his own.
 
 

The Four Steps of ADVANCEMENT for a Boy Scout are:

1. THE BOY SCOUT LEARNS. A Scout learns by doing. As he learns, he grows in ability to do his part as a member of the patrol and the troop. As he develops knowledge and skill, he is asked to teach others; and in this way he begins to develop leadership.

2. THE BOY SCOUT IS TESTED. His patrol leader, Scoutmaster, assistant Scoutmaster, a troop committee member, or a member of his troop may test a Scout on rank requirements.  The Scout's merit badge counselor teaches and tests on the requirements for merit badges.

3. THE BOY SCOUT IS REVIEWED. After a Scout has completed all requirements for a rank, he has a board of review. Members of the troop committee conduct the review, except for the Eagle Scout board of review, which is conducted with help from outside the troop.

4. THE BOY SCOUT IS RECOGNIZED. When the board of review has certified a boy's advancement, he receives recognition at a formal court of honor.
 
 

Meet age requirements. Be a boy who has completed the fifth grade or is 11 years old, or has earned the Arrow of Light Award but is under 18 years old.

Complete a Boy Scout application and health history signed by your parent or guardian.

Find a Scout troop near your home.

Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance.

Demonstrate the Scout sign, salute, and handshake.

Demonstrate tying the square knot (a joining knot).

Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or promise, Law, motto, and slogan, and the Outdoor Code.

Describe the Scout badge.

Complete the pamphlet exercises. With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide

Participate in a Scoutmaster conference. Turn in your Boy Scout application and health history form signed by your parent or guardian, then participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
 
 

Spend at least one night on a patrol or troop campout.
On the campout, assist in preparing and cooking one of his patrol's meals.
Learn how to tie some useful knots.
Learn the rules of safe hiking and what to do if he got lost.
Demonstrated how to display, raise, lower, and fold the American flag.
Learn the Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan.
Learn about his patrol.
Learn why we use the buddy system in Scouting.
Recorded his best results in the some physical fitness tests, then showed improvement after practicing for 30 days.
Learn to identify local poisonous plants and how to treat for exposure to them.
Learn about the Heimlich maneuver.
Learn first aid for the type of problems encountered on camping trips.
 
 

Learn how a compass works and how to orient a map.
Using a compass and a map together, take a 5-mile hike.
Participated in five separate troop/patrol activities, two of which included camping overnight.
On one of these campouts, selected the patrol site and slept in a tent that he pitched.
On one campout, demonstrated proper care, sharpening, and use of the knife, saw, & axe.
Learn when to use a cooking fire and a stove’ and the safety procedures for using both.
Demonstrated how to light a fire and a stove and a hot breakfast or lunch for himself.
Participated in a flag ceremony for a troop activity.
Participated in a service project.
Identified at least ten kinds of wild animals found in his community.
Showed what to do for "hurry" cases of stopped breathing, serious bleeding, and internal poisoning.
Prepared a personal first aid kit to take with him on a hike.
Learn some more first aid for the type of problems that he could encounter on camping trips.
Learnt what precautions must be taken for a safe swim.
Demonstrated that he could to jump into deep water and then swim back to the dock.
Demonstrated water rescue methods.
Participated a program on the dangers of using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco and other practices that could be harmful to his health.

Demonstrated how to find directions during the day and at night without using a compass.
Using a compass, completed an orienteering course that covered at least one mile.
Participated in ten separate troop/patrol activities, three of which included camping overnight.
On one campout, planned and served as his patrol's cook for all the cooked meals.
Visited and discussed with a selected individual his Constitutional rights and obligations as a U.S. citizen.
Identified at least ten kinds of native plants found in his community.
Learn how to tie some more useful knots.
Used lashing to make a useful camp gadget.
Learn some more useful first aid including the signs of a heart attack occasionally demonstrated by scoutmasters and how to perform CPR.
Learn what precautions must be taken for a safe trip afloat.
Successfully completed the BSA swimmer test.
Learn survival skills by leaping into deep water wearing clothes and how to inflate his shirt his pants and use them for support.
Demonstrated a line rescue both as tender and as rescuer.
 
 

1. Been active in his troop and patrol for at least 4 months as a First Class Scout.
2. Earned 6 merit badges
3. Take part in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work.
4. Served actively 4 months in one of the troop positions of responsibility
 
 

1. Been active in his troop and patrol for at least 6 months as a Star Scout.
2. Earned 5 more merit badges
3. Taken part in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work.
4. Served actively 6 months in one of the troop positions of responsibility
 
 

1. Been active in his troop and patrol for at least 6 months as a Life Scout.
2. Earned 10 more merit badges – making a total of 21
3. Served actively 6 months in one of the troop positions of responsibility
4. Planned, developed, and given leadership to others in a service project helpful to his community.
 

Eagle Palm Rank Requirements
1. Been active in his troop and patrol for at least 3 months after becoming an Eagle Scout or after the award of your last Palm.
2. Made a satisfactory effort to develop and demonstrate leadership ability.
3. Earned five additional merit badges beyond those required for Eagle or last Palm.
 

Scouting is a boy-run program.  However, learning how to lead and plan does not usually come naturally.  The boys need guidance in their efforts.  This does not mean that they need to follow all the suggestions given to them by adults; it means that they probably could use some suggestions so that they can begin to make up their own minds. 

Scoutmaster

The primary adult providing leadership and training for the boys is the Scoutmaster. The Scoutmaster is the adviser to the Patrol Leaders’ Council (PLC) and reserves the right to veto anything that he believes would be harmful to the troop or contrary to the Rules and Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America.  The wise Scoutmaster, however, will seldom have to exercise this authority.  He should guide the patrol leaders’ council with careful suggestions and mature insights.  In this way the council will be trained to appreciate good judgment in activities and programs, as well as planning and executing the programs that it creates. 

The Scoutmaster also conducts Junior Leader Training (JLT) twice a year for all scouts taking a new leadership position.  Every six months the troop conducts elections for the new troop positions.

Assistant Scoutmasters

The first line of adult support for the Scoutmaster is the Assistant Scoutmaster.  In Troop 402, the Assistant Scoutmasters are adults that: 

• Are uniformed; 
• Have demonstrated their willingness and ability to work with a number of boys, not just their son; 
• Have taken Scoutmaster Fundamentals; and 
• Are recommended by the Scoutmaster.

Other Registered Adults

All adults are encouraged to become registered members of the troop.  When registering for the first time, they are registered as Committee Members.  In Troop 402, the Committee Member position can be a stepping stone to an Assistant Scoutmaster position by doing the steps mentioned under Assistant Scoutmaster.  Or the Committee Member can be an adult who works under the direction of the Committee Chairman whose primary responsibility is supporting the Scoutmaster in delivering a quality troop program and handling troop administration.

A common position for a new adult leader planning to work with the boys is that of Patrol Advisor (both Assistant Scoutmasters and Committee Members can be Patrol Advisors).  A Patrol Advisor is an adult who provides guidance to a patrol - the Advisor does not run the patrol.  The goal is to have an Advisor for each patrol.  This will usually be a parent whose son is in that patrol.

Adult Assignments

Responsibilities of Assistant Scoutmasters and Patrol Advisors depend on the qualifications and interests of the respective adult.  Examples of responsibilities include: 

• Serve as the troop leader in the absence of the Scoutmaster. 
• Be responsible to the Scoutmaster for program and activities of the troop. 
• Participate in monthly camping/hiking activities of the troop and provide assistance as requested by the Scoutmaster. 
• Work with Assistant Senior Patrol Leader in administering troop operations. 
• Work with Webelos Den leaders related to the Troop. 
• Coordinate joint Webelos Den-Troop activities. 
• Be responsible for the troop’s participation in district and council activities. 
• Attend training courses and District roundtable. 
• Be responsible for the care of all troop equipment. 
• Serve as adviser for a patrol. 
• Serve as a resource person for the patrol. 
• Attend patrol meetings regularly (patrol meetings are held at troop meetings). 
• Involve the resources of the Scout families to benefit the troop. 
• Support the Patrol Leader with advice and counseling. 
• Aid the Patrol Leader in planning activities. 
Report to the Scoutmaster on patrol needs.