Rank Requirements

 

 
Scout rank badge

How to Earn the Rank of Scout

  • Meet the requirements: any 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 of age.
  • Submit a completed Boy Scout application and health history signed by your parent or guardian.
  • Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance.
  • Demonstrate the Scout sign, salute, and handshake.
  • Show how to tie a square knot.
  • Understand and agree to live by: The Scout Oath.*** The Scout Law.*** The Scout Motto.*** The Scout Slogan.*** Outdoor Code.
  • Describe the Scout badge.
  • With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Child From Drug and Child Abuse.
  • Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
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Tenderfoot rank badge

 

How to Earn the Rank of Tenderfoot

  • Present yourself to your leader, properly dressed, before going on an overnight camping trip. Show the camping gear you will use. Show the right way to pack and carry it.
  • Spend at least 1 night on a patrol or troop camp out. Sleep in a tent you have pitched on a ground bed you have prepared.
  • Demonstrate the following: How to whip and fuse the ends of a rope.*** Tying two half hitches and a tautline hitch.
  • Explain the rules of safe hiking, both on the highway and cross country, during the day and at night. Explain what to do if you are lost.
  • Demonstrate how to display, raise, lower and fold the American flag.
  • Repeat from memory and explain in your own words: The Scout Oath.*** The Scout Law.*** The Scout Motto.*** The Scout Slogan.
  • Know your patrol name, give the patrol yell and describe the patrol flag.
  • Explain why we use the buddy system in scouting.
  • Record your best in the following tests: Push-ups*** Pull-ups*** Sit-ups*** Standing long jump*** Run/walk 500 yards
  • After 30 Days show improvement in the above tests.
  • Identify local poisonous plants; tell how to treat for exposure to them.
  • Demonstrate the Heimlich maneuver and tell when it is used.
  • Show first aid for the following: Simple cuts and scratches*** Blisters on the hand and foot*** Minor burns and scalds (first degree)*** Bites or stings of insects and ticks*** Poisonous snakebite*** Nosebleed*** Frostbite and sunburn
  • Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
  • Complete the board of review.
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Second Class rank badge

How to Earn the Rank of Second Class
  • Demonstrate how a compass works and how to orient a map. Explain what map symbols mean.
  • Using a compass and a map you've drawn, take a 5-mile hike (or 10 miles on bike) approved by your adult leader and your parent or guardian.
  • Since joining, have participated in 5 separate Troop/Patrol activities (other than Troop/Patrol meetings), 2 of which included camping overnight.
  • On one of these campouts, select your patrol site and sleep in a tent that you pitched.
  • On a camp out, demonstrate proper care, sharpening, and use of knife, ax, and saw, and describe when they should be used.

 

  • Use the tools listed above to prepare tinder, kindling, and fuel for a cooking fire.
  • Use the tools listed above to prepare tinder, kindling, and fuel for a cooking fire.
  • Discuss when it is appropriate to use a cooking fire and a lightweight stove. Discuss the safety procedures for using both
  • Demonstrate how to light a fire and a lightweight stove

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  • On one campout, plan and cook over an open fire one hot breakfast or lunch for yourself, selecting foods from the four basic food groups. Explain the importance of good nutrition. Tell how to transport, store, and prepare the foods you selected.
  • Participate in a flag ceremony for your school, religious institution, chartered organization, community, or Troop activity.
  • Participate in an approved service project (minimum of 1 hour).
  • Identify or show evidence of at least 10 wild animals found in your community.
  • Show what to do for hurry cases of stopped breathing, serious bleeding, and internal poisoning.
  • Prepare a personal first aid kit to take with you on a trip.
  • Show first aid for the following: Object in the eye*** Bite of a suspected rabid animal*** Puncture wounds from a splinter, nail and fish hook*** Serious burns (second degree)*** Heat exhaustion*** Shock*** Heatstroke, dehydration, hypothermia, and hyperventilation
  • Tell what precautions must be taken for a safe swim. Demonstrate your ability to jump feet first into water over your head in depth, level off and swim 25 feet on the surface, stop, turn sharply, resume swimming, then return to your starting place. +
  • Demonstrate water rescue methods by reaching with your arm or leg, by reaching with a suitable object, and by throwing lines and objects.+ Explain why swimming rescues should not be attempted when a reaching or throwing rescue is possible, and explain why and how a rescue swimmer should avoid contact with the victim.
  • Participate in a school, community, or Troop program on the dangers of using drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other practices that are harmful to your health. Discuss your participation with your family.
  • Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  • Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
  • Complete the board of review.
  • THOSE REQUIREMENT MARKED WITH (+) may be waived by the troop committee for medical or safety reasons.

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First Class rank badge

How to Earn the Rank of First Class
  • Demonstrate how to find directions during the day and at night without using the compass.
  • Using a compass, complete an orienteering course that covers at least 1 mile and requires measuring the height and/or width of designated items (tree, tower, canyon, ditch, etc.)
  • Since joining, have participated in ten separate troop/patrol activities (other that troop/patrol meetings), three of which include camping over night
  • Help plan a patrol menu for one campout-including one breakfast, lunch, and dinner-that requires cooking. Tell how the menu includes the four basic food groups and meets nutritional needs.
  • Using the menu planned in requirement 4a, make a list showing the cost and food amounts needed to feed three or more boys and secure the ingredients.
  • Tell which pans, utensils, and other gear will be needed to cook and serve these meals.
  • Explain the procedures to follow in the safe handling and storage of fresh meats, dairy products, eggs, vegetables, and other perishable food products. Tell how to properly dispose of camp garbage, cans, plastic containers, and other rubbish.
  • On one camp-out, serve as your patrol's cook. Supervise your assistant(s) in using a stove or building a cooking fire. Prepare the breakfast, lunch, and dinner planned in requirement 4a. Lead your patrol in saying grace at the meals, and supervise cleanup.
  • Visit and discuss with a selected individual approved by your leader (elected official, judge, attorney, civil servant, principal, teacher) your constitution rights and obligations as a US citizen.
  • Identify or show evidence of at least 10 kinds of native plants found in your community.
  • Discuss when you should and should not use lashings.
  • Demonstrate tying the timber hitch and clove hitch and their use in a square, shear, and diagonal lashing by joining 2 or more poles or staves together.
  • Use lashings to make a useful camp gadget.
  • Demonstrate tying the bowline (rescue) knot and tell how it's used in rescues.
  • Demonstrate bandages for a sprained ankle and for injuries on the head, the upper arm, collarbone.
  • Show how to transport (by yourself and with one other person) a person: from a smoke filled room*** with a broken leg (for at least 25 yards)
  • Tell the five most common signs of a heart attack. Explain the steps (procedures) in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
  • Tell what precautions must be taken for a safe trip afloat.
  • Demonstrate your ability to swim 75 yards using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards using an easy resting backstroke , and finish by floating (rest) as motionless as possible for 1 minute (BSA swimmers test).+
  • Demonstrate survival skills by leaping into deep water wearing clothes (shoes, socks, swim trunks, long pants, belt, and long sleeved shirt). Remove shoes and socks, inflate the shirt, and show that you can float using the shirt for support. Remove and inflate the pants for support. Swim 50 feet using the inflated pants for support, then show how to reinflate the pants while using them for support.+
  • With a helper and a practice victim, show a line rescue both as tender and as rescuer. (The practice victim should be approximately 30 feet from shore in deep water.)
  • Demonstrate scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  • Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
  • Complete the board of review.
(+) This requirement may be waived by the troop committee for medical or safety reasons.
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Star rank  badge

How to Earn the Rank of Star
  • Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 4 months as First Class Scout
  • Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  • Earn 6 merit badges, including 4 from the required list for Eagle.
  • While a First Class Scout, take part in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster.
  • While a First Class Scout, serve actively 4 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership to help the troop/team): in a Boy Scout troop: Patrol Leader*** Senior Patrol Leader*** Assistant Senior Patrol Leader*** Troop Guide*** Den Chief*** Scribe*** Librarian*** Historian*** Quartermaster*** Bugler*** Junior Assistant Scoutmaster*** Chaplain Aide*** Instructor***. 
  •  If you are in a Varsity Scout team do one or more of the following: Captain*** Co-captain*** Program manager*** Squad leader*** Team secretary*** Librarian*** Historian*** Quartermaster*** Chaplain Aide*** Instructor*** Den Chief
  • Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
  • Complete the board of review.

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Life rank badge

How to Earn the Rank of Life
  • Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 6 months as Star Scout

  • Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.

  • Earn 5 more merit badges (so that you have 11 in all), including any 3 from the required list for Eagle.

  • While a Star Scout, take part in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster.

  • While a Star Scout, serve actively 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership to help the troop/team): in a Boy Scout troop }}} Patrol Leader*** Senior Patrol Leader*** Assistant Senior Patrol Leader*** Troop Guide*** Den Chief*** Scribe*** Librarian*** Historian*** Quartermaster*** Bugler*** Junior Assistant Scoutmaster*** Chaplain Aide*** Instructor

  • Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.

  • Complete the board of review.

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Eagle rank badge

How to Earn the Rank of Eagle
  • Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 6 months as Life Scout
  • Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  • Earn 10 more merit badges (so that you have 21 in all), including the following: First Aid*** Citizenship in the Community*** Citizenship in the Nation*** Citizenship in the World*** Communications*** Personal Fitness*** Emergency Preparedness*** or Lifesaving Environmental Science*** Personal Management*** Swimming*** or Hiking or Cycling Camping*** Family Life
  • While a Life Scout, serve actively 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility: in a Boy Scout troop }}} Senior Patrol Leader*** Assistant Senior Patrol Leader*** Troop Guide*** Den Chief*** Scribe*** Librarian*** Historian*** Quartermaster*** Bugler*** Junior Assistant Scoutmaster*** Chaplain Aide*** Instructor*** or in a Varsity Scout team }}} Captain*** Cocaptain*** Program manager*** Squad leader*** Team secretary*** Librarian*** Historian*** Quartermaster*** Chaplain Aide*** Instructor*** Den Chief
  • While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project should benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) The project idea must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Life to Eagle packet, BSA publication No.18-927, in meeting this requirement.
  • Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
  • Complete the board of review.

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