Boy Scout Rank Requirements

 

Scout Badge

(Boy Scout Joining Requirements)

  1. 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.
  2. Complete a Boy Scout application and health history signed by your parent or guardian.
  3. Find a Scout troop near your home.
  4. Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance.
  5. Demonstrate the Scout sign, salute, and handshake.
  6. Demonstrate tying the square knot (joining knot).
  7. Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or Promise, Law, motto, and slogan, and the Outdoor Code.
  8. Describe the Scout badge.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

 

 

Tenderfoot

The requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks may be worked on simultaneously; however, these ranks must be earned in sequence.

  1. 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.
  2. Spend at least one night on a patrol or troop campout. Sleep in a tent you have helped pitch.
  3. On a campout, assist in preparing and cooking one of your patrol's meals. Tell why it is important for each patrol member to share in meal preparation and cleanup, and explain the importance of eating together.
    1. Demonstrate how to whip and fuse the ends of a rope.
    2. Demonstrate that you know how to tie the following knots and tell what their uses are: two half hitches and the taut-line hitch.
  5. Explain the rules of safe hiking, both on a highway and cross-country, during the day and at night. Explain what to do if you are lost.
  6. Demonstrate how to display, raise, lower, and fold the American flag.
  7. Repeat from memory and explain in your own words the Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan.
  8. Know your patrol name, give the patrol yell, and describe your patrol flag.
  9. Explain why we use the buddy system in Scouting.
    1. Record your best in the following tests:

      Current results

        Pushups _______
        Pull-ups _______
        Sit-ups _______
        Standing long jump (_______ft _______in)
        1/4-mile walk/run _______

      30 days later

        Pushups _______
        Pull-ups _______
        Sit-ups _______
        Standing long jump (_______ft _______in)
        1/4-mile walk/run _______

    2. Show improvement in the activities listed in requirement 10a after practicing for 30 days.
  11. Identify local poisonous plants; tell how to treat for exposure to them.
    1. Demonstrate the Heimlich maneuver and tell when it is used.
    2. Show first aid for the following:
        Simple cuts and scratches
        Blisters on the hand and foot
        Minor burns or scalds (first degree)
        Bites or stings of insects and ticks
        Poisonous snakebite
        Nosebleed
        Frostbite and sunburn

  13. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
  14. Complete your board of review.

________
NOTE: Alternate requirements for the Tenderfoot rank are available for Scouts with physical or mental disabilities if they meet the criteria.

 

 

Second Class

The requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks may be worked on simultaneously; however, these ranks must be earned in sequence.

    1. Demonstrate how a compass works and how to orient a map. Explain what map symbols mean.
    2. Using a compass and map together, take a 5-mile hike (or 10 miles by bike) approved by your adult leader and your parent or guardian.
        If you use a wheelchair or crutches, or if it is difficult for you to get around, you may substitute "trip" for "hike" in this requirement.

    1. Since joining, have participated in five separate troop/patrol activities (other than troop/patrol meetings), two of which included camping overnight.
    2. On one of these campouts, select your patrol site and sleep in a tent that you pitched.
    3. On one campout, demonstrate proper care, sharpening, and use of the knife, saw, and ax, and describe when they should be used.
    4. Use the tools listed in requirement 2c to prepare tinder, kindling, and fuel for a cooking fire.
    5. Discuss when it is appropriate to use a cooking fire and a light-weight stove. Discuss the safety procedures for using both.
    6. Demonstrate how to light a fire and a lightweight stove.
    7. 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.
  3. Participate in a flag ceremony for your school, religious institution, chartered organization, community, or troop activity.
  4. Participate in an approved (minimum of one hour) service project.
  5. Identify or show evidence of at least ten kinds of wild animals (birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, mollusks) found in your community.
    1. Show what to do for "hurry" cases of stopped breathing, serious bleeding, and internal poisoning.
    2. Prepare a personal first aid kit to take with you on a hike.
    3. Demonstrate 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.

    1. Tell what precautions must be taken for a safe swim.
    2. Demonstrate your ability to jump feetfirst into water over your head in depth, level off and swim 25 feet on the surfasce, stop, turn sharply, resume swimming, then return to your starting place.
        This requirement may be waived by the troop committee for medical or safety reasons.

    3. Demonstrate water rescue methods by reaching with your arm or leg, by reaching with a suitable object, and by throwing lines and objects.
        This requirement may be waived by the troop committee for medical or safety reasons.

      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.

  8. Participate in a school, community, or troop program on the dangers of using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and other practices that could be harmful to your health. Discuss your participation in the program with your family.
  9. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  10. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
  11. Complete your board of review.

________
NOTE: Alternate requirements for the Second Class rank are available for Scouts with physical or mental disabilities if they meet the criteria.

 

 

First Class

The requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks may be worked on simultaneously; however, these ranks must be earned in sequence.

  1. Demonstrate how to find directions during the day and at night without using a compass.
  2. Using a compass, complete an orienteering course that covers at least one mile and requires measuring the height and/or width of designated items (tree, tower, canyon, ditch, etc.).
  3. Since joining, have participated in ten separate troop/patrol activities (other than troop/patrol meetings), three of which included camping overnight.
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. Tell which pans, utensils, and other gear will be needed to cook and serve these meals.
    4. Explain the procedures to follow to 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.
    5. One one campout, 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.
  5. Visit and discuss with a selected individual approved by your leader (elected official, judge, attorney, civil servant, principal, teacher) your Constitutional rights and obligations as a U.S. citizen.
  6. Identify or show evidence of at least ten kinds of native plants found in your community.
    1. Discuss when you should and should not use lashings.
    2. Demonstrate tying the timber hitch and clove hitch and their use in square, shear, and diagonal lashings by joining two or more poles or staves together.
    3. Use lashing to make a useful camp gadget.
    1. Demonstrate tying the bowline knot and describe several ways it can be used.
    2. Demonstrate bandages for a sprained ankle and for injuries on the head, the upper arm, and the collarbone.
    3. Show how to transport by yourself, and with one other person, a person:
        From a smoke-filled room
        With a sprained ankle, for at least 25 yards

    4. Tell the five most common signs of a heart attack. Explain the steps (procedures) in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
    1. Tell what precautions must be taken for a safe trip afloat.
    2. Successfully complete the BSA swimmer test.
        This requirement may be waived by the troop committee for medical or safety reasons.

    3. 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.
        This requirement may be waived by the troop committee for medical or safety reasons.

    4. 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.)
  10. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  11. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference.
  12. Complete your board of review.

________
NOTE: Alternate requirements for the First Class rank are available for Scouts with physical or mental disabilities if they meet the criteria.

 

 

Star Scout

  1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 4 months as a First Class Scout.
  2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  3. Earn six merit badges, including four from the required list for Eagle.
    Name of Merit Badge
    ________________________________ (required for Eagle)
    ________________________________ (required for Eagle)
    ________________________________ (required for Eagle)
    ________________________________ (required for Eagle)
    ________________________________
    ________________________________
      See the Eagle requirements for a complete list of Eagle required merit badges.

  4. 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.
  5. While a First Class Scout, serve actively for 4 months in one or more of the following troop positions of responsibility (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop):
      Boy Scout troop
      Patrol leader,
      assistant senior patrol leader,
      senior patrol leader,
      troop guide,
      den chief,
      scribe,
      librarian,
      historian,
      quartermaster,
      bugler,
      junior assistant Scoutmaster,
      chaplain aide,
      instructor, or
      Venture patrol leader.

      Varsity Scout team
      Captain,
      cocaptain,
      program manager,
      squad leader,
      team secretary,
      librarian,
      historian,
      quartermaster,
      chaplain aide,
      instructor, or
      den chief.

      Venture crew/ship
      President,
      vice president,
      secrertary,
      treasurer,
      boatswain,
      boatswain's mate,
      yeoman,
      purser, or
      storekeeper.

  6. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference.
  7. Complete your board of review.

 

Life Scout

  1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 6 months as a Star Scout.
  2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  3. Earn five more merit badges (so that you have 11 in all), including any three more from the required list for Eagle.
    Name of Merit Badge
    ________________________________ (required for Eagle)
    ________________________________ (required for Eagle)
    ________________________________ (required for Eagle)
    ________________________________
    ________________________________
      A Scout may choose any of the 15 required merit badges in the 12 categories to fulfill this requirement. See the Eagle requirements for a complete list of Eagle required merit badges.

  4. While a Star Scout, take part in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster.
  5. While a Star Scout, serve actively for 6 months in one or more of the troop positions of responsibility listed in requirement 5 for Star Scout (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop).
  6. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference.
  7. Complete your board of review.

 

Eagle Scout

  1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 6 months as a Life Scout.
  2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  3. Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following:
    1. First Aid,
    2. Citizenship in the Community,
    3. Citizenship in the Nation,
    4. Citizenship in the World,
    5. Communications,
    6. Personal Fitness,
    7. Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving,
        (You must choose only one of these two merit badges. If you have earned more than one of the badges listed, choose one and list the remaining badge to make your total of 21.)

    8. Environmental Science,
    9. Personal Management,
    10. Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling,
        (You must choose only one of these three merit badges. If you have earned more than one of the badges listed, choose one and list the remaining badges to make your total of 21.)

    11. Camping, and
    12. Family Life.
      Name of Merit Badge
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
      ________________________________
  4. While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period of 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility:
      Boy Scout troop
      Patrol leader,
      assistant senior patrol leader,
      senior patrol leader,
      troop guide,
      den chief,
      scribe,
      librarian,
      historian,
      quartermaster,
      junior assistant Scoutmaster,
      chaplain aide,
      instructor, or
      Venture patrol leader.

      Varsity Scout team
      Captain,
      cocaptain,
      program manager,
      squad leader,
      team secretary,
      librarian,
      quartermaster,
      chaplain aide,
      instructor, or
      den chief.

      Venture crew/ship
      President,
      vice president,
      secrertary,
      treasurer,
      boatswain,
      boatswain's mate,
      yeoman,
      purser, or
      storekeeper.

  5. 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 Scouting.) The project idea must be approved by the organization benefitting from your effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 18-927A, in meeting this requirement.
  6. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference.
  7. Complete your board of review.

________
NOTE: If you have a permanent physical or mental disability you may become an Eagle Scout by qualifying for as many required merit badges as you can and qualifying for alternate merit badges for the rest. If you seek to become an Eagle under this procedure, you must submit a special application to your council service center. Your application must be approved by your council committee on advancement BEFORE YOU CAN WORK ON ALTERNATE MERIT BADGES.

 

 

 

Eagle Palms

After becoming an Eagle Scout, you may earn Palms by completing the following requirements:

  1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 3 months after becoming an Eagle Scout or after award of last Palm.
  2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  3. Make a satisfactory effort to develop and demonstrate leadership ability.
  4. Earn five additional merit badges beyond those required for Eagle or last palm.
      Merit badges earned any time since becoming a Boy Scout may be used to meet this requirement.

  5. Take Part in a Scoutmaster conference.
  6. Complete your board of review.

You may wear only the proper combination of Palms for the number of merit badges you earned beyond the rank of Eagle. The Bronze Palm represents 5 merit badges, the Gold Palm 10, and the Silver Palm 15.

 

Eagle Palm Combinations: A Scout that has earned the following numbers of merit badges wears the number of palms indicated (assuming he has been active for the appropriate periods since earning his Eagle):

Merit Badges Bronze Palms Gold Palms Silver Palms
26 one    
31   one  
36     one
41 one   one
46   one one
51     two
56 one   two
61   one two
66     three
etc.