Advancement
“Advancement is one of the eight methods used by Scout leaders to help youth fulfill the aims of the BSA.”
The outcomes of the Scouting experience should be fun and educational, and not just relate to completing rank requirements that might place unrealistic expectations on a member who has a disability.
Updates to the Guide to Advancement
- December 19, 2024
The Guide to Advancement has been updated and can be found https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/resources/
The majority of these changes were clarifications to reduce confusion and were based on feedback from the field. Significant changes may be found in Section 1.0.3.0. These changes will become effective on January 1, 2025.
For questions or concerns please email advancement.team@scouting.org
Merit Badge Updates for 2025
- December 10, 2024
Scouts BSA is excited to share the planned updates to Merit Badges that will take effect on January 1, 2025. These updates will be reflected in Scoutbook and on our online Merit Badge Hub (https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/) towards the end of December. These preliminary updates are subject to change before final implementation on January 1, 2025.
Per the Guide to Advancement (https://www.scouting.org/resources/guide-to-advancement/), Section 7.0.4.3, any Scout beginning to work on a merit badge must use the updated online Merit Badge Hub requirements. Scouts who have already started a Merit Badge may continue using the old requirements until the merit badge is completed or switch to the new requirements.
Download the Merit Badge Requirement Updates file here
Hazardous Weather Training Updates & FAQ
- December 19, 2024
In 2017, Hazardous Weather Training was made mandatory for all Direct Contact Leaders, however completion of this training has not been properly reflected in training reports. Effective the week of December 2, 2024 this training will be reflected in training reports. Please see the attached file for more information.
Download the Hazardous Weather Training Frequently Asked Questions file here
Cub Scout Program Updates Presentation
03/26/2024
A presentation is now available for those who want to present the Cub Scout program updates to Cub Scout Packs.
The slides are PDF files and you can find the presenter notes by clicking on the comments tab on each page.
Knife Safety Updates:
https://www.scouting.org/program-updates/knife-safety/
Arrow of Light and Webelos Updates:
https://www.scouting.org/program-updates/webelos-and-arrow-of-light-at-a-glance/
Scout and Life Rank Advancement Updates
03/04/2024
Beginning January 1, 2024, minor modifications to the Scouts BSA requirements for the ranks of Scout and Life will take effect. See “Program Updates – Advancement Updates 2024” https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SBSA-Advancement-Updates-2024-v2.pdf for more details. Scouts may continue using the existing requirements for the rank on which they are currently working. Scouts must use the new requirements once they advance to their next rank.
Program Updates:
https://www.scouting.org/program-updates/
Merit Badge Updates:
https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/
Scouts BSA Rank Requirement Updates
03/01/2024
BSA recently updated several rank requirements as well as several merit badge requirements. You can find the updates here: Advancement Updates 2024. Please review these changes as they affect Scout and Star ranks, Eagle Palms and at least 30 merit badges.
Scouts BSA Rank Requirement Updates
06/24/2022
"In 2021, all outdoor-related rank advancement requirements were reviewed and realigned based on guidance from the National Outdoor Ethics and Conservation Subcommittee. These adjustments will help more effectively build a Scout’s outdoor ethics knowledge and align with the information in the Scouts BSA Handbook and Fieldbook. The requirements now build in a logical way through the ranks, with Leave No Trace (LNT) and the Outdoor Code (OC) used as references throughout.
Beginning August 1, 2022, these minor modifications to the Scouts BSA requirements for the ranks of Scout through Star will take effect. Scouts may continue using the existing requirements for the rank on which they are currently working, or they may choose to use the new requirements. Scouts must use the new requirements once they advance to their next rank. On January 1, 2023, all Scouts must use only the new requirements.
The specific changes are detailed below.
In addition, beginning July 1, 2022, the Citizenship in Society merit badge becomes required for the rank of Eagle.
Finally, new videos were created to support “Personal Safety Awareness” (chapter 13) of the Scouts BSA Handbook. These can be used as an alternative to earning the Cyber Chip.
The specific changes can be found here."
Advancement Report Processing
Reporting Advancements to the council is required for all units. Using Scoutbook to record unit advancement and to print an advancement report is highly recommended; but some circumstances may necessitate use of the BSA Advancement form which can be found here.
According to the Guide to Advancement 2021, all rank and merit badges are restricted items and will not be sold without the required advancement report or proof that one has already been submitted prior to their purchase.
Blue Card Records
Even with Scoutbook, blue cards are the Scout's official record for having completed merit badges. Blue card records can be invaluable to confirm merit badges for Star, Life, and especially for Eagle Boards of Review.
The Scout office no longer "stamps" the blue cards as they have done in the past. It is advised that the Scout retain the blue cards for their records if verification of a merit badge needs to be confirmed as completed and signed off by a registered Merit Badge Counselor after turning in their Eagle Scout Project Workbook and Application.