What is Advancement?

2008 Boy Scout Rank Requirement Changes

Advancement Principles

Online Internet Advancement Reporting

Cub Scout Advancement

Boy Scout Advancement

Varsity Scouts & Venturers Advancement

Scouts With Disabilities

What is Advancement?

Advancement is one of the eight traditional methods used in Scouting to achieve the Aims of Scouting. Advancement is the process by which youth members of the Boy Scouts of America progress from rank to rank in the Scouting program. Advancement is simply a means to an end, not an end in itself. Everything done to advance and earn these ranks, from joining until leaving the program, should be designed to help the young person have an exciting and meaningful experience.

Education and fun are functions of the Scouting movement, and they must be the basis of the advancement program. A fundamental purpose of advancement is the self-confidence a young man acquires from his participation in a troop.

Requirements serve as the basis for a Scout's rank advancement. The four steps to advancement are learning, testing, reviewing, and recognition.

A fundamental principle of advancement in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing is the growth a young person achieves as a result of his/her participation in unit program.

One of the major avenues of achievement in Scouting is advancing from rank to rank. To advance, a youth member fulfills specific requirements, usually including active participation, skill achievement, service to others, and leadership experience.

The Advancement Committee Guide #33088 includes important advancement policies and procedures. It includes a Venturing section and many other guidelines for district and council Scouters responsible for advancement.

Advancement Principles

Council and district advancement committees implement procedures that help achieve the following advancement principles.

Personal growth is the prime consideration in the advancement program. Scouting skills—what a young person knows how to do—are important, but they are not the most important aspect of advancement. Scouting's concern is the total growth of youth. This growth may be measured by how youth live the Scouting ideals, and how they do their part in their daily lives.

Learning by doing. A Cub Scout, Boy Scout, or Venturer may read about fire building or good citizenship. He/she may hear it discussed, and watch others in action, but he/she has not learned first aid until he/she has done it.

Each youth progresses at his or her own rate. Advancement is not a competition among individual young people, but is an expression of their interest and participation in the program. Youth must be encouraged to advance steadily and set their own goals with guidance from their parents, guardians, or leaders.

A badge is recognition of what a young person is able to do, not merely a reward for what he or she has done. The badge is proof of certain abilities, and is not just a reward for the completion of a task.

Advancement encourages Scouting ideals. Scouting teaches a young person how to care for himself/herself and help others. Advancement should reflect the desire to live the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, or Venturing Oath in his/her daily life.

Online Internet Advancement Reporting

Internet Advancement enables units to process ranks and awards for youth members in packs, troops, teams, crews, ships and posts. You will need to contact your district advancement chairperson to determine when the Internet Advancement process will become available and acquire the necessary information to access the system.

Use Online Internet Advancement reporting to record awards, ranks, and merit badges to youth from any online location, including at home or at the office. You will be able to add new ranks and awards to your member records and to update existing ranks and awards, should the earned date displayed be incorrect according to the unit’s records.

Use Internet Advancement for the following:

• Add ranks, merit badges and awards.
  Update information on existing advancements (excepting the Eagle Scout rank).

To Use Internet Advancement:

• Select a unit advancement processor. This person must have Internet connectivity and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later with JavaScript enabled. MAC users can not use Internet Advancement through the MAC OS.

Obtain a unit ID code from the Council or at Roundtable.

• Gather information for advancement, including merit badge applications and advancement records with dates.
• Click Internet Advancement below. Follow the online instructions to process advancements and print an advancement report.
• Have the appropriate people sign the printed unit advancement report and submit it to the Council. Save a copy for your files.
• Units should submit advancements before the end of each month, or more often if needed. In December, submit a report before the end of the month to update your unit and Council statistics.