Advancement is just one of the methods of Scouting. The methods of Scouting include:
- Ideals – such as the Scout Oath
- Patrols – how the Scouts organize and collaborate
- Outdoor Programs – Scouting is designed to take place outdoors
- Advancement – achievements
- Association with Adults – guidance, and learning to work with adults
- Personal Growth – moral learning, community
- Leadership Development – understand and experience leadership and responsibility
- Uniform – identity and representation as Scouts
More information about Scouting methods is here.
Every Scout has the opportunity to engage with Scouting in a way that suits them. We expect all Scouts in Troop 56 to attain the Scout Rank so they have an understanding of what Scouting is and how the troop works.
Rank Advancement
Rank Advancement marks growth of a Scout from basic tenets of Scouting, through more and more skills, service, and leadership.
Ranks
Some of this section’s descriptions come directly from the 2025 Guide to Advancement.
Scout
The Scout rank is oriented toward learning the basic information every youth needs to know to be a good Scout. It starts with demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, and Scout slogan and then introduces the Scout to basic troop operations and safety concerns.
Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class
Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks are oriented toward learning and practicing skills that will help Scouts develop confidence and fitness, challenge their thought processes, introduce them to their responsibilities as citizens, and prepare them for exciting and successful Scouting experiences. Requirements for the Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks may be worked on simultaneously; however, these ranks must be earned in sequence.
Star, Life, and Eagle
Start, Life, and Eagle are ranks where the Scout focuses more on leadership, community, and choosing their own path for advancement in skills. All requirements for Star, Life, and Eagle, except for those related to merit badges, must be fulfilled after the successful completion of a board of review for the previous rank.
How Rank Advancement Works in Troop 56
The Scout’s Handbook lists all the requirements for a rank in the back of the book, complete with page references within the handbook for the sections that relate to that requirement. A Scout can independently learn about the requirement and try to work on it on their own or with another Scout, or they can learn the skills at a meeting or at camp.
Once the Scout has learned a skill or otherwise completed the requirement, they are tested to ensure that the requirement has actually and personally been completed by the Scout, exactly as written. Scouts working on First Class rank requirements or lower can be tested by a Scout that has attained First Class or a Scoutmaster. Scouts working on Star, Life, or Eagle requirements can be tested by a Scoutmaster. Rank requirements signed off by Scouts must be signed off as completed in the handbook with their initials and the date of completion (month, day, year). Scoutmasters can sign off in the handbook and/or in Scoutbook.
The last requirement for the Scout rank is to have a Scoutmaster conference, where the Scout discusses their progress with a Scoutmaster, after which the Scout has earned the Scout rank. The Scoutmaster conference is required for all ranks from Tenderfoot through Eagle as well. The last requirement for ranks from Tenderfoot through Life is a Board of Review with a group of the troop’s committee members. The Board of Review is akin to an interview, where the Scout is asked about their experiences and ideas so far. It is not a retest of any of the requirements the Scout has completed. Upon completing their Board of Review, the Scout earns the associated rank. For Eagle, a Board of Review is conducted with the Council.
Rank is earned as of the date the Scout has completed all requirements for that rank. The Scout will later receive the insignia of that rank at a Court of Honor.
Merit Badges
Merit Badges are offered on many different topics and offer the opportunity for Scouts to learn skills or gain experiences in those topics, potentially inspiring even hobbies or careers.
How to Start a Merit Badge
There are a few options:
- Local Merit Badge Counselor: The Scout should see if a friend is interested (Merit Badges progress better with some buddies), and ask a Scoutmaster. The Scoutmaster can recommend a Merit Badge Counselor and ensure the Scout is recorded as starting on the Merit Badge in Scoutbook. The Scout should then reach out to the Merit Badge Counselor to request to work with them. Once the Merit Badge Counselor agrees to work with the Scouts, the Scouts should let a Scoutmaster, the Advancement Coordinator, or the Committee Chair know that they will be working with that Merit Badge Counselor, and that leader will set up Scoutbook to let the Merit Badge Counselor record completions directly. The Scouts and Merit Badge Counselors will coordinate how to complete the requirements.
- Council Program: The Scout should see if a friend is interested and ask a Scoutmaster. The Scoutmaster will ensure the Scout is recorded as starting on the Merit Badge in Scoutbook. The Scout must sign up for the Council Program and attend as directed.
- Summer Camp: The Troop will attempt to help Scouts to plan their camp week during the months of May and June, as there are many programs and activities available at summer camp. The Scout can add or change plans at any time, even during the summer camp week.
How to continue a partially completed merit badge
If a Scout has partially completed a merit badge, they can either continue to work with their current Merit Badge Counselor if they are available, or they can talk to a Scoutmaster to seek out a new Merit Badge Counselor with whom they can complete work on the merit badge. If there is a Council Program available or if the badge is offered at Summer Camp, the Scout may choose to continue work on the merit badge via those offerings, and the Scout should talk with a Scoutmaster to sync up about that. If the Scout is currently working with a Merit Badge Counselor and completes requirements somewhere else, they should talk with that Merit Badge Counselor so they’re aware of the completions.
What is the procedure used to track Scout’s progress?
Each merit badge has a set of requirements. When the Scout completes a requirement, the Merit Badge Counselor keeps track of the completed requirement. By the time the Merit Badge Counselor completes their work with the Scout, they will be able to document all of the completed requirements, or that the Scout has completed all requirements for the Merit Badge. The Merit Badge Counselor solely determines completion of Merit Badge requirements.
Once the troop receives completions from a Merit Badge Counselor, they are confirmed to be marked completed on Scoutbook. If a physical or digital blue card (or blue card equivalent) is provided, the image of that blue card will be stored in a comment on Scoutbook, preserving the evidence received. One of the troop’s Scout Leaders who is not the Merit Badge Counselor will verify that the completion was received from a Merit Badge Counselor will mark the received completions as Leader Approved in Scoutbook.
Once a Merit Badge is completed and marked Leader Approved, it will be included to be awarded at the next Court of Honor run by the troop. Once the Scout has been awarded the merit badge at the Court of Honor, the Merit Badge will be marked as Awarded in Scoutbook.
How do Merit Badge completions get updated on Scoutbook?
Our troop looks to have evidence that a Merit Badge Counselor has signed off on the completed requirements. This can be done in a few different ways:
- The Merit Badge Counselor can mark the completions directly on Scoutbook.
- The Merit Badge Counselor can provide a physical Blue Card with the completion information. Physical Blue Cards can be actual blue card stock forms, or the same form provided on white paper.
- The Merit Badge Counselor can provide a digital Blue Card with the completion information. This is typically only done for Merit Badge Counselors who are outside of Troop 56 and are part of a program, such as a council-wide merit badge program or summer camp.
Council and Other Merit Badge Programs
Council will sometimes run merit badge programs that allow Scouts to earn merit badge requirements or an entire merit badge.
Other places may also run merit badge programs, such as Clark’s Trading Post. If you are not sure whether a program is running a valid merit badge program, speak with the troop’s advancement coordinator, who can verify whether the program has a Merit Badge Counselor that is registered.
All programs that run a merit badge program are required to fill out a blue card or equivalent that documents the requirements completed, or whether the merit badge was fully completed. These will typically be sent to the registrant (usually the Scout’s parent or guardian), and they can be forwarded to the advancement coordinator.
Advancement and Summer Camp
Camp Yawgoog’s advancement programs include:
- New Frontier Program – orientation to Yawgoog and Basic Skills Instruction. The Basic Skills Instruction teaches skills that are to be learned for some rank requirements. This provides the training, but the rank requirement is not signed off until the Scout is tested for that requirement by our troop.
- Merit Badges – Many merit badges are offered at Camp Yawgoog. Some have age requirements or fees. Some are easy to join mid-week. Some merit badges offered do not offer all requirements, meaning that the Scout would need to work with a merit badge counselor before or after summer camp to complete the merit badge. Some have ‘homework’ to be done during the week.
Troop 56 encourages all scouts attending Yawgoog for the first time to participate in the New Frontier Program and to sign up for the Swimming merit badge. Completion of the swimming merit badge is not required for participation in waterfront activities, but it is required for some merit badges. To participate in waterfront activities, a Scout must pass the BSA swimmer test. This test is performed every year at summer camp.