Guide to Advancement

New Scout Tip:

Overview of Advancements While you can certainly read the 100 page (literally) Guide to Advancement, it may be best to start with something a bit more simplified! It is highly recommended that you review the Troop 58 Advancement Guidelines and Procedures found on the troop website (see “Rank Advancement” page or click here). 

Some key highlights to note after you review the full Troop 58 Advancement Guidelines and Procedures:

•  Advancement in the scouting program has four basic parts:

1. Learning core scouting skills 

2. Earning merit badges 

3. Serving in leadership positions 

4. Serving our community 

•  Scouts are responsible for their advancement. 

•  Scouts advance at different paces and should be encouraged to work at their own pace.

•  Although parents are encouraged to support and empower their scouts, they cannot sign off on rank requirements. 

• Scouts should bring their Handbook, a pen/pencil, and a small notebook to every meeting. 

• Once requirements are signed off by a Scoutmaster, scouts are responsible for showing their signed handbook to the Advancements Coordinator for input into Scoutbook.

  • •  This should be done each time items are signed off so that Scoutbook remains as up to date as possible.

• Scoutmaster Conference 

  • • A Scoutmaster Conference is conducted between a scout and a Scoutmaster and is simply a review of the rank requirements as well as a chance to talk with the scout about the scouting program.

    • Topics to be discussed include the scouts likes, what they would change, what leadership roles are of interest, what plans are for the next rank, etc. 

• The final step before a rank is earned is the Board of Review. 

  • • Once a scout completes all rank requirements, they are eligible for a Board of Review. 

    • A Board of Review is conducted by three non-Scoutmaster committee members. 

    • The primary focus is to review the scout’s experience with the troop.