BSA Troop 222- Abingdon, VA
Rank Advancement
Teaching and learning honor, integrity, and responsibility through teamwork, leadership, and self reliance
WELCOME TO BOY SCOUTS AND TROOP 222!
You are about to embark on one of the most exciting and worthwhile adventures that a young man can experience. Scouting is based on the principles of honor, integrity, and responsibility which are taught and learned through teamwork, leadership, and self reliance. Unlike competitive sports programs, in Scouting everyone plays and no one sits on the bench. Scouting allows young men to test their skills and abilities. Scouting is open to all young men regardless of race, religion, national origin, or socio-economic background. It is camping, hiking, sailing, canoeing, rock climbing, biking, and skiing, but it is much, much more.
Rank Advancement
Although rank advancement is not required to be a member of the troop, it is strongly encouraged. Each rank, all the way to Eagle Scout, is achievable with effort and hard work. There are six ranks of advancement in the BSA. In order, they are Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. Our program is designed so that each scout has the chance to become a 1st Class scout after one year with the troop. Attending summer camp is an excellent way to become immersed in Scouting and develop scout skills. There are more than 120 merit badges that scouts can earn for advancement.
The first step in Boy Scouts is that of “Scout”. If a boy has previously earned the Arrow of Light award in Cub Scouts, he will become a Scout after a conference with the scoutmaster. If the new troop member has not earned the Arrow of Light award, the Scout award can be earned after completing a few basic requirements.
The ranks of Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, and 1st Class center around such basic skills as first aid, cooking, camping, knot tying, citizenship, and swimming. The key is learning by doing. For teaching and learning, we use the EDGE method (Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, and Enable).
The ranks for Star, Life, and Eagle involve a combination of scout knowledge, skills, leadership, teaching the EDGE method, and community service. To attain these ranks, a scout must be active in the troop, earn a certain number of merit badges, hold troop leadership positions, and participate in community service projects.
Our scouts achieve rank advancement after completing the requirements in the Boy Scout Handbook, having a conference with the scoutmaster, and completing a board of review with the troop committee. Awards for rank advancement and merit badges are presented at periodic courts of honor.
Scouts may also earn religious awards and other awards listed in the Handbook. We ask scouts to bring their Handbooks to troop meetings and diligently maintain a record of activities and accomplishments.