Advancement
Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Scout plans their advancement and progresses at their own pace as they meet each challenge. The Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps them gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.Ā
Advancement is the process by which youth members of the Scouting America progress from rank to rank and is the method by which we promote and encourage the ongoing involvement and commitment that keeps members coming back for more. It works best when it is built into a unitās program so that simply participating leads to meaningful achievement and recognition ā and to a continually improving readiness for more complex experiences.Ā
Guide to Advancement
Because rank badges are a special and protected achievement for a Scout, Scouting America and the Council Advancement Committee operate under a strict set up guidelines and policies. This not only ensures consistency of the requirements being met, but also prevents those that may not have legitimately earned a badge from obtaining them.
The Guide to Advancement published by the National Council includes the policies and interpretations of advancement guidelines and is the single source for advancement procedures.
Here are some important highlights from the guide that are some of the most requested clarifications:
- All requests for badges and awards must be accompanied by a completely filled out Advancement Report signed by the unit advancement chairman and/or Board of Review member as indicated. The Dan Beard Council Advancement Committee has also approved Troopmaster Advancement reports as an official Unit Advancement Report. If used, two copies must be submitted to the council service center.
- Obtaining advancement without submitting advancement reports, stockpiling awards, or falsifying advancement reports may result in an incomplete or inaccurate advancement record for the Scout involved. Such inaccuracies may make approval of Eagle Scout or other special awards requiring advancement verification difficult or impossible.
- The award cards (not the badge itself) shall be considered the official record of advancement for all Scouts. Requests for replacement card or badges may require verification.
- All applicants for badges and awards must be currently registered in the unit through which the award is being sought. Requests for the Bobcat and Scout badges will be checked against the unit registration records before being issued. No badges cab be issued until the Scoutās application has been received and processed by the Scout Service Center.
- All Merit Badge Counselors must be currently registered with the BSA through the local council.
- All Scouting America adult leaders, including Merit Badge Counselors, are required to complete Youth Protection Training. One-on-one merit badge counseling is not appropriate.
- Approval of the Eagle Award is the responsibility of the district advancement chairperson and the National Council of the BSA.
- The unit advancement chairperson should serve as chairperson at the Eagle Board of Review.
- Boards of Review for Eagle should be conducted after verification of all required documents by Council Service Center personnel.
- Eagle Courts of Honor are the responsibility of the unit committee.
Rank to Recognition Process
It is the belief of the Council Advancement Committee that the timely presentation of rank is one of the most important elements of retaining a young person in Scouting. Likewise, properly reporting achievements is essential to ensuring a complete record of a Scoutās accomplishments. Not only is reporting required for the purchase of any restricted badges at the Scout Shop, but this also ensures a Scoutās profile will carry with them in the case of a transfer to another unit or council. Advancement reporting is also required to accurately measure Journey to Excellence scores.
The Council Advancement Committee has prepared a flowchart to help illustrate how advancements should be reported and recognized.
Awards & Recognition
Dan Beard Council is committed to recognizing the awards both Scouts and Scouters have earned, or have been nominated for, in a more consistent time-frame. Outlined in theāÆAwards Process SheetāÆis the Awards Process created by the committee to ensure a timely response to all awarded nominations. The awards have been condensed into 4 distinct categories: Unit, District, Council, and National awards, given either monthly, annually, orāÆa date specified by the recipientāÆ(once approval for award has been finalized). Awards to be considered can be found on theāÆAwardsāÆCentralāÆpage on Scouting.org.
Monthly Awards
Units will submit their request to Dan Beard Council’s Program Director. Monthly awards will be submitted to the Scout Executive for approval during the last week of each month. Once approved, the award will be delivered to the unit by the 15thāÆof the following month.
Annual Awards
Nominations will be collected and selected by the District or Council/Specific Awards Committee. The district will notify Council and recipients will be logged and awarded by the Council Awards Committee.
Special Awards
Nominations for these awards will be submitted to the Council Awards Committee to be determined whether the award is specific to Council or sent to National for consideration. Once confirmed by the Committee, the award will be sent to the Scout Executive for approval and awarded to the recipient by the Committee. These awards will be acknowledged at the annual Council Award and Recognition Luncheon at Scouting U later in the year.
Awards List
The most up-to-date information about BSA-affiliated awards can be found on Scouting America’s website, including award applications and nomination forms. You can find the link above.
Suggestions for Preparing an Award Nomination
While each award nomination process is slightly different, the following are suggestions of documents to include in a nomination packet for a Scouting award. These suggestions are intended to provide background that will help the reviewing committee obtain the fullest background on the nominee as they consider the nomination. Without this kind of background, the reviewing committee is sometimes unable to properly consider a nomination and may be unable to support the recognition.
- Review and understand the instructions for nominating a person to receive a specific award. Be sure to include all of the information that the instructions require. Many of the following suggestions are included in the instructions for some of the awards but, including the suggested information, even if not required by the instructions, in any nomination packet will be useful to the reviewing committee.Ā
- Provide a narrative that justifies the nomination, including where the nominee went āabove and beyond.ā Include specific examples of actions taken by the nominee. For example, words such as: āThe nominee is a great leader.ā without examples to show the leadership, would not be useful. Importantly, make sure the examples are appropriate for the level of the nomination. For example, for a Council level award, the examples should demonstrate actions beyond the unit level. Similarly, a nomination for an award beyond the Council level should demonstrate activities appropriate for the level of the nomination.Ā
- Obtain letters of recommendation (at least one, not the nominator) from different areas of the nomineeās life to give a more well-rounded view of the nominee. These could include a fellow member of the BSA or a church/community leader.Ā
- List all of Scouting positions held by the nominee; even if the position did not have a title. For example, serving as the chair of a large project should be listed.Ā
- List any involvement outside of the Scouting program (sports, community groups, etc.).Ā
- Provide a list of awards received in Scouting.
If you have any questions about the process for Awards, please contact Michelle Byrne, Program Director, at Michelle.Byrne@Scouting.org.
Online Advancement
Units can now submit advancement for unit youth members online. Use Scoutbook or ScoutbookPlus to add ranks, merit badges and awards, and update information onāÆadvancement.
Units should submit monthly before the end of each month, or more often if needed. In December, submit a report before the end of the month to update unit and council statistics.
For help or assistance with Online Advancement, please contact the Scout Achievement Center at (513) 577-7700 or email advancement@danbeard.org.
Cub Scout Advancement
Scouts BSA Advancement
Online Advancement
Units can now submit advancement for unit youth members online. Use Scoutbook or ScoutbookPlus to add ranks, merit badges and awards, and update information onāÆadvancement.
Units should submit monthly before the end of each month, or more often if needed. In December, submit a report before the end of the month to update unit and council statistics.
For help or assistance with Online Advancement, please contact the Scout Achievement Center at (513) 577-7700 or email advancement@danbeard.org.
Path to Eagle
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of Scouting America. A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young Scouts. The title of Eagle Scout is held for life, thus giving rise to the phrase āOnce an Eagle, always an Eagle.ā
Requirements include earning at least twenty-one merit badges and demonstrating Scout Spirit through the Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages. Eagle Scouts are presented with a medal and a badge that visibly recognizes the accomplishments of the Scout. Additional recognition can be earned through Eagle Palms, awarded for completing additional tenure, leadership, and merit badge requirements.
Since 1912, the Eagle Scout rank has represented a milestone of accomplishmentāperhaps without equalāthat is recognized across the country and even the world. Those who have earned the Eagle Scout rank count it among their most treasured achievements. āEagle Scoutā is not just an award; it is a state of being. Those who earned it as youth continue to earn it every day as adults. That is why an Eagle ScoutāÆISāÆan Eagle ScoutānotāÆwas.Ā
Over the more than 100 years since the first Eagle, a formal application process has evolved that is important in maintaining the awardās well-recognized prestige. It is in the interest of the entire BSA, and in fact our nation, that all youth who join Scouts BSA should have an opportunity to earn their Eagle Scout rank should they diligently and promptly complete all requirements.Ā
Merit Badge Counselors
Find a Counselor
Text
Become a Counselor
Adult volunteers serving as Merit Badge Counselors must be registered as Merit Badge Counselors with the Boy Scouts of America. They must be men and women of good character, age 18 or older, and recognized as having the skills and knowledge of the Merit Badge subject matter, as well as the ability to work with youth of Scouts BSA age. Merit Badge Counselors are not registered to a Troop, but instead with their District.Ā
Here are the steps to becoming a Merit Badge Counselor:Ā
- Complete the BSA Adult Registration Form, available from theāÆScout Achievement Center. For the position code, use position ā42.ā A registration fee of $25 is required for Merit Badge Counselor registration.
- Complete theāÆMerit Badge Counselor Information Form. Note that some merit badges require additional certification or documentation, as explained on the form.
- Complete Safeguarding Youth Training, if you have not been through the training within the last two years. Print a copy of your completion certificate.
- Collect the above paperwork and submit it to the Scout Achievement Center.
- Your registration and forms will be checked for errors and a background check will be processed.
- After approval, your Merit Badge Counselor registration will be visible in your my.scouting.org account under My Profile and the badges you have been approved to counsel will be identified in Scoutbook.
There is no restriction or limit on the number of Merit Badges an individual may be approved to counsel, however, there will be some review of the appropriateness of badges an applicant has requested to counsel.
All Merit Badge Counselors must be trained (Merit Badge Counselor Orientation) in the aims of Scouting America, advancement procedures, andāÆcomplete Youth Protection on-line training bi-annually.āÆGuide to Merit Badge CounselingāÆ andāÆMerit Badge Counselor Orientation CircularāÆ are valuable resources provided by the District or Council.
Merit Badge Counselors may indicate their availability to counsel primarily within a Troop or a district in ScoutBook. They may counsel any youth member, including their own child, ward or relative.
Current Counselors
You can view your status by logging into My.Scouting and checking your profile.
Your Merit Badge Counselor status and visibility can be managed through ScoutBook! Here are the steps to follow:
- Log into ScoutBook using your my.scouting.org credentials.
- Click on My Dashboard.
- Click on My Account.
- Click on My Positions.
- Under My Current Positions & Roles, click on Merit Badge Counselor.
- Here you can select your availability as well as what list you prefer to be on. You can modify this at anytime based on your personal schedule.
For more information on Scoutbook and Merit Badge Counselors, please visit Scoutbook Knowledge Base at this link.
If you nee help, please contact Michelle Byrne, Program Director for the Dan Beard Council, at (513) 577-7686 or Michelle.Byrne@Scouting.org.
Citizenship in Society Merit Badge
We are excited to announce more details concerning the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge as well as the process to get registered as a counselor!
To sign up to be a counselor for the Citizenship in Society merit badge, you have to agree to:
- Present this training as an objective facilitator
- Complete Merit Badge Counselor Position Specific Training and present completion certificate.
- Complete Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Scouting Volunteer Training and present completion certificate.
- Read, understand and agree to abide by the delivery method outlined in the Citizenship in Society Counselor Guide (including viewing videos on page 28 and on webpage) and the badge requirements.
Turn in completed Citizenship in Society Merit Badge Information Sheet to Council. Please allow 4 weeks to process. If you are a new merit badge counselor, you will need to also turn in a new adult application, position code 42.
Merit Badge Quest
Col. James T. Hatfield Merit Badge Challenge
Merit Badge Challenge is a Council wide event that helps to pair Scouts with counselors and industry professionals to help them earn various Merit Badges. Between the different sites, nearly 100 different merit badges are typically offered.
Refund Policy
Due to the high demand of this event and many of the classes, there will be no refunds issued if multiple registrations were created. Individuals or groups that cancel a program reservation 30 days prior to the date of the event will receive a refund of fees paid, less a 20% administrative charge. No refunds will be issued after the 30-day cancellation deadline. Fees are transferable to a previously unregistered Scout.Ā
