Boy Scout Ranks

SCOUT RANK REQUIREMENTS

1. Complete the fifth grade, or be 11 years old, or have earned the Arrow of Light 
2. Submit a completed Boy Scout Application and health history signed by you parent or guardian. 
3. Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance 
4. Demonstrate the following 
   Scout Sign 
   Salute 
   Handclasp 
5. Demonstrate tying the square knot 
6. Understand the following 
   Scout Oath 
   Scout Law 
   Scout Motto 
   Scout Slogan 
   Outdoor code 
7. Describe the Scout Badge 
8. With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in "How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse and Drug Abuse. (Note this is a pamphlet, found just inside the front cover of the 1995 Boy Scout Handbook) 
9. Participate in a Scoutmaster Conference 

TENDERFOOT RANK REQUIREMENTS

1. Present yourself to your leader, properly dressed, before going on an overnight camping trip. Show the camping gear you will use. Show the right way to pack and carry it. 
2. Spend at least one night on a patrol or troop campout. Sleep in a tent you have helped pitch. 
3. On the campout, assist in preparing and cooking one of your patrol's meals. Tell why it is important for each patrol member to share in meal preparation and cleanup, and explain the importance of eating together. 
   a. Demonstrate how to whip and fuse the ends of a rope. 
   b. Demonstrate you know how to tie the following knots and tell what their uses are: two half hitches and the tautline hitch. 
4. Explain the rules of safe hiking, both on the highway and cross-country, during the day and at night. Explain what to do if you are lost. 
5. Demonstrate how to display, raise, lower, and fold the American flag. 
6. Repeat from memory and explain in your own words the Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan. 
7. Know your patrol name, give the patrol yell, and describe your patrol flag. 
8. Explain why we use the buddy system in Scouting. 
   a. Record your best in the following tests: 
   1. Push-ups 
   2. Pull-ups 
   3. Sit-ups 
   4. Standing long jump 
   5. 1/4 mile walk/run 
   b. Show improvement in the activities listed in requirement 10a after practicing for 30 days. 
9. Identify local poisonous plants; tell how to treat for exposure to them. 
10.  
    a. Demonstrate the Heimlich maneuver and tell when it is used. 
    b. Show first aid for the following: 
    1. Simple cuts and scratches 
    2. Blisters on the hand and foot 
    3. Minor burns or scalds (first degree) 
    4. Bites and stings of insects and ticks 
    5. Poisonous snakebite 
    6. Nosebleed 
    7. Frostbite and Sunburn 
11. Demonstrate scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. 
12. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference. 
13. Complete your board of review 

FIRST CLASS RANK REQUIREMENTS

1.  
   a. Demonstrate how a compass works and how to orient a map. Explain what map symbols mean. 
   b. Using a compass and a map together, take a 5-mile hike (or 10 miles by bike) approved by your adult leader and your parent or guardian.
2.  
   a. Since joining, have participated in five separate troop/patrol activities (other than troop/patrol meetings), two of which included camping overnight. 
   b. On one of these campouts, select your patrol site and sleep in a tent that you pitched. 
   c. On one campout, demonstrate proper care, sharpening, and use of the knife, saw, and ax, and describe when they should be used. 
   d. Use the tools listed in requirement 2c to prepare tinder, kindling, and fuel for a cooking fire. 
   e. Discuss when it is appropriate to use a cooking fire and a lightweight stove. Discuss the safety procedures for using both.. 
   f. Demonstrate how to light a fire and a lightweight stove. 
   g. On one campout, plan and cook over an open fire one hot breakfast or lunch for yourself, selecting foods from the four basic food groups. Explain the importance of good nutrition. Tell how to transport, store, and prepare the foods you selected. 
3. Participate in a flag ceremony for your school, religious institution, chartered organization, community, or troop activity. 
4. Participate in an approved (minimum of one hour) service project. 
5. For the Second Class rank, a Scout must participate in a service project or projects approved by his Scoutmaster. The time of service must be a minimum of one hour. This project prepares a Scout for the more involved service projects he must perform for the Star, Life, and Eagle Scout ranks.
6. Identify or show evidence of at least ten kinds of wild animals (birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, mollusks) found in your community. 
7.  
   a. Show what to do for "hurry" cases of stopped breathing, serious bleeding, and internal poisoning. 
   b. Prepare a personal first aid kit to take with you on a hike. 
   c. Demonstrate first aid for the following: 
   1. Object in the eye 
   2. Bite of a suspected rabid animal 
   3. Puncture wounds from a splinter, nail, and fishhook 
   4. Serious burns (second degree) 
   5. Heat exhaustion 
   6. Shock 
   7. Heatstroke, dehydration, hypothermia, and hyperventilation 
8.  
   a. Tell what precautions must be taken for a safe swim. 
   b. Demonstrate your ability to jump feet first into water over your head in depth, level off and swim 25 feet on the surface, stop, turn sharply, resume swimming, then return to your starting place. ** 
   c. Demonstrate water rescue methods by reaching with your arm or leg, by reaching with a suitable object, and by throwing lines and objects.** Explain why swimming rescues should not be attempted when a reaching or throwing rescue is possible, and explain why and how a rescue swimmer should avoid contact with the victim. 
9. Participate in a school, community, or troop program on the dangers of using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and other practices that could be harmful to your health. Discuss your participation in the program with your family. 
10. Demonstrate scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. 
11. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference. 
12. Complete your board of review. 

SECOND CLASS RANK REQUIREMENTS 

1. Demonstrate how to find directions during the day and at night without using a compass. 
2. Using a compass, complete an orienteering course that covers at least one mile and requires measuring the height and/or width of designated items (tree, tower, canyon, ditch, etc.) 
3. Since joining, have participated in ten separate troop/patrol activities (other than troop/patrol meetings), three of which included camping overnight. 
4.  
   a. Help plan a patrol menu for one campout -- including one breakfast, lunch, and dinner - that requires cooking. Tell how the menu includes the four basic food groups and meets nutritional needs. 
   b. Using the menu planned in requirement 4a, make a list showing the cost and food amounts needed to feed three or more boys and secure the ingredients. 
   c. Tell which pans, utensils, and other gear will be needed to cook and serve these meals. 
   d. Explain the procedures to follow in the safe handling and storage of fresh meats, dairy products, eggs, vegetables, and other perishable food products. Tell how to properly dispose of camp garbage, cans, plastic containers, and other rubbish. 
   e. On one campout, serve as your patrol's cook. Supervise your assistant(s) in using a stove or building a cooking fire. Prepare the breakfast, lunch, and dinner planned in requirement 4a. Lead your patrol in saying grace at the meals and supervise cleanup. 
5. Visit and discuss with a selected individual approved by your leader (elected official, judge, attorney, civil servant, principal, teacher) your Constitutional rights and obligations as a U.S. citizen. 
6. Identify or show evidence of at least ten kinds of native plants found in your community. 
   a. Discuss when you should and should not use lashings 
   b. Demonstrate tying the timber hitch and clove hitch and their use in square, shear, and diagonal lashings by joining two or more poles or staves together. 
   c. Use lashing to make a useful camp gadget. 
   a. Demonstrate tying the bowline knot and describe several ways it can be used. 
   b. Demonstrate bandages for a sprained ankle. and for injuries on the head, the upper arm, and the collarbone. 
   c. Show how to transport by yourself, and with one other person, a person: 
   1. from a smoke-filled room 
   2. with a sprained ankle, for at least 25 yards. 
   d. Tell the five most common signs of a heart attack. Explain the steps (procedures) in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). 
   a. Tell what precautions must be taken for a safe trip afloat.
   b. Successfully complete the BSA swimmer test.* 
   c. Demonstrate survival skills by leaping into deep water wearing clothes (shoes, socks, swim trunks, long pants, belt, and long-sleeved shirt). Remove shoes and socks, inflate the shirt, and show that you can float using the shirt for support. Remove and inflate the pants for support. Swim 50 feet using the inflated pants for support, then show how to reinflate the pants while using them for support.* 
   d. With a helper and a practice victim, show a line rescue both as tender and rescuer. (The practice victim should be approximately 30 feet from shore in deep water.) 
7. Demonstrate scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. 
8. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference. 
9. Complete your board of review. 

The swimmer test demonstrates the minimum level of swimming ability required for safe deep-water swimming. The various components of the test evaluate the several skills essential to this minimum level of swimming ability: 
Jump feet first into water over the head in depth, level off, and begin swimming. Swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards using an easy, resting backstroke. The 100 yards must be completed in one swim without stops and include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating. 
The test administrator must objectively evaluate the individual performance of the test, and in so doing should keep in mind the purpose of each test element. 

1. "Jump feet first into water over the head in depth, level off, and begin swimming..." 
   The swimmer must be able to make an abrupt entry into deep water and begin swimming without any aids. Walking in from shallow water, easing in from the edge or down a ladder, pushing off from side or bottom, or gaining forward momentum by diving do not satisfy this requirement. 
2. "...Swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl;..." 
   The swimmer must be able to cover distance with a strong, confident stroke. The 75 yards must not be the outer limit of the swimmer's ability; completion of the distance should give evidence of sufficient stamina to avoid undue risks. Dog-paddling and strokes repeatedly interrupted and restarted are not sufficient; underwater swimming is not permitted. The itemized strokes are inclusive. Any strong side or breaststroke or any strong overarm stroke (including the back crawl) is acceptable. 
3. "...swim 25 yards using; an easy, resting backstroke..." 
   The swimmer must indicate the ability to execute a restful, free-breathing backstroke that can be used to avoid exhaustion during swimming activity. This element of the test necessarily follows the more strenuous swimming activity to show that the swimmer is, in fact, able to use the backstroke as a relief from exertion. The change of stroke must be accomplished in deep water without any push- off or other aid. Any variation of the elementary may suffice if it clearly provides opportunity for the swimmer to rest and regain wind. 
4. "...The 100 yards must be completed in one swim without stops and include at least one sharp turn..." 
   The total distance is to be covered without rest stops. The sharp turn simply demonstrates the swimmer's ability to reverse direction in deep water without assistance or push-off from side or bottom. 
5. "...After completing the swim, rest by floating.'' 
   This critically important component of the test evaluates the swimmer's ability to maintain in the water indefinitely even though exhausted or otherwise unable to continue swimming. Treading water or swimming in place will further tire the swimmer and are therefore unacceptable. The duration of the float test is not significant, except that it must be long enough for the test administrator to determine that swimmer is, in fact, resting and could likely continue to do so for a prolonged time. The drown proofing technique may be sufficient if clearly restful, but it is not preferred. If the test is completed except for the float requirement, the swimmer may be retested on the floating only (after instruction) provided that the test administrator is confident that the swimmer can initiate the float when exhausted.

STAR RANK REQUIREMENTS 

1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 4 months as a First Class Scout. 
2. Demonstrate scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. 
3. Earn 6 merit badges, including 4 from the required list for Eagle.* 
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)*
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)* 
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)* 
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)* 
   ____________________________________________________ 
   ____________________________________________________ 
4. While a First Class Scout, take part in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster. 
   For Star and Life ranks, a Scout must perform 6 hours of service to others. This may be done as an individual project or as a member of a patrol or troop project. Star and Life service projects may be approved for Scouts assisting on Eagle service projects. The Scoutmaster approves the project before it is started. 
5. While a First Class Scout, serve actively 4 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop): 
   BOY SCOUT TROOP 
   Patrol leader, 
   assistant senior patrol leader, 
   senior patrol leader, 
   troop guide, 
   OA troop representative, 
   den chief, 
   scribe, 
   librarian, 
   historian, 
   quartermaster, 
   bugler, 
   junior assistant Scoutmaster, 
   chaplain aide, or 
   instructor.
6. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference 
7. Complete your board of review. 
   * A Scout may choose any of the 15 required merit badges in the 12 categories to fulfill requirement 3. 

LIFE RANK REQUIREMENTS 

1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 6 months as a Star Scout. 
2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. 
3. Earn 5 more merit badges (so that you have 11 in all), including any 3 more from the required list for Eagle. 
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)* 
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)* 
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)* 
   ____________________________________________________ 
   ____________________________________________________ 
4. While a Star Scout, take part in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster. 
   For Star and Life ranks, a Scout must perform 6 hours of service to others. This may be done as an individual project or as a member of a patrol or troop project. Star and Life service projects may be approved for Scouts assisting on Eagle service projects. The Scoutmaster approves the project before it is started. 
5. While a Star Scout, serve actively 6 months in one or more of the positions of responsibility listed in requirement 5 for Star Scout (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop). 
6. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference 
7. Complete your board of review. 

* A Scout may choose any of the 15 required merit badges in the 12 categories to fulfill requirement 3. 

EAGLE RANK REQUIREMENTS 

1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 6 months as a Life Scout. 
2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. 
3. Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following: 
   a. First Aid 
   b. Citizenship in the Community 
   c. Citizenship in the Nation
   d. Citizenship in the World 
   e. Communications 
   f. Personal Fitness 
   g. Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving 
   h. Environmental Science 
   i. Personal Management 
   j. Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling 
   j. Camping, and 
   k. Family Life * 
4. While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period of 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility: 
   BOY SCOUT TROOP 
   Patrol leader, 
   assistant senior patrol leader, 
   senior patrol leader, 
   troop guide, 
   OA troop representative, 
   den chief, 
   scribe, 
   librarian, 
   historian, 
   quartermaster, 
   junior assistant Scoutmaster, 
   chaplain aide, or 
   instructor. 
5. While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project should benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) The project idea must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 18-927A, in meeting this requirement. 
6. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference. 
7. Successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review. 
   You must choose only one merit badge listed in items (g) and (j). If you have earned more than one of the badges listed in items (g) and (j), choose one and list the remaining badges to make your total of 21 

While a Life Scout, a Scout must plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project to any religious institution, school, or community. 
As a demonstration of leadership, the Scout must plan the work, organize the personnel needed, and direct the project to its completion. 
The Eagle service project is an individual matter; therefore, two Eagle candidates may not receive credit for the same project. 
Eagle Scout leadership service projects involving council property or other BSA activities are not acceptable for an Eagle service project. The service project also may not be performed for a business, be of a commercial nature, or be a fund-raiser. 
Routine labor, or a job or service normally rendered, should not be considered. An Eagle service project should be of significant magnitude to be special and should represent the candidate's best possible effort. 
The scout must submit his proposed project idea and secure the prior approval of his unit leader, unit committee, and district or council advancement committee, or their designee, to make sure that it meets the stated standards for Eagle Scout leadership service projects before the project is started. This preapproval of the project does not mean that the board of review will accept the way the project was carried out. 
Upon completion of the project, a detailed report must be submitted with the Scout's Eagle application to include the following information: 

• What was the project? 
• How did it benefit others? 
• Who from the group benefiting from the project gave guidance? 
• Who helped carry out the project? 
• What materials were used and how were they acquired? 

Although the project must be approved before work is begun, the board of review must determine if the project was successfully carried out. Questions that must be answered are: 

• Did the candidate demonstrate leadership of others? 
• Did he indeed direct the project rather than do all of the work himself? 
• Was the project of real value to the religious institution, school or community group? 
• Who from the group benefiting from the project may be contacted to verify the value of the project? 
• Did the project follow the plan, or were modifications needed to bring it to its completion? 

All the work on the project must be done while the candidate is a Life Scout and before the candidate's 18th birthday. 
The variety of projects performed throughout the nation by Scouts earning their Eagle Scout Award is staggering. Only those living in an area can determine the greatest value and need for that area. Determine, therefore, whether the project is big enough, appropriate, and worth doing. For ideas and opportunities, the Scout can consult people such as school administrators, religious leaders, local government department directors, or a United Way agency's personnel. 

EAGLE PALM RANK REQUIREMENTS 

After becoming an Eagle Scout, you may earn Palms by completing the following requirements: 
1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 3 months after becoming an Eagle Scout or after the award of your last Palm. 
2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. 
3. Make a satisfactory effort to develop and demonstrate leadership ability. 
4. Earn five additional merit badges beyond those required for Eagle or last Palm.*. 
5. Take Part in a Scoutmaster conference. 
6. Complete your board of review. 
   You may wear only the proper combination of Palms for the number of merit badges you earned beyond the rank of Eagle. The Bronze Palm represents 5 merit badges, the Gold Palm 10, and the Silver Palm 15. 
   *Merit Badges earned any time since becoming a Boy Scout may be used to meet this requirement.