Troop 17 follows the Scouting America outlined program and process to deliver our Scouting program. This utilizes the Patrol Method and youth leadership to help build Scouts into leaders and prepare them with the skills necessary to become independent adults. Here we will cover the basics of how the Scouting program works.
An important part of Scouting is an understanding that each Scout is on their own journey through the program. Parents and Scouts need to realize that it is not a race or competition with other Scouts, it is about your Scout taking their journey to grown into the best leader, citizen and person they can be. The goal is not to become an Eagle Scout as quickly as possible, we want your Scout to build skills they will carry with them for a lifetime and that journey does not move at the same pace for every Scout.
A core component of the Scouts BSA program is the Patrol method. Within the Troop your Scout will be place in a Patrol, which normally consist of Scouts around the same age as your Scout. Within their Patrol Scouts will work together on learning Scout skills, learn to work as a team, and develop leadership skills.
As Scouts grow they will learn to uses their unique talents to help the others in their Patrol. This can be through providing leadership to the Patrol or perhaps a Scout teaching a skill they have to other Scouts. Over time Scouts and their Patrol will take on leadership positions within the Troop, expanding their opportunities to be mentors and role models to Scouts within other Patrols in the Troop.
The Patrol Method is a key part of the Youth Leadership that is the foundation of a Troop. In the best Troops the adult leaders act more as guides and mentors, while the Scouts are learning Scouting skills from each other. Older Scouts will become both leaders and teachers, providing an example for younger Scouts.
The journey through the Scouts BSA program involves your Scout earning up to 7 ranks. Scouts progress through them in order through Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and then Eagle.
While everyone has aspirations of becoming an Eagle Scout, the reality is that less than 5% of Scouts reach this milestone in Scouting. This is, in part, designed into the Scouting program itself. As Scouts advance in rank more of the responsibility of driving and completing the requirements becomes the Scouts responsibility. Ideally the decision and drive for a Scout to complete the final requirements to go from Life Scout to Eagle Scout should be that of the Scout.
With this in mind our goal is to guide all of our Scouts to reach Life Rank, with a majority of the Eagle required Merit Badges completed, while providing them the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to become an Eagle Scout if they choose to complete this final step in their Scouting journey.
Rather than focusing on the end of the Journey however, lets start at the beginning. The Journey through Scout ranks, at a high level, is a two part Journey:
The first part of a Scout's journey is one of developing Scouting skills. Requirements to earn Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class ranks comprise over 130 skills which Scouts must learn and demonstrate to leaders.
During this time of a Scout's journey they are not limited to learning, or getting signed off on, skills that are for the rank they are working on earning. While a Scout must complete each rank in order they can be working on and completing skills for any of these ranks when they have the opportunity.
After earning First Class Rank a Scout's Journey changes to one that is focused on completing each rank. A Scout no longer will work on requirements (outside of completing Merit badges) for other ranks other than the one they are currently working on. This shift is also one where Scouts move from learning Scouting skills and become more focused on growing in leadership and service.
In these ranks more of the focus becomes the Scout finding their own path and discovering themselves and how Scouting best benefits them as an individual.
Scouts learn the fundamentals of many life skills through their work on rank advancement, such as finances, first aid, citizenship, and communication. Merit badges allow a scout to deepen their knowledge of these skills, and they also allow a scout to try a new skill, hobby, or activity that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to try. A great example of this is the Director Steven Spielberg, who grew up as a scout in Arizona. He developed a love for the cinema and found his true talent for movie making while earning the Cinematography merit badge.
To earn the Star Rank a Scout must Earn six merit badges, including any four from the required list
for Eagle. You may choose any of the 17 merit badges on the
required list for Eagle to fulfill this requirement.
To earn Life Rank a Scout must earn five additional merit badges beyond those earned for Star Rank (11 total), including any three additional badges from the required list for Eagle.
You may choose any of the 17 merit badges on the required list
for Eagle to fulfill this requirement.
To earn the Rank of Eagle Scout a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than required for the Life rank) must be earned for the. These include the following 14 merit badges: (a) First Aid, (b) Citizenship in the Community, (c) Citizenship in the Nation, (d) Citizenship in Society, (e) Citizenship in the World, (f) Communication, (g) Cooking, (h) Personal Fitness, (i) Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, (j) Environmental Science OR Sustainability, (k) Personal Management, (l) Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling, (m) Camping, and (n) Family Life. Scouts must choose only one of the merit badges listed in categories I, j, and l. Any additional merit badge(s) earned in those categories may be counted as one of the seven optional merit badges used to make a total of 21.
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