Ranks of Boy Scouting
Thesis: The five ranks comprising the advancement system in the Boy Scouts of America fall into three major groups: A beginning group consisting of Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class; a middle group of Star and Life; and the highest rank of Eagle.
I. Ranks of Boy Scouting
A. System of advancement
B. Statistics for First Class and Eagle Rank
II. Beginning group of ranks
A. Tenderfoot
B. Second Class
C. First Class
III. Middle group of ranks
A. Star
B. Life
IV. Final rank
A. Eagle
B. Eagle Palms
V. Discipline involved in advancement
The Boy Scouts of America promotes character, citizenship, self-reliance, and helpfulness to others through a carefully designed plan of testing skill and knowledge. When a boy has demonstrated his ability in a set of requirements, he rises a rank in Scouting. Each rank is progressively more difficult to attain; one boy in five on a national average receives First Class rank, while only one boy in a hundred climbs to Eagle. The six ranks comprising the advancement system in the Boy Scouts of America fall into three major groups: a beginning group consisting of Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class; a middle group of Star and Life; and the highest rank of Eagle.
The ranks of the beginning group introduce a boy to Scout teamwork, Scout craft, and Scout spirit. The tenderfoot (the very first rank) learns the oath, sign, slogan, laws, and handshake, as well as the significance of the uniform. He learns a few simple knots; the history of the flag and how to fly it, fold it, and salute it; the rules of his patrol; and the rudiments of conservation and respect for nature. He promises before the troop to keep the oath and laws. Having thus earned Tenderfoot, he begins work on the second group of activities, which require three five mile hikes on three different days. He must demonstrate preparedness, safety, sanitation, knowledge of compass and map reading, tracking, cooking without utensils, emergency first aid procedures, and identification of wildlife and poisonous plants. The Scoutmaster then arranges a Board of Review, made up of highly respectable men of the community. By asking the boy specific questions concerning what he did for the various requirements, the Board checks whether the boy deserves the rank and whether the Scoutmaster is teaching the program correctly. Having passed the Board, the Tenderfoot becomes Second Class at a public Court of Honor. Not less than two month from attaining Second Class, he may receive First Class if he has been active in patrol and troop meetings and has completed two camping trips, during which he back-packed equipment and food, pitched a tent, followed safety rules and sanitation procedures, prepared a complete breakfast and dinner over an open fire, cleaned up afterward, used lashings on poles, made a map of the camping area, pointed out the North star and five constellations, identified ten kinds of trees and shrubs, found four edible plants and prepared and ate one, swam fifty yards, sent and received twenty words in Morse Code, learned more first aid, and appeared before another Board of Review.
Having achieved the beginning ranks, the Scout moves on to the middle group, which involves earning merit badges. Over a hundred different merit badges are offered, some in service, some in Scout craft, some in scholastic learning, some in hobbies, and some in vocational exploration. These not only allow the boy a "taste" of different fields and skills, but put him in close contact with fine, talented, interested adults in the community who serve as counselors. To achieve Star Rank the Scout must earn five of these badges, including one from those required to become an Eagle Scout (Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Conservation of Natural Resources, Cooking, First Aid, Lifesaving, Nature, Personal Fitness, Safety and Swimming). He must also remain active in patrol and troop meetings for at least three months after achieving First Class, take part in a service project and a conservation project, serve as a troop officer, and again pass a Board of Review. For Life Rank the Scout goes again through these same requirements with, of course, different projects and badges, attending and serving at least another three months.
If a boy has worked diligently, he has advanced regularly and often, but there is at least a six month period between Life and Eagle Rank. He must earn eleven more badges, serve as a troop officer during this time, and develop and carry out an Eagle service project. He must not only appear before a Board of Review to test all of his Scouting, but he must have letters of recommendation from school, church, parents, Scoutmaster, and members of his neighborhood and community. After passing all of these requirements, a special Eagle Court of Honor is held with a reception for invited guests afterwards. If he wishes to go on earning badges, he can earn an Eagle Palm for each five.
Few boys attain many ranks, for this necessitates much discipline. In a vigorous troop with an enthusiastic Scoutmaster who arranges for counselors and schedules campouts and badge classes on a regular basis, a boy needs determination, intelligence, ambition, diligence, good character, and cooperative parents to gain Eagle Rank. Without the help of a good Scoutmaster, a boy needs as much initiative and drive as that of a successful executive. In either case, an Eagle Scout is highly respected.
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