Boy Scout Advancement
Star-Life-to-Eagle

Information on this page was compiled by Ed Williams, the past Dan Beard District Advancement Chairman.

Advancements
Merit Badges
Life to Eagle

Crosswinds District Homepage

ADVANCEMENTS

Ensure a Scout is REGISTERED PRIOR to submitting his name on an Advancement Report.

Ensure the names used on the Advancement Report match those used in registering the Scouts.

Advancement Reports require certification of Merit Badge Counselors. Ensure that Merit Badges earned are with valid counselors that are included on the District Merit Badge Counselors List (See the section on Merit Badges).

Boards of Review

A minimum of three and no more than five unit Committee members - parents, guardians, Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters are not allowed to sit on a Board. Troop boards at a minimum should meet at least quarterly (monthly is better).

Submit reconstructed Advancement Report based upon evidence received in transfer paperwork. In this manner, Council can validate All advancements and merit badges when the Eagle calls without having to go through the time consuming process with other councils.

Call with questions before they become problems that have to be solved.

Your voice for advancement questions is the District Boy Scout Advancement Chairman and other Scouters at Roundtable.

Annual training seminar will be held annually at Roundtable to review changes in Advancement policy and procedures. This forum will be used to educate and refresh ourselves on current BSA policies and procedures and make any local changes deemed necessary, as long as we remain within the guidelines of National Policy and Procedure publications.

MERIT BADGES

Merit Badge Counselor Registration is SEPARATE and distinct from any other position for which and adult may register. Registration as a Merit Badge Counselor (MBC) is free. The Merit Badge Worksheet needs to be filled out and submitted with the registration form. The code number for MBCs is "42" on the registration form.

A MBC must be 18 years old to be a counselor.

The Merit Badge program involves adult guidance and direction to focus Scouts. Unit Leadership should be involved in the selection of Merit Badges for Scouts. In this manner, the leadership of the unit is involved with the continued advancement of the Scout.

Remember the BUDDY SYSTEM. DO NOT counsel one on one. Siblings or parents can be used to protect YOU and the SCOUT!

Merit Badge Counselors should periodically review the badges they counsel, adding or deleting as necessary. Beware the counselor who does more than 10 or 12 merit badges. While there is NO official policy on how many badges one MBC may counsel, common sense should prevail.

Merit Badge Counselors CAN counsel their sons in the merit badge program. Again, common sense should prevail. Parents must register first as MBCs before they counsel their sons.

Dates on the Merit Badge Cards will reflect the date the badge was earned, not the date the badge was presented to the Scout at a Court of Honor.

Counseling a merit badge requires a minimum of TWO resources, the Merit Badge Pamphlet and the Boy Scout Requirements Handbook. These are the absolute minimum to ensure the proper requirements are being met. The handbook lists changes to pamphlets and includes changes to requirements for merit badges until a new pamphlet is printed.

Counselors should maintain their portion of the BLUE merit badge card for their records. The scout should retain their portion of the card and turn in the other to the troop Advancement person or the Scoutmaster to receive their merit badge.

LIFE TO EAGLE ADVANCEMENT

Scoutmasters and other Adult leaders must not alter national Requirements for Advancement, for example, you may not require additional required Merit badges, alter the time in rank or alter the leadership position requirements.

Scoutmasters, assistant Scoutmasters, parents or guardians of the Scout being examined CANNOT sit on the Board of Review for the Scout being reviewed. If you have questions call the Boy Scout Advancement Chairman for the Crosswinds District.

All Eagle Scout Service Projects must use the current edition of the Service Project Workbook, available at the Scout Office or from the Council WEB page at ocscouts.org. The Cover Sheet, Approval Signature Page and the Time Spent page must be from the original form, all other pages may be either manually produced or computer generated.

Pre - Project Approval

No work may begin on a service project until approval is obtained at the Unit and District Level.

Project Approvals

Applications for the District Pre-Project board must be received by the District Eagle Board Chairman by the 25th of the month PRIOR to the month of the review, no exceptions. There should be three (3) copies submitted to the Board, the Scout will keep his original to be signed at the conclusion of the Board.

The Scout must show leadership in his project, not mom or dad or some Contractor. As demonstration of leadership the Scout must plan the work, organize the personnel needed, and direct the project to its completion.

The project must conform to the wishes and regulations of those for whom the project is undertaken. The project must benefit the community, school or any religious institution. Projects may not benefit Scouting but provide the opportunity for the Candidate to demonstrate the leadership skills he has learned in Scouting to those outside the sphere of Scouting.

All Advancement work and the Eagle Service Project to include the final report must be completed prior to the Scouts 18th birthday.

Eagle Applications

All applications MUST be on the Original RED, WHITE and BLUE forms, copies will cause the application to be returned from Council to the applicant. The Council Eagle Service Center must receive applications by the 25th of the month PRIOR to the month for the review.

Each Scout upon attainment of the Life rank should be given a copy of the Life to Eagle Packet. A discussion should be held with the Scout and his parents or guardian to explain the Life to Eagle process. Any questions should be immediately communicated to the District Eagle Board Chairman, or to The District Boy Scout Advancement Chairman.

A Guide for the Eagle Candidate - This guide released in 1998 contains the "Dan Beard District, Eagle Service Project Planning Sheet". This guide may be used along with the Service project Workbook to plan and complete the project. It may/will become part of the final project report. Just cross out the "Dan Beard" and write in "Crosswinds".

Letters of Recommendation

Only the originator of the Letter of Recommendation may hand carry such letter to the Council Eagle Service Desk. It is recommended that all letters be mailed to the address given in the council Adult Leaders Guide to Eagle.

Uniforms

One of the eight methods used in Scouting is Uniforms. The uniform is a outward sign that the Scout believes in certain values and is willing to stand up for them. For these reasons each Scout is expected to present himself to the board in the complete Scout uniform appropriate to his unit, rank, leadership position and the program he is participating in.

Advancement Processes and Procedure

All advancement processes and procedure will adhere to the following National and Local Council policies and Procedures:
Boy Scout Requirements Booklet - Current Edition
Advancement Policies and Procedures Committee Guide - Current Edition
The Adult Scouter's Guide to the Life-to-Eagle Trail - Occoneechee Council Pamphlet - Latest Edition
Crosswinds District - A guide for the Eagle Candidate

Tom Allen

Gantt Edmiston