Clarification on Advancement

[onehouraweekmy 10]

Where the handbook states that x number of merit badges are required for a given rank, do the badges have to earned after work on the rank begins? I see nothing that expressly says so in the handbook or in the Advancement Regulations, and it seems that if a boy has earned 10 merit badges as a first class scout, when he is working on Star, he should be able to count those badges towards his Star rank. Or do you think the requirement is that however many he's earned, he now has to obtain 6 new merit badges in addition to whatever he's already earned? If that's the case, where is that stated in BSA policy.

 

CC trying to get the answer right.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

[OldGreyEagle 5]

I see it as having those merit badges earned while in scouting, not just at the rank below the one being worked on. For example, the requirements for Star are:

 

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.

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)

 

Note requirements 1, 4 and 5 reference "as" or "while" a First Class Scout. Since the verbage for earning merit badges # 3 contains no such language, then the scout can utilize any merit badge earned at any time, at any rank.

 

My spider sense tells me there is a heck of a back story here...

[Lisabob 13]

All the troops I'm familiar with accept any relevant badges regardless of when they were earned. So if a brand new scout earns 10 badges before he gets to tenderfoot, great, those badges can "count" toward the MB requirements for Star, Life, and Eagle too.

[Beavah 205]

Yah, onehour. Is there a story here? I know you've been tryin' to get your troop's advancement system under control, eh? Sometimes, knowin' the terrain helps to offer yeh good advice on how to navigate the shoals.

 

But in answer to your question, the MB's can be earned at any time prior to when the boy applies for the rank. So sure, if he earned 'em at 2nd Class, they can count toward Star, or even Eagle. Imagine if a real go-getter lad earned all the required Eagle badges while he was First Class. Well, then by the alternate rule you're proposin', he would never be able to make Life because he couldn't earn three "new" required badges while a Star Scout. Just silly, eh?

 

Beavah

 

[evmori 11]

OGE & Beavah & LisaBob are on the money!

 

I'm betting there is an adult in this unit (possibly the SM) who feels a Scout should only get credit for the merit badges toward the rank he is working on. What I mean is only badges earned while 1st Class will count toward Star. If this is the case, I would ask to see chapter & verse where this is stated in any current BSA publication.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[scottteng 11]

likewise: the time requirements in first class are stated, POR requirement as well and also the service hours the MB's are career earned. If you go by the earned in rank theory you might run out of eagle requireds.

[John-in-KC 311]

While I absolutely agree with OGE, Beavah, and LisaBob, just in case we are dealing with a "stick in the mud" SM, does anyone have the appropriate words from "Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures?"

[scottteng 11]

"Any Boy Scout may earn any merit badge at any time. You don't need to have had rank advancement to be eligible."

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/32215/mb/index.html

"3. Earn five more merit badges (so that you have 11 in all)"

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/32215/life.html

 

The real tip off is right there in the Life requirements so you have 11 in all I do not think the advancement people thought that this would be a question.

 

[onehouraweekmy 10]

Thanks folks... I agree that the specific language of some of the requirements "while a first class scout [or star or life scout], do x, y, or z" demonstrates that when BSA does NOT use that language about the merit badges, the badges can be earned at any time prior to the rank being worked on.

 

There is no specific controversy about this (yet) in my Troop, but as CC I just want to sound like I know what I'm talking about and that I'm on the right track--when the issue pops up as I'm expecting. I figured if there were specific rules about this out there, one of you guys would know about it! I also want to be able to give my new Advancement Chairman the straight story.

 

Thanks a bunch.

 

 

 

[Gunny2862 11]

Thanks for asking the question, my son had been asking about it and now I know what to tell him!

[FScouter 24]

"... does anyone have the appropriate words from 'Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures?'"

Like a lot of things one hears about, there is no specific language to address it. So instead, turn it the other way and ask "where is the requirement written that the merit badges must be earned during a specific rank tenure?"