TIME BETWEEN RANKS

[pack899]

WHEN A BOY START'S BOY SCOUTS, FROM THE RANK OF SCOUT , TO EAGLE , ARE THERE A SET AMOUNT OF TIME IN BETWEEN EACH RANK ? OR CAN A BOY GET HIS EAGLE IN 2 AND A HALF YEARS OR LESS ?

[evmori]

The time requirement for rank starts at Star. There is a 4 month minimum between 1st Class & Star, 6 months between Star & Life & 6 months between Life & Eagle. If you Troop uses the 1st Class Emphasis then it is possible for a Scout to earn his Eagle in 28 months.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[k9gold-scout]

I have seen reports that say the national adverage age for Eagle is 14 years 8 mo. However in our council the adverage age is 17 years 3 mo. Yes I have seen some scouts make it in less than 3 years but they were older when they joined. I did know 2 exceptions but they started early and attended every activity in their troop, district, and council.

There is even a Guiness Book search for the youngest Eagle Scout. This should not be a race but is is good to finish before the scout reaches his junior year in HS.

[Bob White]

It is technically possible though highly unlikely that a boy could reach Eagle in 18 months or less. The reason is that accept for a 30-day timeline for a fitness requirement there is no waiting period in the Tenderfoot to First Class ranks.

Scout is not a rank by the way, it is a badge that signifies the boy has met the joining requirements. Tenderfoot is the first rank of Boy Scouting.

 

Bob White

[OldGreyEagle]

I love an Esoteric debate!!!

 

I say 17 months is the quickest time span to Eagle. As Bob has pointed out, you need the thirty days between the physcial tests for tenderfoot and for First Class you need at least three overnight camping trips and 7 other patrol/troop activities (remember Patrol activities dont require an adult)

 

A scout could earn first class in a month, then spend 4 months getting star, 6 to life, 6 to Eagle.

 

So, if he joined at 10 years 6 months, he "COULD" be an Eagle at 11 years and 11 months. (Now, since working with base 12 systems is not my thing I could be off)

 

Eagle by twelve, then he would have 5 years to do .....?

[k9gold-scout]

Yes there is lots of ways to advance after Eagle - Palms - JAS - OA - Venturing - Bronze - Gold - Silver - Ranger - Quartermaster ---- not to mention all the staff jobs.

Eagle Scout is not the end of the trail only the first mountaintop along the way.

[Bob White]

Eagle is as high as a Boy Scout can advance. There are Palms available to enhance the rank achievement but there is no higher rank for a Boy Scout than Eagle Scout.

 

There are other growth opportunities for a boy in Boy Scouting and for boys and girls in the Venturing program. The ranks in Venturing are not higher or lower than the Boy Scout ranks they are just different opportunities.

 

Bob White(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[evmori]

Eagle in 17 months? I gotta ask, What's the rush?

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Bob White]

There is no rush. It was a hypothetical question. We ony said it was technically possible.

 

Bob White

[shemgren]

IMHO the advancement program is METHOD of the Boy Scout program, not the all the program.

 

The methods used to provide Boy Scouting to your community are:

1. The ideals

2. The patrol methods

3. The outdoors

4. Advancement

5. Assocation with adults

6. Personal growth

7. Leadership development

8. The uniform

(Scoutmaster Handbook, page 8)

 

A great deal of units ignore or try to rewrite this list to suit their own tastes. Adavncement is important, but to build your whole program on this is robbing the Scouts of the richness that Boy Scouting can offer them.

 

I will now get off my soap box.

YIS

Scott Hemgren

[sguthrie]

Ross Perot is reported as having achived his Eagle Scout in October of 1943, only 16 months after joining.

 

Based on the discussion this doesn't seem possible, but that's what the biography's report.

 

 

[SueM]

Remember..this was 1943...there may have been different (or no) time in rank requirements then.

 

sue m.

[Oak Tree]

The requirements have certainly varied a lot over the years. I have a 1949 Scout handbook (Handbook for Boys). The requirements listed there do not have any time requirement for Tenderfoot, Second Class, or First Class (there was no Scout rank), and then 3 months for Star, 3 months for Life, and 6 months for Eagle. So presumably it could be done in under 13 months.

 

On the other hand, in the 1977 Scout Handbook, there were time requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class as well, so it went 2 months, 3 months, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months, 6 months, for a total of 24 months.

 

Today's total of 17 months is neither the shortest nor the longest. There are many other differences in the programs. The 1949 book, while containing a recognizable Scouting program, differs in many, many ways from today's book.

 

Oak Tree