Frequently Asked Questions
How Boy Scouting Differs from Cub Scouting
Because boys of Scout age are very different from boys of Cub age, Boy Scouting is very different from Cub Scouting in two major respects: it is boy centered and camping centered.
Cub Scouts
- Adults plan all activities, and most activities lend themselves to full family participation.
- Adults (usually the boy’s parents), conduct advancement activities.
- Camping is extremely limited, even for Webelos. A young boy can enjoy being a Cub Scout even if they dislike outdoor activities and camping.
Boy Scouts
- Boys plan and lead all activities (with adult guidance), and most activities do not lend themselves to full family participation (because boys camp and function as patrol groups under their own boy leadership).
- Boys and adults other than a boy’s parents conduct all Boy Scout advancement. Supportive parents are vital, but it is more like a sport – Parents can drive their boys to games, cheer them on from the stands, and encourage them to eat healthy, practice hard, and get enough sleep, but ultimately it is the boy who plays the game. Scouting is the same; ultimately it is the boy doing the scouting.
- Camping is the very heart of the Boy Scout program; if a boy doesn’t like camping outdoors, scouting isn’t a good fit.
How Scouts Advance
Boy Scout advancement is much more challenging and difficult than Cub Scout or Webelos advancement, and it requires much individual effort and initiative. It also emphasizes leadership and service as much as badges and skills. Achieving First Class (which should happen within a year) takes more effort than earning the Webelos Arrow of Light award. And becoming an Eagle Scout is a crowning achievement of youth earned by fewer than 3% of all Scouts. A Boy Scout has almost total control over his own advancement, which he will do mostly on an individual basis with senior Scouts and with a number of different adults.
Advancement requirements for all ranks are shown starting on Handbook page 438. To advance, a Scout must be active, must do his best to live by the Scout Law and Promise, practice leadership, give service to others, learn Scout skills (mostly in the outdoors), and earn merit badges (primarily from adult counselors other than his parents).
After completing all requirements for a rank, a Scout meets with the troop’s scoutmaster for a “Scoutmaster Conference.” Finally, he schedules a Board of Review with a panel of troop committee members. Scoutmaster conferences and boards of review usually take place during a regular troop meeting.
Who can sign off in your Scout Handbook
Only the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster can sign off your book, unless otherwise delegated by the Scoutmaster.
How to be a supportive parent
What can you, as a parent, do to help your son take full advantage of the Boy Scout Advancement method? Make sure your son attends our summer camp! Offer encouragement and support. Know what your son needs for his next rank. Be active in Scouting with him by going on a camping trip, volunteering to help, become an assistant scoutmaster or troop committee member, and above all strongly encourage him to attend as many Scout activities as possible, because only active Scouts advance.