Pacific Skyline Council > Resources > Advancement

Advancement

BSA Updates to “Service Project Checklist” and “Safe Project Tool Use”

Updated: March 30, 2021

The safety of our Scouts, volunteers, employees, and communities is the top priority for the Boy Scouts of America. BSA revised two forms that should be used for conducting service projects, including Eagle Scout service projects. These two forms were mentioned recently in the Scouting Wire Newsletter. The SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist is intended to help with planning all types of service projects. Although this checklist should be used for planning Eagle Scout service projects, it is not an added requirement.

The SAFE Project Tool Use form is an updated version of the previous “Age Guidelines for Tool Use and Work at Elevations or Excavations” form. It provides age-appropriate guidelines for tool use by Cubs, Scouts BSA, Venturers, and Sea Scouts.

To better understand the BSA’s approach to SAFE Scouting, please review the following links. The first discusses the BSA’s approach to the four points of SAFE Scouting (Supervision, Assessment, Fitness and Skills, and Equipment and Environment) to ensure the safety of all participants when delivering the Scouting program. The second includes some real incidents in Scouting where at least one of the four SAFE Scouting points was not followed, and tragedy ensued.

Finally, if it has been a while since you visited the BSA’s Scouting Safely webpage, please spend a few minutes checking out the wealth of material found there that helps us ALL deliver a Safe Scouting Program.

Request for Extension of Time to Earn Eagle, Summit or Quartermaster Ranks

Revised: Septerm 06, 2023

Effective January 1, 2021, local councils have the authority to grant extensions of time beyond a Scout’s 18th birthday to complete Eagle, Summit*, or Quartermaster* rank requirements.  These extensions are available to youth members who qualify under the three tests in Guide to Advancement 9.0.4.0, 9.0.4.1, 9.0.4.2, and Forms 11.2.0.0 and 11.2.1.0 to be published in the 2021 Edition of the Guide to Advancement (GTA).   The Guide to Advancement (GTA) can be found at: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33088.pdf.

Extension of Time Requests must explain why or how the situation necessitates an extension and provide specific information regarding the circumstance, including dates, individuals or organizations involved, length of the circumstance, and its impact on the Scout’s daily life.  Details on rank requirements to be completed should include progress-to-date and estimated completion dates. GTA 9.0.4.0, Time Extensions, and GTA 9.0.4.1, Process for Requesting and Reviewing a Time Extension, should be carefully reviewed before filing an Extension Request.  Requests with incomplete or missing information will delay consideration of the request.

When completed, submit Form 11.2.0.0 and all attachments requested to the Pacific Skyline Council to the attention of Rand Mahoney, Staff Advisor to the Council Advancement Committee, and Stephanie Schwarz, Administrative Assistant for Pacific Skyline Council. If electronically submitted, all documents should be in.pdf format and emailed to Rand Mahoney and Stephanie Schwarz.  Electronic documents uploaded to other sites/servers to be subsequently downloaded will not be considered so please email .pdf documents.

If a council denies an extension, an Appeal Process has been established. It is outlined in GTA 9.0.4.2, Appealing a Time Extension Denial, and Form 11.2.1.0, Appeal of Extension Request Denial, is used to appeal an extension denial.

* 21st birthday

Scouts BSA Temporary Requirement Changes No Longer Apply

Update: September 06, 2023

Please remember that as of March 01, 2022, all TEMPORARY changes made to Scouts BSA Advancement requirements, both rank requirements and merit badges, to address the COVID-19 pandemic expired and we all returned to the standard rules for Scouts BSA Advancement.

Procedure to submit Eagle Scout Rank Application, statements of ambitions and life purpose, and Eagle Scout Project Workbook

Update: September 06, 2023

The following procedure shall be followed to submit Eagle Scout Rank Applications and supporting materials to the Pacific Skyline Council.
 

1) Ensure all Eagle Rank requirements have been completed and your application is completed in full including all signatures.

2) Submit the following (files need to be small enough size to go through email):
  • Eagle Scout Rank Application
  • Statements of Ambitions and Life Purpose
  • List of leadership positions held and honors and awards received outside of Scouting
  • Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook
  • supporting documents and photographs
  • optional but nice to have: BSA Scouting History
Please send separate .pdf files with your last name, first initial and document name as the file name; i.e., Smith J Eagle Application.pdf.  Eagle Rank items uploaded to other sites for subsequent download will not be considered (such as Google Drive).
 

3) Email all materials to David.You@Scouting.org.  Please copy your District Eagle Board Chair in the same email; whose email address is listed below.

For Stanford District, Eagle materials must be submitted by the 1st day of each month to be included in that month’s boards of review, and a binder or equivalent with the same paperwork needs to be submitted to the Palo Alto office (1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto) by the 2nd Friday of the month for in-person Eagle Boards.

  • Always include a second adult (parent or Scout leader) on every email to comply with Youth Protection policies.

4) You will be contacted by your District Eagle Board Chair, contact info below.

Recording Unit Advancement Data in the BSA National Database

Update: September 06, 2023

After a Scout has done the hard work to earn her/his next rank or merit badge or other award, it is important to record that achievement in the BSA National database. This can be done in one of two ways: (1) if your unit is using ScoutBook to track advancement, this recording is ‘automatic’ as long as ScoutBook is properly utilized; or (2) the recording can be done using the on-line Internet Advancement 2.0 feature found under the Legacy Tools menu at the my.scouting.org website.

If your unit is using the Internet Advancement method, this can only be done by someone assigned the role of “Unit Advancement Chair,” an assignment that is made annually by one of the Unit Key 3 in the my.scouting.org “Organization Security Manager.” This role (as are all other roles) must be reassigned each year (even if the same person is fulfilling the role) as the prior year’s assignments are cleared at the time the unit’s recharter is posted.

Please be aware that we strongly suggest that all Unit Leaders and Merit Badge Counselors use Scoutbook to track and approve each Scout’s progress as they work through their Advancement.

Detailed instructions for recording unit advancement data through either method can be found at help.scoutbook.com.

Camping Merit Badge and Camping Nights

It is important to understand how camping nights apply to completing the 20 camping nights for Camping Merit Badge.

For requirement 9a, a Scout must camp in a tent or under the stars at least 20 nights at designated Scouting activities and events, which may include one long-term camp experience of up to six consecutive nights, such as spending a week at Camp Oljato. (By BSA definition, a long-term camping experience consists of five or more consecutive days and nights in the outdoors.)

A Scout then must complete an additional 14 (or more depending on the length of the long-term camp) nights camping, which can be done with 7 two-night weekend camping trips. If a Scout has already attended and counted a long-term camp, he/she cannot receive credit for attending a camp designated as a long-term camp even if attended only for a night or two.

If a Scout has received the long-term credit and then participates on a 50-mile pack back trip or canoe trip lasting 5 or more nights, even though each night is spent at a different campsite, the Scout cannot earn credit towards camping nights since by definition the trip is a long-term camping experience.

In all camping experiences, it is expected that the Scout is sleeping under the stars or in a tent (or teepee or snow cave) he/she pitched/built or helped pitch/build. If a camp provides tents that are already pitched, then the Scout does not have to pitch a tent.

Questions? Please contact your District Advancement Committee Chair, or email Council Advancement Committee Chair, Judie Gee.

Merit Badge Counselor Lists

As a reminder, the list of approved Merit Badge Counselors is now maintained electronically via ScoutBook in the Pacific Skyline Council.

Update: June 30, 2020

In accordance with BSA’s Guide to Advancement 7.0.2.0, access to web-based Merit Badge Counselor Lists is restricted to Scouts BSA unit leaders and selected unit assistants with merit badge related responsibilities. 

An important part of the Merit Badge program requires the Scout to discuss his/her interest in earning a merit badge when obtaining a ‘Blue Card’ from the unit leader. 

The unit leader then recommends a merit badge counselor to the Scout from names on the electronic list. This ensures that the counselor is properly approved, registered, and his/her Youth Protection Training is current. In addition, access to these lists shall be limited as the lists contain personal information about each Merit Badge Counselor. 

For these reasons, access to web-based Merit Badge Counselor lists is limited to designated individuals in each unit and printed/electronic copies must not be produced or distributed because merit badge counselor privacy cannot be maintained and the lists may not be current as Scoutbook updates can occur at any time.

Advancement is an integral part of a quality program, helping young people make commitments to achieve higher goals while building character in the process.

Internet Advancement 2.0

For those units who are not using Scoutbook, the proper tool to quickly input advancement data is Internet Advancement 2.0 (previously known as Scoutbook Lite). This capability replaced the previous Internet Advancement platform, which was retired on June 10, 2019 (for all programs except Exploring). Internet Advancement 2.0 features a clean user interface and is optimized to whatever device you use: desktop, tablet or smartphone. It can be accessed by persons assigned the role of “Unit Key 3”, “Unit Key 3 Delegate”, and “Unit Advancement Chair”, roles which are assigned through the Organization Security Manager at the my.scouting.org web site. These users can access Internet Advancement 2.0 via one of the following links using their my.Scouting.org login at any of these portals:

The BSA IT team continues to add additional features on a regular basis. Updates and new features will be communicated as they are implemented.

Questions?

Visit http://help.scoutbook.com for answers to commonly asked questions

The Advancement System of the Boy Scouts of America is intended to be an EDUCATIONAL PROCESS that will help a youth better understand and be prepared for numerous life circumstances such as religious commitment, civic responsibilities, leadership, career development, social skills, values, personal ethics, etc. The requirements become more detailed and sophisticated as the youth matures. This is the same experience a young person has as he goes through the educational system in school.

There are strict guidelines that BSA has set forth that need to be followed. In normal circumstances, a boy should do what is required, no more, no less. If the topic piques the boy interest, he will on his own do more than what is required.

As adults, it is our obligation not to shortchange a youth’s education or development of skills by allowing shoddy or incomplete work. Please allow a boy to LEARN by requesting that he fulfill all requirements. “All requirements” includes the very important show Scout Spirit which means the boy is living the Scout Oath and Law in his every day life!!

How to Order Advancement Items While Scout Shops are Closed
  • Unit Leader will email in the Advancement report to NDCSupply.Orders@scouting.org
  • Please include contact phone number so the Customer Service team member can contact you for payment.
  • Customer Service Rep will contact Unit Leader for credit card information, ship to and bill to address, and verify the correct Council along with the actual advancement needed.
  • Customer Service team will send via FedEx all original reports to the Council’s Registrar once a week.