There are many definitions of advancement, but the Scouting definition might well be simply stated as "the art of meeting a challenge". For that is exactly what the Boy Scout advancement program asks the boys to do. The advancement program provides a "ladder" of skills that a Scout climbs at his own pace. As he acquires these skills, he moves up through a series of ranks, for which he is awarded the following badges: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. The higher he climbs the more challenging his tasks; and the more rewarding they are.

Achievements include:

• Learning skills that qualify for Scouting's more rugged and exciting outdoor challenges.
• Developing body and mind, as well as, self-confidence, and helping younger Scouts climb the advancement ladder.
• Discovering how it feels to progress, in so many ways, further than he ever thought he ever could.

Advancement through First Class

From the time the Scout enters the Troop through the time he earns advancement to First Class, he is learning basic Scouting skills to enable him to camp, hike, swim, cook, tie knots, administer first aid, and perform other tasks in the outdoors and to work as a member of a team. The Scout begins to build himself physically, mentally, and morally with those first steps. The boy will start to live by the Scout Oath and Law. Soon he will learn the symbolism inherent in the Scout badge. He will learn that there are three points of the trefoil, which stand for the three parts of the Scout Oath: duty to God and country; duty to other people; and duty to yourself.

The goal of Troop 98 is for the Scout to achieve the rank of First Class within his first year in the Troop (or by his 12th birthday). This is a sign that the Scout has mastered the fundamentals of Scouting and can begin to start the long process of learning to lead others, refining the learned skills, and learning additional skills.

Advancement from First Class to Eagle

From the achievement of First Class through Eagle, the Scout will be demonstrating leadership, performing service projects, earnign merit badges, and using the skills learned while achieving the rank of First Class. The next ranks he will earn are Star and Life. These ranks are harder to obtain than the earlier ones, but are also more interesting now that the boys are older. Upon completion of all the requirements for Star and Life, the Scout will be eligible to work for Eagle. He now has a better grasp of the meaning of the original principles, the Scout Oath, and Law. His understanding of them is much greater. The final steps toward Eagle are filled with leadership experiences. Ideally a Scout should reach Eagle by 15 or 16 years of age, although the focus should be on the journey and not the destination. Details for advancement can be found in the BSA Handbook.