Advancement
Troop 722 – Important Advancement Information
Hopefully this page will help clarify any questions or concerns you have about advancement and Individual History Reports.
First and foremost:
** The Scout needs to work directly with their assigned Assistant Scout Master or their Merit Badge Counselor on any advancement related updates or issues. **
* Your parents cannot sign off on requirements for you. *
The following items are acceptable to provide as evidence of advancement:
– A report from the Old Hickory Council office or another BSA Council
– A report from the Advancement Chair of another Troop
– A signed Merit Badge Blue Card
– A completed Merit Badge Workbook
– A completed Rank Workbook or Leader signed Scout Book
– A leader signed title card that came with a badge
Credit for Camp Raven Knob Badges – If a requirement is for longer than five days or states that it must be completed at home, it cannot be done at camp. The same rule applies for Merit Badge Colleges.
For example – Reptile and Amphibian Study #8, you cannot maintain one or more reptiles or amphibians for at least a month or observe at a local zoo…study the specimen weekly for a period of three months, during the 5 days we are at camp or the day we are at Merit Badge College.
Individual History Reports are periodically sent out with information on the requirements remaining for rank advancement and any partial merit badges.
A good resource for merit badge requirements and workbooks is HERE. The site also has rank advancement requirements and workbooks.
If a requirement was completed at home or on your own, the work should be clearly documented on the corresponding Workbook pages. This is the best way to insure proper documentation and credit.
For example, Cooking #4 Cooking at home, the MB Workbook has all of the sheets required to put together a menu, create a shopping list, and document the cooking methods & meals prepared for your family.
If a Scout has completed requirements or has questions/concerns, the Scout should work directly with their assigned Assistant Scout Master (ASM) or their Merit Badge Counselor.
The Scout should schedule a meeting with their ASM or Counselor to discuss requirements. Trying to pull an ASM aside during our meetings is not fair to the leader or the other boys in your Troop.
If your assigned ASM or MB Counselor is your parent, please schedule a meeting with another ASM to review your accomplishments and enter them in the system. This prevents any potential issues or questions of fairness.
A Scout should be a responsible self-advocate, so parents please help us by letting them be in charge of their advancement.
Q&A Examples
I know that I did requirement 3b. Should my parents call Mr. Cesta?
No, the Scout needs to work directly with their assigned Assistant Scout Master or Merit Badge Counselor. Mr. Cesta should not be your main point of contact, your assigned leaders should be. The Scout should advocate for themselves, so parents should not be doing their followup work.
My Individual History Report is not showing Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge and I know I did it?
You should bring your signed Merit Badge Blue Card or completed Merit Badge Workbook to your Assistant Scout Master or Merit Badge Counselor for review and recording.
I know that I started the Public Speaking Merit Badge, but none of the completed requirements are showing on my report?
You should bring your Merit Badge Workbook to your Merit Badge Counselor for review and recording. If your Merit Badge Counselor is not available, you should review your Workbook with your Assistant Scout Master.
I went to summer camp / school trip / family outing can I use what I did there to meet Scout requirements?
In order to work on requirements for Scouts it has to be at a Boy Scout Camp (i.e. Raven Knob), with or coordinated through the Troop, at Merit Badge College or with a registered Merit Badge Counselor.
I transferred into Troop 722 and some of my old Troop’s achievements are not showing on my Individual History Report?
You should meet with your assigned Assistant Scout Master and bring the following for review & recording:
– A report from the Old Hickory Council Office or another BSA Council
– A report from the Advancement Chair of another Troop
– A signed Merit Badge Blue Card
– A completed Merit Badge Workbook
– A completed Rank Workbook or Leader signed Scout Book
– A leader signed title card that came with a badge
I just completed requirement 4d. on the last camping trip, should I tell Mr. Stopyra?
No, you need to work directly with your assigned Assistant Scout Master or Merit Badge Counselor. Mr. Stopyra is the Advancement Chair, but he does not sign off on requirements for you. Your assigned leader works with Mr. Stopyra to record your accomplishments.
I went to Raven Knob summer camp every year for four years, five nights each worth of camping, why do I not have my 20 required nights for the Camping Merit Badge?
Only specific types of camping trips can be applied towards the Camping Merit Badge, see this article for more information – HERE.
Youth Leadership Position Requirements and Application is located – HERE.
Official BSA Guide to Advancement is located – HERE.
If you have other advancement questions or concerns please email advancement@scouts722.org or contact Tom Stopyra our Advancement Chair.