We believe that a Scout should receive recognition for his achievements. Advancement sets a pattern of setting positive goals and reaching them throughout life. Even though it’s not one of the primary aims of Scouting, advancement is a natural byproduct when your Scouting experience is acquainting you with the BSA ideals, the patrol method, the outdoors, association with adults, personal growth, leadership development, and the Scout uniform. It’s easy to advance by following these four basic steps:
• Learning
• Testing
• Review
• Recognition

The requirements for the ranks of Tenderfoot through First Class prepare you to take full advantage of all that Scouting has to offer. Star, Life, and Eagle requirements focus on service to others and developing leadership skills.

Requirements for each rank are outlined in the Boy Scout Handbook. You can work on advancement requirements with your parents or other family members, with other Scouts and with adult Scout leaders. This can be done on your own, in patrol and troop meetings, and during other troop functions such as campouts. A good rule of thumb is to try to complete one or two rank requirements at each troop meeting.

Scout skills cannot be mastered by performing them just once. You will have many opportunities to practice each skill, and you will be thoroughly tested on each requirement before it is "signed off". In addition, expect to practice each skill repeatedly, even after it has been signed off. As you progress, you will also have opportunities to teach these skills to less experienced Scouts, which will further reinforce your knowledge and skill.

As you complete each requirement, you will be tested and signed off in the BACK section of your handbook (pp. 438 - 449) by the Scoutmaster or by someone he designates. This person may be an Assistant Scoutmaster, a Troop Committee Member, or another, more experienced, Scout. (In Boy Scouts troop leaders, rather than parents, sign off advancement requirements. In order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, in most troops, troop leaders will not normally sign off rank requirements for their own sons. Infrequent exceptions may be made in the case of a leader who is teaching skills to several Scouts at once at a patrol or troop meeting or other Scouting function, but every effort should be made to have another leader sign off the instructing leader’s sons if possible.)

It’s up to you to take advantage of the advancement opportunities available to you, and to take initiative to ask for someone to test you when you are ready. You are responsible for keeping your own personal advancement record in your handbook. You should also record your service hours, campouts, troop activities, and leadership positions in your handbook.

You must earn the ranks in order, but you may complete any requirement for Tenderfoot through First Class at any time. (For example, you may complete a First Class requirement before finishing your Tenderfoot requirements, but you must earn Tenderfoot rank before you are awarded Second Class and First Class ranks.)

You will be meeting regularly with the Scoutmaster to discuss your activity in the troop and your understanding and practice of the ideals of Scouting. This Scoutmaster conference is also used to discuss your goals and accomplishments and is required for each rank advancement.

You do not have to wait until you have completed the requirements for a rank in order to ask for a Scoutmaster conference. You may talk with the Scoutmaster at any time that is convenient to both of you. However, for a Scoutmaster conference to count toward rank advancement it must take place after all other requirements are complete and before the Board of Review. At this required conference the Scoutmaster will also help you determine whether or not you are ready to go before the Board of Review.

Text from http://usscouts.org/.

Board of Review
The purpose of the Board of Review is not to retest you but rather to ensure that you have completed all of the requirements, to determine the quality of your troop experience, and to encourage you to advance toward the next rank. You need to have your Boy Scout Handbook and should be in your "Class A" uniform when you appear before a Board of Review. During the review the board will discuss your development along your trail to Eagle, ask you questions about skills that were required for your particular rank, and evaluate you in terms of troop activities and readiness for the next rank. After passing the Board of Review, you will be recognized in front of the troop at the next Court of Honor.

Merit Badge Information
Visit http://www.meritbadge.com for detailed information on all the BSA merit badges.

Earning merit badges gives a scout the opportunity to learn or increase his knowledge of a certain subject while enhancing his skills.

There are more than 100 merit badges for you to choose from. You may earn any merit badge at any time, with Scoutmaster or Patrol Advisor approval. Don’t wait for someone to tell you when and which merit badge to work on. You don’t need to reach a certain rank in order to be eligible. However, you should concentrate on achieving the rank of First Class before devoting a lot time to working on merit badges.

Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to complete too many badges at one time. We recommend that you actively work on no more than two at one time until you reach the rank of First Class, and no more than five at one time thereafter.

You can find information about merit badge requirements in the appropriate merit badge pamphlets and in the current year’s Boy Scout Requirements book. Merit Badge books may be purchased at the Scout Shop located on Riverside Drive in Jackson.

Here are the steps to earning a merit badge:

Get a merit badge form from the Scout Room or download.

Have either the Advancement Chair, Scoutmaster or your Patrol Advisor sign the form indicating it is alright for you to begin the specified merit badge.

Contact the assigned merit badge counselor to set up an appointment to talk with him before beginning the requirements.

Work on the badge requirements until you complete them, meeting with the counselor whenever necessary. You must complete the stated requirements and satisfy the standards of each merit badge. The merit badge counselor may encourage you to do more than the requirements state but he or she may not require it. YOU (not the counselor, Scoutmaster, Patrol Advisor or Advancement Chairman) keep the merit badge form until you have completed the requirements and the counselor has signed the form. If you lose this form, you will have to start the badge over unless the counselor is willing and able to vouch for what you already completed.

If you change counselors for any reason, it is up to the new counselor whether or not he or she will accept the work you did with the previous counselor. Normally the new counselor will ask you a few questions, and if the counselor is satisfied that you actually did the work that was signed off, he or she will accept it.

After you complete the merit badge and the counselor signs your merit badge form, turn it into the Advancement Chairman.

You will receive your merit badge the next time they are awarded.
Note: Completed Merit Badge Forms are due on the 2nd Monday of the month in order to be awarded on the last Monday of the same month.

Merit Badge Counselors
This is not the complete list of merit badges that one can earn.. If you are an adult leader and are interested in becoming a MB Counselor for Troop 18 and/or BSA, please contact Joe Wilkins. Even if a merit badge already has an assigned counselor, we always welcome additional ones.

Order of the Arrow
The purpose of the Order of the Arrow is threefold:
1. To recognize those Scout campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives
2. To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit
3. To promote Scout camping