New Rank Requirements Starting January 1, 2017

The Boy Scouts of America have been transitioning to new rank requirements throughout 2016. Starting January 1, 2017 all Scouts will be required to use these new rank requirements for whatever rank they are working on.

This means that you should complete any ranks using the old requirements, which you have made noticeable progress on, before January 1, 2017. As of January 1, 2017 you will have to use the new requirements, which in some instances differ significantly from the prior requirements. Wherever you have completed an old requirement on a rank not yet completed and that requirement exists in the new requirement, you will be given credit for that requirement in the new rank requirements.

You should also get a new Scout Handbook so that you understand what the new requirements are and can adequately track your rank progress. We will have a few copies of the spiral bound New Scout Handbook. They are $20 a piece. We will not be reserving them for Scouts, they will be issued on a first come basis.

Here is an excellent resource for what the new requirements are http://usscouts.org/advance/changes/advchanges16.asp#ranks. Each of the new rank descriptions includes a link illustrating what the difference is between the old and new requirements.