Mecklenburg County Boy Scouts of America
Advancement
ADVANCEMENT IS THE PROCESS by which youth members progress through ranks in the Scouting program by the gradual mastery of Scouting skills.
Regardless the program—Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, Venturing, or Sea Scouts—where advancement takes place, it is nothing more and nothing less than a method. It is a means toward accomplishing the Boy Scouts of America mission. It is not an end in itself.
“Advancement is one of the eight methods used by Scout leaders to help youth fulfill the aims of the BSA.”
The outcomes of the Scouting experience should be fun and educational, and not just relate to completing rank requirements that might place unrealistic expectations on a member who has a disability.
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Advancement Committee
Contact Information
Council Advancement Chairman - Joel Moser
Apache Advancement Chairman - Dean Elledge
Etowah Advancement Chairman - Carole Stojetz
Hornet's Nest Advancement Chair - Bob Coughlin
Deadline Concerning the Required Citizenship in Society Merit Badge
If an Eagle packet is submitted to the Scout Office, and all Requirements 1-6 on the Eagle application is dated prior to July 1, 2022, the Citizenship in Society merit badge is not required. If any of Requirements 1-6 is dated on or after July 1, 2022, the Citizenship in Society merit badge is required to be included as one of the required merit badges earned.
In other words: If an Eagle packet comes to the Scout Office for processing, and if any Requirements 1-6 are dated completed on or after July 1, 2022, the Citizenship in Society merit badge must be included. If not, the packet will be returned to the Scout as incomplete.
The Council Advancement Committee
Misc. Advancement Items To Be Prepared!
Advancement Report Processing
Reporting Advancements to the council is required for all units. Using Scoutbook to record unit advancement and to print an advancement report is highly recommended; but some circumstances may necessitate use of the BSA Advancement form which can be found here.
According to the Guide to Advancement 2021, all rank and merit badges are restricted items and will not be sold without the required advancement report or proof that one has already been submitted prior to their purchase.
Blue Card Records
Even with Scoutbook, blue cards are the Scout's official record for having completed merit badges. Blue card records can be invaluable to confirm merit badges for Star, Life, and especially for Eagle Boards of Review.
The Scout office no longer "stamps" the blue cards as they have done in the past. It is advised that the Scout retain the blue cards for their records if verification of a merit badge needs to be confirmed as completed and signed off by a registered Merit Badge Counselor after turning in their Eagle Scout Project Workbook and Application.
Current Merit Badge Requirements
Please see the Merit Badge page - https://www.mccscouting.org/merit-badge-info
Conservation Service Awards
Conservation Awards and STEM
The Council Advancement Committee has a subcommittee to promote conservation-related and STEM-related activities and awards. The Conservation-STEM Subcommittee invites Scouts who are interested in earning any of the BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Awards or BSA Supernova STEM Awards to consult with the committee before beginning work on requirements. These awards require sustained effort over 2 to 4 years. With continuous consultation with a trained Adviser offering guidance from the outset, the Scout’s work and documents will be significantly more likely to attain a level of quality and depth to qualify for BSA National review. A Scout presenting a completed binder and application form for a signature without on-going collaboration with mentors and advisors is less likely to meet the rigorous standards in place for a successful submission and review.
Please contact Stuart Tucker at stutucker@aol.com if any Scout is interested in pursuing one of these awards.
BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award
In early November, 2020, BSA announced a new conservation award program to replace the Hornaday Award program.
Information is posted at -
COVID Information for Advancement
Advancement during COVID?
Bryan on Scouting
(Mar. 2020)
FAQ
Advancement during COVID-19
BSA National
COVID-19 FAQ
Merit Badges & Social Distancing
Bryan on Scouting (Mar. 2020)
Nova & Supernova STEM Awards
For more information about the program, approval signatures, activities, or scholarships, send email to -
Dr. Stuart Tucker at stutucker@aol.com - Mecklenburg County Council's NOVA Coordinator.
Scouts BSA STEM Up and Away Nova Award for Engineering
iFly has added virtual (remote) learning opportunities for Scouts interested in earning the Up and Away Nova Award.
Scouts BSA members can complete requirements 3 and 5 of the Up and Away Award through the online course and requirement 4 with a dedicated visit to iFLY Charlotte (Concord) located at 7840 Lyles Ln NW, Concord, NC 28027, phone 704 851 4359.
Website: https://www.iflyworld.com/charlotte/
For information on registration, programs for individuals or groups, scheduling, and costs, please click on
https://www.iflyworld.com/programs/boy-scouts/
For information on adult registration and training as a Nova Award Counselor and a Supernova Award Mentor, please click on - https://www.scouting.org/stem-nova-awards/volunteer-support/