2017 ADVANCEMENT REQUIREMENT CHANGES

As of January 1, 2017 all ranks must meet current requirements. This means that even though a Scout began working on a rank, including Eagle, two or more years ago, he must complete all of the current requirements for advancement.  An example, three years ago, Cooking merit badge was not required.  Now it is, so it is required for all Scouts.

There are a few minor changes this year for Second Class and First Class: 

-For Second Class: 2d, there is a change in wording only. 

-For First Class: 8b adds after “as part of your daily life continue to include physical activity “add” and develop a plan for doing so.”

Major requirement changes are in the following merit badges:

Disability Awareness, Hiking, Pioneering, and Radio. 

In the Hiking Merit that is required for Eagle the added requirement is “4. Take the five following hikes, each on a different day, and each of continuous miles.  These hikes MUST be taken in the following order: One 5-mile hike

                              Three 10-mile hikes

                             One 15-mile hike”

These hikes are in addition to requirement #5. “Take a hike of 20 continuous miles in one day ----“

Merit badges that have been completed do not have to be repeated, but merit badges begun after 1 January 2017 must meet the new requirements.

Nothing is constant but change, so keep alert to what’s new.

YIS,

Harry Summerlin