Scouting America - North Raleigh, NC > Advancements > Life Scout

Life Scout

LIFE SCOUT

  1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least six months as a Star Scout.
  2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  3. Earn five more merit badges (so that you have 11 in all), including any three more from the required list for Eagle. (See the Eagle Rank Requirements, number 3, for this list.) A Scout may choose any of the 15 required merit badges in the 12 categories to fulfill this requirement.
  4. While a Star Scout, take part in service projects totaling at least six hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster.
  5. While a Star Scout, serve actively for six months in one or more of the troop positions of responsibility listed in requirement 5 for Star Scout (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop).
  6. While a Star Scout, use the EDGE method to teach a younger Scout the skills from ONE of the following six choices, so that he is prepared to pass those requirements to his unit leader’s satisfaction.
    a. Second Class—7a and 7c (first aid)
    b. Second Class—1a (outdoor skills)
    c. Second Class—3c, 3d, 3e, and 3f (cooking/camping)
    d. First Class—8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d (first aid)
    e. First Class—1, 7a, and 7b (outdoor skills)
    f. First Class—4a, 4b, and 4d (cooking/camping)
  7. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference.
  8. Complete your board of review.

A Scout may choose any of the 15 required merit badges in the 12 categories to fulfill requirement 3. See a complete list of required badges for Eagle.  

 

Some questions which might be asked in a Board of Review for Life
The Life rank is your final rank before Eagle. You should be fully participating in the Troop, with emphasis being placed on leadership in the unit, as well as teaching skills and leadership to the younger Scouts.  Merit Badge work should be a regular part of you scout life. Scouting values and concepts should be an integral part of your daily life.   At this point, you should be “giving back to Scouting” through leadership, training of other Scouts, recruiting, keeping Scouts active in the program, etc. The approximate time for this Board of Review should be 20 – 30 minutes.

Life Board of Review Sample Questions:

  1. How has Scouting prepared you for the future? 
  2. What is the most ambitious pioneering project with which you have assisted? Where?
  3. What has been your worst camping experience in Scouting?
  4. How many patrol meetings has your patrol held in the last three months? How many of them have you attended?
  5. Have any of the merit badges you have earned lead to hobbies or possible careers?
  6. What are your hobbies?   What do you like to do in your spare time?
  7. Of the merit badges you have earned, which one do you think will be of greatest value to you as an adult? Why?
  8. Why do you think that the three “Citizenship” merit badges are required for the Eagle Rank?
  9. What is your current (most recent) leadership position within the Troop? How long have you held that position? What particular challenges does it present? What is Leadership?
  10. Do you have any brothers or sisters who are in Scouts (any level)? What can you do to encourage them to continue with Scouts, and to move forward along the Scouting Trail?
  11. How do you choose between a school activity, a Scout activity, and a family activity?
  12. Why do you think that Star and Life Scouts are required to contribute so much time to service projects? What service projects are most rewarding to you? Why?
  13. Why do you think that a Board of Review is required for rank advancement?
  14. How has Scouting prepared you for the future?
  15. What does it mean to say, “A Scout is Reverent”?
  16. What does “Scout Spirit” mean to a Life Scout?
  17. Why do you think that Scouting for Food is referred to as a “National Good Turn”.
  18. The Scout Oath refers to “Duty to Self”; what duty do we have to ourselves?
  19. If the Scout is a member of OA:  What role does OA play in Scouting?
    What honor do you hold in OA?
    What is the difference between Scout “ranks” and OA “honors”?
  20. In what year was Boy Scouts of America founded? [Answer: February 8, 1910 – BSA Birthday]
  21. Have you begun to think about an Eagle Service Project? What are you thinking about doing? When?