Are there age requirements for Tenderfoot, 2nd, 1st, etc.?

[acco40]

Recently, I went to my local BSA Council office to inquire about registration issues (Webelos to Boy Scouts & Units with different recharter dates).

 

The lady that handled registration also handles overseeing the Eagle applications. She told me that boys can't earn any rank advancement in Boy Scouts until they are 10.5 years of age. Does anyone know if this is correct and if so where I may find this requirement? She is currently scanning applications for Eagle and says she comes across the "problem" of boys earning Tenderfoot before 10.5 years of age. This is new to me.

 

I have a boy in my Webelos den (fifth grader, soon to earn his Arrow of Light who just turned 10 in November). He will crossover in mid-February. If the 10.5 rule is true, he would not be able to earn Tenderfoot until June.

 

I know the Boy Scout joining requirements (completed 5th grade OR 11 years old OR earned the Arrow of Light AND is under 18 years of age) with respect to age. No problem for this boy.

[Rooster7]

I can't answer your question definitively, but I suspect she is wrong.

[NJCubScouter]

Acco, I think you are correct, but I also think I know what your registrar is confused about. As you say, there are 3 options for joining a troop: Be 11 years old, have completed fifth grade (by which time almost any boy will be at least 10.5), or earn Arrow of Light. So if the boy is under 10.5, the Arrow of Light would be the way he gets in.

 

Here is requirement 1 for Arrow of Light:

 

Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge.

 

So, it's an either-or requirement, and your registrar seems to be ignoring the first part of the "or." In other words, she is assuming that the part in parentheses is the only option. In most places, school ends in June, meaning that a boy who is active in the Webelos den (which he presumably was already a member of, starting at the end of third grade) from that point, would qualify sometime in December.

 

I have seen people debate the meaning of the word "active" in this context; in other words, if the boy is a member of a pack/den that "takes the summer off," is he active from June to December, or would his "active" period not start until September when the den revs up again. In that case he would not be able to earn Arrow of Light until March. That might be an issue in this case because the boy will not be 10.5 until May. So if he is not considered to have been "active" during the summer months, he might still have to wait a bit anyway.

 

I personally think that, assuming there are no den meetings in the summer, a boy should be considered active if he participates in ANY Scouting activity over the summer. I would include Cub Scout day camp or overnight camp, even though that may be an individual registration with the council rather than a pack thing. But that is getting far afield from your question.

[acco40]

Thanks Rooster and NJ. I'm aware of the Webelos and AOL requirements. Here in Michigan, a student does not need to turn the "proper age" until Dec. 1st (i.e. can be four years old to start kindergarten as long as they turn 5 by 12/1). The particular boy in question did remain active this summer (crossover camping trip in June, den meeting in July, Webelos residence camp (5D/4N) in August, weekly meetings again in Sept) and so met the "active" requirement in December.

 

I'm not that concerned with the possibility of delaying Tenderfoot or 2nd class for a few months but it was my impression that the lady at the council office was voiding Eagle applications if ranks were earned prior to the youth turning 10.5. There must be a remedy for that.

[NJCubScouter]

Acco, it sounds to me like the remedy, both for this boy and the others who may be affected, would be to have a conversation with the registrar's boss. She is adding an age requirement for rank that clearly does not exist.

[eisely]

The actions and opinions of this lady in your council office are suspect. There is no minimum age for any rank in Boy Scouts. There are requirements that in themselves tend to stretch things out a bit, but age does not enter into it.

[redfox420]

There are many publications (tracking sheets, etc.) that actually encourage getting your scouts to First Class within one year. As long as this is true, there can be no such rule that says a boy has to be a certain age to reach Boy Scout Ranks...there are typical ages for these ranks, but there is no official rule that says a boy of a certain age cannot be a certain rank...of course the requirements of the ranks past first class can somewhat effect that...Star, Life and Eagles tend to be older, but as to almost everything, there are exceptions.

[Bob White]

I think what we have here is a situation of miscommunication and not one of adding requirements of incompetence on anyone's part.

 

Acco40 asked the office about joining reqirements. The joining requirements are that the boy must be out of the fifth grade, or 11, or have earned the Arrow of Light Award.

 

In most cases this will place the boy in scouting at about 10 1/2 years old at the earliest. Acco40's son for instance will be 10 years and three months when he gets his AOL in Februrary and crosses over at that time. Now lets say that he receives his scout badge at the first Troop meeting (remember that is not a rank!), it normally takes about 3-4 months to complete all the tenderfoot requirements at which point he would be 10 1/2 when he gets his first rank.

 

I think perhaps the office person was trying to say that they cannot accept any rank advancement on a boy until his is of proper JOINING age.

 

As others have pointed out the is no age requirement on the ranks, but there are limitations on joining and the scout cannot earn the Scout Badge and begin working on advancement until he meets the joining requirements.

 

BW(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[mk9750]

BW,

 

I had always heard Scout isn't a rank, but our Council Registrar is requiring that we turn Scout rank awards into the Council now. I think it has something to do with the Computer system BSA has started to use (I can't recall the name of the program). But they are now treating it like a rank, even if it isn't.

 

Mark

[Bob White]

You always had to record earning the Scout Badge with council. Just like with the Bob Cat in cubbing you cannot begin earning ranks until after you have shown you meet the joining requirements.

BW

[shemgren]

The name of the program being used in the council service centers is Scout-Net. The paper records that are submitted are entered into this system and you can request a printout of any Scout to see what is on record.