Life
Rank Requirements

These requirements were revised effective on April 1, 1999.

The OA Representative positions were added to requirement 5
based on a letter from John Dalrymple, BSA Boy Scout Division Director of Advancement, dated July 26, 1999.

To see the changes which were made in 1999, Click here.

1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least 6 months as a Star Scout. 
2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life. 
3. Earn 5 more merit badges (so that you have 11 in all), including any 3 more from the required list for Eagle.
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)*
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)*
   ___________________________________(required for Eagle)*
   ____________________________________________________
   ____________________________________________________
4. While a Star Scout, take part in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster. 
5. While a Star Scout, serve actively 6 months in one or more of the positions of responsibility listed in requirement 5 for Star Scout (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop). 
6. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference 
7. Complete your board of review.

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

NOTE: The footnote to Requirement 3 means that, for example, a Scout can use both Lifesaving AND Emergency Preparedness and/or Swimming, Hiking AND  Cycling toward the requirement of 3 more (7 total) from the required list for Eagle when working toward Life Scout.)  Also note that the asterisks are specifically placed on the lines marked "(required for Eagle)" signifying that the note applies to these badges.

If a Scout used Safety and/or Sports Merit Badge as one or two of the four merit badges from the required list for Eagle for advancement to Star Scout before April 1, 1999, he must earn additional merit badges from the current required list for Eagle, so that he has at least seven from the current list in order to advance to Life Scout.

Please note that Requirement 7 - (Complete your Board of Review) MAY be done AFTER the Scout' has reached age 18.  All other requirements must be completed BEFORE the Scout's 18th Birthday.

VENTURERS and SEA SCOUTS

The requirements above are those for boys enrolled in the Boy Scout Division as members of Boy Scout Troops (including Venture Patrols within Troops) or Varsity Scout Teams. The following requirements apply to boys registered in the Venturing Program (which replaced much of the Exploring program in August, 1998)  including Sea Scouts.

• Any male Venturer who has achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout in a troop or Varsity Scout in a team may continue advancement toward Star, Life and Eagle Scout ranks up to his 18th birthday.
• He must meet the requirements as prescribed in the official Boy Scout Handbook and the current Boy Scout Requirements book.
• The Venturer may fulfill leadership requirements by serving as president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer of his crew, or as boatswain, boatswain's mate, yeoman, purser, or storekeeper for his ship.
• The Scoutmaster conference will be conducted by the Advisor or Skipper.
• A board of review will be conducted by the crew or ship committee.