Rank Advancment Requirements
- Long Cruise Patch
- Small Boat Handler
- Qualified Seaman
- Ship Award
- BSA Lifeguard
- Mile Swim
- Snorkeling
- Boardsailing
- Venture Award
- Eagle Scout
- Fitness & Sport
- Religious Emblems
- Other Awards
ADVANCEMENT & RECOGNITION
Advancement and recognition can be a source of personal pride and a measure of your success in Scouting. There are many opportunities for advancement and recognition in Sea Scouting. In the sections below you can learn about these opportunities and what it takes to successfully move through the advancement and recognition program in Sea Scouting.
You can track the advancement of all members of The Point Weber by clicking the Advancement Tracker icon to the left. This is a valuable tool for helping you reach your advancement goals. You can also download and print a Personal Advancement Record sheet to help you keep your own records.
Rank Advancement
Advancement in rank is a measure of your nautical knowledge and your performance as a leader. This unit of measure is called rank; this system is also used by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. military academies, and others to award the individual with special privileges.When you advance in rank you may be given the opportunity to cruise with cadets aboard the U.S. Coast Guard barque Eagle. This 295-foot tall ship has cruised to Australia and Europe with Sea Scouts aboard. To qualify for this opportunity you must hold the rank of Able or Quartermaster.
Should you choose to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Navy, you will enter as an E-3 if you have earned the Quartermaster rank. If you apply to a U.S. military academy, you will be given special consideration if you are a Sea Scout Quartermaster or Eagle Scout. Some special scholarships have been set aside for Sea Scouts who have earned the Able or Quartermaster rank.
There are many opportunities for advancement in Sea Scouting. Included are the trails to Eagle and Quartermaster. Each of these trails is a highlight experience, but each requires the Sea Scout to to set their own goals and follow through to achievement.
Remember, no more water comes out of a scuttlebutt than is put into it. The requirements have been set up as a standard of performance for all Sea Scouts. It's up to you to follow through.
The first rank achieved by a new Sea Scout is Apprentice. This should be done in the first 90 days of joining the program. The next rank is Ordinary and should be earned within the first year. The next rank is Able and should be earned within one year of earning the Ordinary rank. The next rank is Quartermaster. This is the highest rank a Sea Scout can earn. It should take about 2 years after earning the Able rank. This time line is a general outline and varies with each Scout depending on how fast the Scout wants to advance. There is no set time requirement on how long it takes to advance. It depends on the Scout and their commitment to advancing in the program.
Rank Advancement, and other awards, are presented once a year at the Bridge & Ball ceremony. This annual event is held in February and family and friends are invited to attend and celebrate the achievements of all the Scouts. Awards earned during the year may also be presented in small ceremonies at regular ship meetings. The Quartermaster award is presented at a special event organized specifically for the presentation of the Quartermaster award.