The current edition of the Boy Scouts of America Guide to Advancement is the official source for administering advancement in all Boy Scouts of America programs: Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts. It replaces any previous BSA advancement manuals and previous editions of the Guide to Advancement.
The complete Guide to Advancement is available online on Scouting.org and as a downloadable PDF file.
Producing the Guide to Advancement has involved many members of the Boy Scouts of America’s national staff and many volunteer advancement administrators and subject matter experts at all levels from across the country. The result is an improved resource intended to more efficiently meet the needs of those who would most often consult it.
Additional information and best practices appear in other official BSA resources such as Advancement News, the National Advancement Program Team’s Twitter feed, and the advancement educational presentations released by the National Advancement Program Team. See “Orientation and Education Opportunities for Advancement Administrators,” 3.0.0.6, for more information on education in advancement policies and procedures. Scouting leaders are encouraged to make full use of these resources but should confirm that updated information has not subsequently been provided. For example, most of the official educational resources released carry an expiration date. As these dates arrive, replacement versions can be downloaded from www.scouting.org/advancement. Expired presentations must not be used.