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Tenderfoot Through First Class Skills,
Listed By Topical Area Rather Than Rank:
Requirements, Readings, and Materials
Needed to Master the Skills


Scout Spirit and Patrol Activities

Master the following skills:

Read in the Boy Scout Handbook pages 7 and 9-10 and 12-14 and 45-55 (Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, Scout slogan, Outdoor Code, Scout sign, Scout salute, Scout handshake, Scout badge), 17-22 and 56 (patrols), 353-365 (self improvement), 401-407 (Scouting adventures), 409-417 (awards), and 419-327 (advanced Scouting).

Materials needed include a patrol flag, and a Boy Scout Handbook.


Citizenship

Master the following skills:

Read in the Boy Scout Handbook pages 6 (Pledge of Allegiance), 42-44 (display and care of flag), 87 (flag ceremonies), 130 (rights and responsibilities interview), 331-349 (citizenship), 367-381 (sociability), and 88 (doing service).

Materials needed include a flag and flagpole for flag raising, flags with indoor stands and bases for flag ceremonies, a U.S. flag for folding practice, and a Boy Scout Handbook.


Physical Fitness, Personal Safety, and Swimming

Master the following skills:

Read in the Boy Scout Handbook pages 57 (buddy system), 57-58 (fitness tests), 383-397 (physical fitness), 108 (drug dangers), 98-107 (safe swim defense, swimming strokes, and reach and throw water rescues), 152-159 (safety afloat, swimmer test, swimming strokes), and 162-163 (line water rescue).

Materials needed include a stopwatch, tape measure, and place to do fitness tests, a place to swim, throwable float, a rescue line, and a Boy Scout Handbook.


Hiking, Routefinding, and Orienteering

Master the following skills:

Read in the Boy Scout Handbook pages 38-41 (safe hiking), 57 (buddy system), 197-215 (hiking), 114-125 (finding directions without a compass), 66-74 (map and compass), 89-96 (identifying and tracking wildlife),131-136 (identifying plants), and 244-235 (Leave No Trace ethics).

Materials needed include a measuring tape, topographical map, compass, orienteering materials and an orienteering course, and a Boy Scout Handbook.


First Aid

Master the following skills:

Read in the Boy Scout Handbook pages 59 (poisonous plants), and 288-329 (first aid).

Materials needed include would cleaning and bandaging material for practice, moleskin for practice, splinting material for practice, a first aid kit for demonstration, materials for making personal first aid kits, and a Boy Scout Handbook.


Cooking, Wood Tools, and Fire

Master the following skills:

Read in the Boy Scout Handbook pages 77-85 (wood tools), and 247-283 (fire, and cooking).

Materials needed include knife, axe, saw, sharpening stone and other sharpening materials, wood, firestarting materials and matches, firepan, backpacking stove, and complete cooking gear including coolers, boxes, a stove, kitchen utensils, mess kits, cleanup equipment, garbage handling equipment, a dining fly, and a Boy Scout Handbook. The Scoutmaster should give Totin’ Chip and Firem’n Chit cards to Scouts who master these skills. Keep in mind that the time when Scouts chopped and sawed their way through the wilderness is now long past; Troop 139 doesn’t even own an axe or a saw.


Rope Care, Knots, and Lashing

Master the following skills:

Read in the Boy Scout Handbook pages 34-37 (whipping and fusing), 8 and 36-37 (square knot, two half hitches and taut-line hitch), and 137-150 (lashing).

Materials needed include short lengths of both synthetic rope and natural fiber rope for whipping, matches and a candle, tape, string, short and medium lengths of rope for practicing knots, medium lengths of rope for lashing, poles for lashing, and a Boy Scout Handbook.


Camping

Master the following skills:

Read in the Boy Scout Handbook pages 76 and 86 (tent sites and sanitation), and 217-245 (camping and Leave No Trace ethics).

Materials needed include tents with poles and stakes, groundcloths, stake mallet, whisk broom and dustpan and cleaning brush, toilet equipment, off the ground fire pan (for no trace campfires), rope for marking camp areas such as an axe yard (if one is absolutely necessary) and other uses, repair kit, outdoor flag posting equipment, and a Boy Scout Handbook.


Star, Life, and Eagle Scout ranks are achieved by doing service, working in positions of responsibility, earning merit badges, and showing Scout spirit. Remember: Eagles do not fly by being pulled along behind a tow rope, Eagles soar under their own power.


Troop 139’s advancement record form for recording progress is better than most you’ll find at the Scout Shop, especially for an LDS troop’s needs. It fits well on both sides of a sheet of cardstock.


Troop 139 has a dated list of local merit badge counselors. The Hobble Creek District may eventually maintain a current list online at its merit badge pow wow site, but for now the district seems to focus on running Scouts through merit badge pow wows. Troop 139’s Scoutmaster believes that working one on one with a counselor is more likely to put the “merit” in “merit badge” than passing badges off in a group setting at a pow wow or at Scout camp. The Scoutmaster can put you in contact with a merit badge counselor so you and a buddy can work directly with a merit badge counselor on a merit badge.


graphic showing troop numbergraphic showing troop numbergraphic showing troop number Return to Troop 139’s home page.


Created by Paul Wake.
Last updated July 25, 2003.

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