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:
- Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, Scout slogan, Outdoor Code, Scout sign, Scout salute, Scout handshake, Scout badge (see joining requirements and Tenderfoot requirement 7)
- Patrol name, patrol yell, patrol flag (see Tenderfoot requirement 8)
- Show Scout spirit (see Tenderfoot requirement 13, Second Class requirement 9, and First Class requirement 10)
- Ten patrol activities (see Second Class requirement 2a and First Class requirement 3)
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:
- Repeat Pledge of Allegiance (see joining requirements)
- Display, raise, lower, and fold flags (see Tenderfoot requirement 6)
- Flag ceremony (see Second Class requirement 3)
- Citizenship rights and responsibilities interview (see First Class requirement 5)
- Service project (see Second Class requirement 4)
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:
- Fitness test and 30 day improvement (see Tenderfoot requirements 10a and 10b)
- Buddy system (see Tenderfoot requirement 9)
- Pamphlet exercises (see joining requirements)
- Drug dangers (see Second Class requirement 8)
- Safe swim defense and safety afloat rules (see Second Class requirement 7a and First Class requirement 9a)
- Basic swim test, BSA swimmer test, rescue methods, and line rescue practice (see Second Class requirements 7b and 7c, and First Class requirements 9b and 9d; First Class requirement 9c has been eliminated)
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:
- Safe hiking rules (see Tenderfoot requirement 5)
- Finding directions without a compass (see First Class requirement 1)
- Using map and compass (see Second Class requirement 1a)
- Five mile hike (see Second Class requirement 1b)
- Orienteering course (see First Class requirement 3)
- Identify ten wild animals
- Identify ten native plants
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:
- First aid for relatively minor emergencies including minor cuts and burns, blisters, bites, nosebleed, frostbite, sunburn, poisonous plants, eye injuries, and heat exhaustion; bandgage ankle, head, arm, and collarbone (see Tenderfoot requirements 11 and most of Tenderfoot requirement12b, part of Second Class requirement 6c, and First Class requirement 8b)
- First aid for more serious emergencies including choking, stopped breathing, serious bleeding, poisoning, rabid bite, snakebite, shock, heatstroke, hypothermia, and heart attack (see Tenderfoot requirement 12a, Second Class requirement 6a, most of Second Class requirement 6c, some of Tenderfoot requirement 12b, and First Class requirement 8d)
- Transport injured (see First Class requirement 8d)
- Make a first aid kit (see Second Class requirement 6b)
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:
- Wood tool usage (see Second Class requirements 2c and 2d)
- Stove usage (see Second Class requirements 2e and 2f)
- Prepare and cook a camp patrol meal (see Tenderfoot requirement 3)
- Cook a campout meal over an open fire (see Second Class requirement 2g)
- Plan three campout meals, budget, equipment needs, and food safety, and cook the meals (see First Class requirements 4a-4e)
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:
- Whip and fuse rope ends (Tenderfoot requirement 4a)
- Square knot, two half hitches, taut-line hitch, bowline, timber hitch, clove hitch (see joining requirements, Tenderfoot requirement 4b, and First Class requirement 8a and 7b)
- When to lash; square lashing, shear lashing, and diagonal lashing (see First Class requirements 7a and 7b)
- Lash a camp gadget (see First Class requirement 7c)
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:
- Present self prepared to camp (see Tenderfoot requirement 1)
- Three campouts (see Tenderfoot requirement 1, Second Class requirements 2a and 2b, and First Class requirement 3)
- Select campsite and pitch tent (see Tenderfoot requirement 1, and Second Class requirements 2a and 2b)
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.
Return to Troop 139’s home page.
Created by Paul Wake.
Last updated July 25, 2003.
