Scout Leader Glossary
Scouting Terms Explained
The acronyms and shorthand every troop leader picks up eventually — Board of Review, POR, Life to Eagle, and the rest — explained in plain language, without assuming you already know the last one. Each term links to a fuller guide where we have one.
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Grab the free one-page Quick Reference comparing the two side by side — purpose, who's involved, and what to expect at each.
A
- Advancement Chair
- The committee member who tracks rank progress across the whole troop, schedules Boards of Review, and makes sure Scoutbook and the council's records match what's actually been signed off. If a Scout's advancement seems stuck, the Advancement Chair is usually the first person to ask. Advancement Chair role guide →
- Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM)
- An adult leader who supports the Scoutmaster — often taking on a specific focus like a patrol, high adventure, or first-year Scouts. ASMs help run meetings and outings but, like the Scoutmaster, don't sit on a Scout's Board of Review. Assistant Scoutmaster role guide →
B
- Blue Card
- The paper (or Scoutbook-equivalent) application a Scout uses to work on a merit badge — signed by the Scoutmaster at the start, filled in by the counselor as requirements are completed, and signed again at the end. It's the Scout's proof the badge was earned properly, so it's worth keeping until it's recorded. Merit badge guide →
- Board of Review (BOR)
- A short sit-down with 3–6 committee members (not the Scout's own unit leaders) that happens after a Scout finishes all requirements for a rank, including the Scoutmaster Conference. It's not a retest — it's a conversation about the Scout's experience in the troop, and it's the last step before the rank is official. SM Conference & BOR Guide →
C
- Committee Chair
- The volunteer who leads the troop committee — the adults handling the behind-the-scenes side of the troop like budgets, recharter, and support for the Scoutmaster. Think of it as the troop's board president rather than someone who runs meetings with the Scouts directly. Committee Chair role guide →
- Court of Honor
- A troop ceremony, usually a few times a year, where rank advancements, merit badges, and other awards earned since the last one are formally recognized in front of families. It's part celebration, part record-keeping moment — a good one makes the work Scouts put in visible to everyone in the room. Court of Honor planning guide →
E
- Eagle Scout
- The highest rank in Scouts BSA, earned after completing all lower ranks, a set number of merit badges, a Position of Responsibility, and a large service project the Scout plans and leads. It's a rank, not a lifetime title that expires — once earned, a Scout is an Eagle Scout for life. Eagle rank requirements →
- Eagle Scout Project (Eagle Project)
- The service project a Life Scout plans, fundraises for, and leads a team to complete as part of earning Eagle. The point isn't the physical result so much as showing the Scout can organize and lead other people — the planning and leadership matter more than the size of the project. Eagle project ideas & guidance →
G
- Guide to Advancement
- The official BSA publication that spells out the rules for rank requirements, merit badges, Boards of Review, and appeals. Councils and troops are expected to follow it, so when there's a dispute about how something should be handled, this is the document that settles it — always check the current version at scouting.org since it gets updated periodically. How the Guide to Advancement applies to BORs →
H
L
- Life to Eagle Process
- The specific sequence a Scout follows after reaching Life rank on the way to Eagle: proposing and completing the Eagle project, finishing any remaining merit badges and time-in-rank, and submitting the Eagle Scout Rank Application. Most councils have a Life to Eagle coordinator who walks families through the paperwork. Eagle Scout Roadmap →
M
- Merit Badge
- A badge earned by completing a set of requirements in a specific skill or subject, from First Aid to Personal Finance, under the guidance of a registered Merit Badge Counselor. There are well over 100 to choose from, and Eagle rank requires a specific list of them plus a set number of electives. Merit badge library →
- Merit Badge Counselor
- A registered adult volunteer, often not even a troop leader, who's approved to teach and sign off requirements for one or more merit badges based on their own skills or profession. Troops always need more of them, so parents with relevant hobbies or careers are worth recruiting. Becoming a Merit Badge Counselor →
N
- National Outdoor Award
- A recognition (separate from rank) for Scouts who show sustained outdoor skill and participation in a specific area like camping, hiking, or aquatics, earned by meeting activity and badge requirements beyond the normal rank trail. It's optional and mostly appeals to Scouts who are already spending a lot of time outdoors.
O
- Order of the Arrow (OA)
- Scouting's national honor society, recognizing Scouts and Scouters chosen by their peers for living the Scout Oath and Law and for their record of camping. Election to the OA isn't a rank requirement — it runs alongside the advancement trail as its own separate program of service and leadership. OA Troop Representative role →
P
- Patrol Leader
- The youth leader elected by their patrol to lead it at meetings and on outings — planning activities, assigning duties, and representing the patrol at Patrol Leaders' Council. It's usually a Scout's first real Position of Responsibility and often their first taste of leading peers rather than just following along. Patrol Leader role guide →
- Position of Responsibility (POR)
- A specific youth leadership role — Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, Historian, and others — that counts toward rank requirements starting at Star. Ranks above First Class require serving in a POR for a minimum number of months, so tracking who's serving in what and for how long matters for keeping Scouts on schedule. Tracking POR time toward Eagle →
R
- Rank Advancement
- The overall process of moving through the seven Scouts BSA ranks by completing requirements, attending a Scoutmaster Conference, and passing a Board of Review at each step. It's the backbone of the program — most other activities in a troop connect back to helping Scouts move along this trail. Rank trail overview →
- Rank Sequence: Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, Eagle
- The order of the six ranks above Scout, each with its own set of requirements that build on the last — from basic outdoor and citizenship skills at Tenderfoot to leadership and service at Star and Life, up to Eagle. Requirements can be worked on out of order for the first four ranks, but Star, Life, and Eagle must be earned in sequence. See every rank on the trail →
- Recharter / Rechartering
- The annual process of renewing a troop's registration with the BSA and its chartered organization — updating the roster, collecting fees, and confirming adult leader registrations. It's mostly a committee job, usually falling to the Committee Chair or a dedicated recharter coordinator, and it's easy to leave too late if nobody owns it. Committee Chair responsibilities →
S
- Scout Spirit
- A requirement at every rank that a Scout show they live the Scout Oath and Law in daily life, not just recite them. It's judged by the Scout's own unit leader through conversation — usually at the Scoutmaster Conference — rather than by a checklist, which is exactly why it can feel harder to pin down than the other requirements. How Scout Spirit comes up at conferences →
- Scoutbook
- The BSA's official online system for tracking advancement — requirement sign-offs, merit badges, POR dates, and finances all live here. Whoever manages it (often the Advancement Chair) needs to keep it current, since it's usually the record everyone else, including councils processing Eagle applications, relies on. Advancement tracking guide →
- Scoutmaster
- The adult volunteer responsible for the overall program and safety of the troop, and the one who holds each Scout's Scoutmaster Conference before a rank's Board of Review. The Scoutmaster leads through the Scouts' own elected leaders rather than running the troop directly — a good one coaches the Senior Patrol Leader instead of doing the SPL's job for them. Scoutmaster role guide →
- Scoutmaster Conference
- A one-on-one conversation between a Scout and their Scoutmaster (or an assigned ASM) held after all other requirements for a rank are complete. It covers how things are going in the troop and at home, touches on Scout Spirit, and clears the Scout to move on to their Board of Review — it's a conversation, not an exam. SM Conference & BOR Guide →
- Senior Patrol Leader (SPL)
- The top youth leadership position in the troop, elected by the Scouts to run troop meetings and outings with the Scoutmaster's coaching in the background. It's the most visible Position of Responsibility a Scout can hold and usually the one that teaches the most about leading a whole group rather than just a patrol. Senior Patrol Leader role guide →
T
- Trail to Eagle
- A general term for a Scout's whole path from joining as a Scout through earning Eagle — every rank, merit badge, POR, and the Eagle project along the way. It's used more loosely than "Life to Eagle Process," which refers specifically to the final stretch after Life rank. Eagle Scout Roadmap →
U
- Unit Leader
- The BSA's generic term for the adult in charge of a unit's program — the Scoutmaster in a troop, the Cubmaster in a pack. You'll see it in official documents like the Guide to Advancement instead of "Scoutmaster" because the same rule applies across every program type. Scoutmaster role guide →
Related Guides
Independent resource — not affiliated with or endorsed by Scouting America. Terms are explained in plain language for everyday troop use; always verify current official definitions in the Guide to Advancement or with your local council.