Advancement
District Specific Advancement Resources
District Advancement
District Advancement Committee
Each District has their own District Advancement Committee, which is one of the subcommittees of the District Operating Commitee. Our District Advancement Committee includes:
Andy Chen, District Advancement Committee Chair
Barry Dekovic, District Advancement Chair Member (and Chair Emeritus)
Kent Fitzgerald, District Advancement Chair Member
Josh Phillips, Eagle Coordinator.
Eagle and Quartermaster Advancement
Eagle Boards of Review
An Eagle Scout board of review is a scout's final step to achieving the highest rank in Scouts BSA. In fact, Eagle is a rank that only 5% of scouts ever achieve! It’s a rank that heralds respect and admiration from anyone who knows what Scouting is. And, it’s the rank that scouts work for countless years to earn!
Eagle Boards of Review are made up of community members, past leaders and involved parents (though not the Eagle candidate's own parents or leaders from that scout's Troop). Questions for the Eagle Board of Review members to ask the Eagle candidate are provided by the Eagle Board of Review coordinator. The Eagle Board of Review is a chance for the Eagle candidate to talk about how much they've learned along their path to Eagle as well as the details of their Eagle project.
Interested in volunteering to participate in an Eagle Board of Review? Contact: Andy Chen.
Quartermaster and Eagle Projects
Every unit should have a coordinator for Quartermaster or Eagle advancement. Once identified, the unit coordinator for Eagle/Quartermaster can contact Andy Chen for more information. Get ideas for projects from:
Council Eagle Resources
See the Golden Gate Area Council's Eagle page for additional resources.
Special Recognition
Eagles and Quartermasters can:
Request a Recognition Letter from the Friends of Treasure Island, including a vial of earth from the original Ceremonial Grounds / birthplace of the Order of the Arrow
Join the GGAC Eagles Nest
New for 2024
Cyberchip for Scout and Star Ranks are no more. Read what replaces it.
The new Cub Scout program, effective June 1, 2024 is now available in Scoutbook Plus (link to announcement). With this release all Cub Scout advancement tracking has been moved from the legacy Scoutbook user interface to the new Scoutbook Plus User Interface. Clicking on any Cub Scout advancement link in the legacy Scoutbook user interface will direct the user to Scoutbook Plus.
Advancement for the old Cub Scout Program can be entered with completion dates through August 31, 2024 to allow Cub Scouts the opportunity to complete their current rank if they have an extension from their Pack Committee.
Leaders can promote/demote/edit dens in Scoutbook Plus. If a den is promoted in error, Scoutbook Plus provides the ability to demote the den without having to create a new den. Click the 3 vertical dots next to a Scout on the roster then select Edit Den.
You can also organize by Dens by clicking the “Den” text in the red banner.
Note: The version of ranks and adventures that have not been started will automatically change to the 2024 version when the den is advanced. If you previously advanced your den following the 2024 school year, you will need to manually switch all ranks and adventures to the 2024 version.
For help with Cub Scout advancement in Scoutbook Plus see Scoutbook Knowledge Base and Introduction to Scoutbook Plus for Packs - Scoutbook Knowledge Base
Merit Badge Counselors
The merit badge counselor are key players in the Scouts BSA advancement program. Whatever your area of expertise or interest—whether it is a special craft or hobby (basketry, leatherwork, coin collecting), a profession (veterinary medicine, aviation, engineering), or perhaps a life skill (cooking, personal management, communications)— as a merit badge counselor, you can play a vital role in stirring a Scout’s curiosity about that particular topic. By serving as a merit badge counselor, you offer your time, knowledge, and other resources so that Scouts can explore a topic of interest.
Some merit badges require special certification: Swimming, Climbing, Snow Sports, Canoeing, Kayaking, Lifesaving, Motor Boating, Rowing, Scuba Diving, Small Boat Sailing, Water Sports, Whitewater, Archery, Rifle Shooting, and Shotgun Shooting. Read about those here.
If you're ready to apply
Start your journey here. If you need a step by step guide on the process, we've created a tutorial. Have Golden Gate District-specific questions? Contact: Andy Chen.
Are you looking for a Guide for Merit Badge Counseling? Here's the official Scouts BSA guide.
Merit Badge Opportunities
This list will be updated periodically. If there is an upcoming event, please contact Andy Chen to get it posted.
Hiller Aviation Museum Aviation and Weather Merit Badge workshops (recurring)