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Sea Scouts BSA
Age Requirements / Advancement / Highest Awards
- Sea Scouts BSA became a separate program division from Venturing effective February, 2016.
- Sea Scouts make the standard Scout Oath and Scout Law the same as everyone else in Cub Scouts, Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers. They also have an additional 'Sea Promise' ["As a Sea Scout I promise to do my best: To guard against water accidents; To know the location and proper use of the lifesaving devices on every boat I board; To be prepared to render aid to those in need; To let those less able come first." (Note that BSA updated the last line of the Sea Promise in September of 2020 to be more inclusive. The original last line read, "To seek to preserve the motto of the sea : Women and Children First")].
- Sea Scout youth are coed.
- Sea Scout adults are coed, and must be age 21 or older.
Minimum Age |
Maximum Age |
Highest Award |
age 14 OR
age 13 & finished grade 8 |
until age 21 |
Quartermaster Rank |
age 14 OR
age 13 & finished grade 8 |
until age 18 |
Eagle Scout |
Advancement for Sea Scouts
- Sea Scouts have their own rank advancement system, culminating with the Quartermaster rank, although Sea Scouts can also earn the Eagle Scout rank if they have earned the ranks through First Class in a Scout troop. This option is now available to female Sea Scouts as of 1 February 2019.
- As of August, 2020, the Quartermaster Award was officially rebranded as a rank, which matches the terminology in the Cub Scout, Scout, and Venturing programs.
- Sea Scouts wear only the highest rank earned (but can also wear the Eagle Scout medal or knot).
- All ranks must be earned in order.
- The Quartermaster rank is sometimes considered to be equivalent to Eagle Scout, but it lacks the public recognition and prestige of Eagle Scout.
- If you know, please tell me why the Quartermaster patch is so much plainer than the the patches for the lower ranks.
Age Requirements/Advancement/Highest Awards—
Last Revision to This Page: 9 May 2024
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