What it covers
- 1Earn First Class, then stay active about 4 months as a First Class scout.
- 2Earn 6 merit badges, including 4 that are Eagle-required.
- 3Serve — about 6 hours through approved service project(s).
- 4Hold a position of responsibility (or do a Scoutmaster-approved leadership project) for the required time.
- 5Teach a younger scout a skill using the Teaching EDGE method — Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable.
- 6Show Scout spirit, then complete the Scoutmaster conference and board of review.
Why it matters
- The first of the three Eagle-trail ranks (Star, Life, Eagle).
- Shifts advancement from outdoor skills to leadership, service, and merit badges.
- Introduces the position-of-responsibility and Teaching-EDGE requirements that continue through Life and Eagle.
Notes & integrity
- Requirements are fixed — tenure, service hours, and position time are counted honestly; nothing added or subtracted.
- "Active" and "position of responsibility" have real meaning — the scout must genuinely participate and fulfill the role, not just hold a title; leaders confirm this.
- Merit-badge integrity — badges are earned with registered counselors to the actual requirements.
Going deeper
- The trail turns here. Through First Class you learn to camp; from Star on you learn to lead and serve. The rank is measured in months, badges, and service — not knots.
- EDGE — Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable. Scouting's teaching method, first required at Star: you don't just know a skill, you can pass it on.
- Four of your six are Eagle-required. Star quietly starts the Eagle merit-badge collection — plan those four with Eagle in mind.
Official source
Advancement and Awards — Scouting America →Requirement themes are paraphrased, not reprinted — link to the current official Star requirements. Exact tenure, position time, and service hours change over editions; confirm the current requirements book.