First Class is the rank a Scout can earn after Second Class. The requirements for First Class continue to teach the youth to the skills needed to advance in Scouts BSA.
The First Class requirements may be worked on simultaneously with the requirements for Tenderfoot and Second Class; these ranks must still be earned in sequence though.
Find helps for specific First Class requirements below.
- First Class Rank Requirements
- Answers
- Requirement 1: Camping and Outdoor Ethics
- Requirement 2: Cooking
- Requirement 3: Tools
- Requirement 4: Navigation
- Requirement 5: Nature
- Requirement 6: Aquatics
- Requirement 7: First Aid and Emergency Preparedness
- Requirement 8: Fitness
- Requirement 9: Citizenship
- Requirement 10: Leadership
- Requirement 11: Scout Spirit
- Requirement 12: Scoutmaster Conference
- Requirement 13: First Class Board of Review
First Class Rank Requirements
First Class Rank Requirements Worksheet
Checkoff Sheet for First Class Rank
Help with Answers for First Class Rank Requirements
Find specific helps for some of the First Class rank requirements listed below. Some of these resources will just give the answers. Others will provide engaging ways for older Scouts to introduce these concepts to new Scouts.
Requirement 1: Camping and Outdoor Ethics
Requirement 1 Helps and Answers
Tread Lightly!
Learn more about the five TREAD principles:
- T: Travel responsibly
- R: Respect the rights of others
- E: Educate yourself
- A: Avoid sensitive areas
- D: Do your part
See more information on the Tread Lightly! website.
Camping Log
Keep track of your nights of camping with this log. You will need this for the Camping merit badge also.
Best Backpack for Short Term Hiking
See some recommendations from Scouts and Scouters for a good backpack to take on a one or two night outing.
How Many Count as a Patrol?
A reader asks about how many patrol members need to be present to count an activity as a patrol activity. See some answers and add your own to the comments.
Tents and Other Shelter Structures
See some ideas for pitching tents and building structures to sleep in overnight.
Video Resources
Tread Lightly!
Tread Lightly and Camping
Requirement 2: Cooking
Requirement 2 Helps and Answers
Help for Grubmasters
The Scout who is responsible for purchasing the food, packing it, and getting it to camp is often called a grubmaster. See some tips here.
Nutrition Guidelines
Learn more about planning nutritious meals and preparing the food.
Dutch Oven Cooking
See some fool proof Dutch oven tips and recipes.
Foil Pack Dinners
Go beyond burgers and potatoes. See some new foil pack combinations and tips for cooking these easy meals.
Recipes for Camp Cooking
See some more favorite recipes for camp.
Video Resources
Menu Planning (Printable Mountain Man Breakfast recipe)
Budget and food amounts
Pans, utensils, and gear
Requirement 3: Tools
Requirement 3 Helps and Answers
Boot Scraper Camp Gadget
A simple boot scraper camp gadget for scraping the mud off of the bottom of the boots.
Pot and Towel Rack Camp Gadget
These instructions are for a pot and towel drying rack for camp
Hand Washing Station Gadget
This uses lashings to make a handwashing station from straight sticks and an empty gallon milk jug.
More Scout Pioneering Gadgets
The Scout Pioneering website has lots of things you can build using lashings.
Even More Gadgets
Scout Life magazine also has plans for a number of projects you can build for First Class requirement 3.
Crossing the Alligator Pit Game
This is a challenging game which combines lashing skills and teamwork.
Snapper Fishing Game
This is a traditional Scout lashings game which might date back to Baden-Powell himself. It practices Scoutcraft (lashings) as well as cooperation and problem solving.
Knot Terminology
It is helpful to go over the terminology with Scouts before working on learning a knot.
Square Lashing
Animated knots shows how to make a square lashing.
Shear Lashing
Animated knots shows how to make a shear lashing.
Diagonal Lashing
Animated knots shows how to make a diagonal lashing.
Video Resources
When you should and should not use lashings
Timber hitch and clove hitch
Make a useful camp gadget
Requirement 4: Navigation
Requirement 4 Helps and Answers
Personal Measurement Log for Orienteering
Some methods of navigation and measurement used in First Class requirement 4 require you to have something of known length for comparison. A personal measurement log will help you with this.
Video Resources
Beginner’s guide to GPS
How to make the measurements
Judging height and distance with a compass
Measuring height with a stick
Requirement 5: Nature
Requirement 5 Helps and Answers
Native Plants in Your Area
Enter your zip code to find out about plants near you for First Class requirement 5.
Weather Hazards Online Course
This online course from BSA will help you know how to be prepared for all sorts of weather. Adult leaders who are taking Scouts on outdoor adventures need to take this course.
Video Resources
Identifying Native Plants
Weather Forecasts
Indicators of hazardous weather
Extreme weather conditions
Requirement 6: Aquatics
Requirement 6 Helps and Answers
BSA Swim Test
The BSA swim test is used to determine ability level so that participants can swim in an area which is appropriate for them.
Safety Afloat
Safety Afloat is the list of rules for boating activities laid out in the Guide to Safe Scouting.
Safe Swim Defense
Safe Swim Defense provides the steps which a BSA unit must take to safely participate in an activity which involves swimming.
Water Rescue Methods
Water rescue methods are methods used to rescue someone who is in trouble in the water.
4 Basic Swimming Strokes to Know
These strokes will help you propel yourself and stay safe in the water.
Basic Parts of Canoes and Kayaks
Video Resources
Swimmer Test
Safe Float Trip
How to sit in a boat
Line rescues
Requirement 7: First Aid and Emergency Preparedness
Requirement 7 Helps and Answers
Basic First Aid
Learn to treat blisters, sprained ankle, broken collarbone, poison ivy, and bleeding.
Signs of a Heart Attack
See a list of symptoms for a heart attack.
Utility Hazards
Learn about dangers from gas leaks, electrical shorts and surges, water leaks, and carbon monoxide.
How to Purify Drinking Water
Methods include boiling, filtering, and chemical treatment.
Make a Home Emergency Plan
Learn how to plan ahead with your family to respond to emergencies.
Fire Drill
Be prepared to respond to a fire emergency in your home
First Aid Baseball Game
First aid baseball is a fun way to review first aid skills with Scouts.
Video Resources
First aid
Transporting a victim
Signs of a heart attack
Emergency action plan
Potable water in an emergency
Requirement 8: Fitness
Requirement 8 Helps and Answers
Ideas for Staying Physically Active at Home
Physical activity keeps us mentally healthy too. See some ways to stay fit without going to a gym for First Class requirement 8.
Video Resources
Pilates
Yoga
Requirement 9: Citizenship
Requirement 9 Helps and Answers
Look Up Your Elected Officials
This site will help you find your federal, state, and local officials so you can contact them.
Rights and Responsibilities
Learn about your rights and responsibilities as a US citizen beforehand to be prepared for First Class requirement 9a.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Learn how to reduce waste through the three R’s. This site includes practical ideas for putting these into practice.
Citizenship Football Game
Citizenship Football Game is a fun game to go with citizenship activity. Teams progress down the field by showing their knowledge of civics. This could be used as an inter-patrol activity.
Constitution Puzzle – Word Search
This word search contains words and phrases related to the United States Constitution.
Video Resources
Visit with official
Environmental Issues
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Requirement 10: Leadership
Requirement 10 Helps and Answers
Recruiting New Scouts
See some ideas for inviting new Scouts to your troop for First Class requirement 10.
Video Resources
Invite a friend
Requirement 11: Scout Spirit
Requirement 11 Helps and Answers
What Is Scout Spirit?
Scout spirit is mentioned in several of the requirements for Scouts BSA ranks. But what is Scout spirit and how does a Scout go about demonstrating it?
Scout Law
See the 12 points of the Scout Law and what they mean. Remember to focus on different points for First Class requirement 10 than you did for Tenderfoot and Second Class.
Requirement 12: Scoutmaster Conference
Requirement 12 Helps and Answers
What Is a Scoutmaster Conference?
Scouts should not stress over the Scoutmaster conference. If they know a little bit about it beforehand it will not seem intimidating at all.
Scoutmaster Conference – Adding Requirements
A Scoutmaster may not add or take away requirements for advancement.
Requirement 13: First Class Board of Review
Requirement 13 Helps and Answers
What Is a Board of Review?
When a Scout has completed all of the requirements for a rank, he must appear before a board of review. A board of review is NOT the same as a Scoutmaster Conference but just with more people.
Board of Review Questions
Reader Shelley asked “I’m a new Troop Committee Chair and was wondering if anyone has some great questions that they ask their Scouts during their Board of Reviews?” Sometimes committee members struggle to come up with good Board of Review questions.
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