Advancing through the Scouting America ranks is much more than getting new patches for your shirt.   Advancement helps expand your horizons for interesting and meaningful careers and hobbies.  It is one of several methods developed to help leaders carry out Scouting America’s aims and mission to serve youth.

Everything done to advance – to earn ranks, other awards, and recognition – is designed to educate or to otherwise expand a Scout’s horizons.  From the time a youth joins, they learn and develop according to defined standards.  The same process applies as they move from Cub Scouting to Scouting to Venturing or Sea Scouts.

Experiential learning is key to meeting these standards.  When Scouts are offered exciting and meaningful activities, education happens.  Learning comes from doing.  For example: Scouts may read about first aid, hear it discussed and watch others administer it, but they will not learn it until they practice it themselves.  Rushing through the requirements to obtain a badge is not the goal.  Advancement should be a natural outcome of a well-rounded unit program, rich in opportunities to work toward the ranks.

The High Desert Council Advancement Committee is responsible for serving our Scout’s advancement and recognition needs and providing guidance for Scouters (adults) who administer the various Scouting America programs.  The committee ensures adherence to the Advancement requirements established by the National Council (published in the 2025 Guide to Advancement, GTA) and the High Desert Council.  Each geographic area has a District/Zone Advancement Chair who is a member of the Advancement Committee with other interested volunteers.  Most are quite experienced with advancement, but we also have members who join us to learn more about advancement. 

Scouts and Scouters with advancement and recognition related questions, comments, or concerns should first contact their District/Zone Advancement Chair for guidance or resolution.  As necessary, that Chair will contact the correct individuals on the Council Advancement Committee for further guidance and resolution.  

Eagle Scout Requirements
Look first at your Scout Handbook for the general idea of what is required to earn the Eagle Rank. The current Eagle Scout Rank Application from the National site shows the exact requirements you need to meet to earn the Eagle Rank. The Eagle Service Project is one of the requirements and the Eagle Project Workbook is the workbook you will need to use before, during and after your Eagle Project. The main reference for all Advancement is the Guide to Advancement (GTA). Section 9 is about the Eagle Scout Rank and has links to many resources. National keeps these items updated, so you are getting the most current information.All this can be confusing, so remember that your leaders can contact your local DistrictAdvancement Chair for clarification. They are very familiar with the ins and outs of earning Eagle.

 

District Contacts

North

RIO GRANDE Stephen Bartholomew, life2eaglehelp@yahoo.com

SANDIA Mike Cutter, Michael.cutter@msn.com

SANGRE DE CRISTO Tim Neal, timrneal@gmail.com

SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, CO Julie Harris, HarrisFamilyDGO@gmail.com

SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, NM Johnna Downing, johnnadowning@yahoo.com

 

South

SUNSHINE – Las Cruces David Hereford, dherefor@nmsu.edu

GERONIMO – Silver City Pat McIntire, mcintirep2@gmail.com

POLARIS – EP West Joyce Lieb, liebfam@aol.com

MESCALARO – EP Northeast Robert Holder, Eagle200017@yahoo.com

WAPAHA – El Paso East Sotero & Pat Ramirez, sramir34@epcc.edu & cocinapat@gmail.com 

Training for Scouts and Parents
Date/Time: September 13, 2025, 10 am to 12 pm
Location: Zoom only. Life to Eagle Slides, 2025
Becoming an Eagle Scout is one of the most challenging yet rewarding things that you can achieve. Working through the requirements to become an Eagle Scout gives you invaluable experience in a wide variety of fields of study and allows for firsthand interaction; not just a lesson from a book. These experiences will become an important part of your life that will remain with you forever. The information in the links below serve as guides for the Life Scout, Their Scout Leaders, and their families. Share the information you find and share your progress with the adults helping you along
the trail to the Eagle Rank. You will do the work, but it helps to have one or more adults monitoring your progress to decrease the risk of time-consuming mistakes on your journey. After looking at the linked resources you may be glad to hear that the Life to Eagle Training will explain the process and the paperwork required to attain the Eagle Rank. We invite the Life Scout, their parents, and their Leaders to attend physically or via Zoom. 
Changes in the Eagle process are frequent, and this training will help you succeed within the current expectations that apply to you. We will attach the Zoom link ASAP for the Life to Eagle class. We are excited to see what your Eagle Service Project will be! Click on Advancement Committee if you have any questions.

 

The Zoom link for 2026 will be provided later.

Are you having fun with Advancement and want to dive a little deeper?  Contact Lois Caipen High Desert Council Advancement Chair