BSA Alumni Life for Life

Life before Star - what the order of BSA top “ranks” were not always the same???

In the beginning, Life may be earned before or after Star. (Today, the opposite is true.) In fact, Life - Star - Eagle Scout were not ranks.

The highest rank in the BSA until the 1920’s was First Class Scout. The other three recognitions were additional awards that could be earned.

Here is why….

First Class Boy Scouts could earn the Life Scout badge by earning five specific merit badges: First Aid, Athletics, Lifesaving, Personal Health and Public Health. Notice a common theme? The heart on the Life Scout badge symbolized the health aspect that united all five.

After earning the Life Scout badge, a boy could receive the Star Scout badge by earning any additional five merit badges of his choosing (for a total of ten).

So how did those early Eagle Scouts earn Boy Scouting’s highest honor without earning Life or Star? It’s simple. If the 21 merit badges they chose didn’t include all five from the Life list, they weren’t eligible to earn the Life Scout award.

The order of Life before Star remained until the mid-1920s.