Requirement · part of 4.2.1.2. The unit leader authorizes who may test and pass
4.2.1.2. Who may NOT test or pass, however senior
Required Often forgotten
Other non-direct-contact leaders may not test or pass Scouts on rank requirements. The Guide names them: committee members, committee chairs, unit scouter reserves and college scouter reserves. The unit leader cannot authorize somebody in these positions, because it is the position that is excluded.
Notes and warnings
Warning. The most common breach in a well-meaning troop. A committee member with forty years of camping experience may not test or pass a Scout on a rank requirement, and no unit leader has the authority to let them: it is the position that is excluded, not the person's competence. The named positions are committee members, committee chairs, unit scouter reserves and college scouter reserves.
Where this step comes from
- Guide to Advancement (2025), Section 4.2.1.2 · Non-direct-contact leaders (committee members, committee chairs, unit scouter reserves and college scouter reserves) may not test or pass Scouts on rank requirements.