Rank Ladder Candle Ceremony
| Category: | Scout Ceremonies |
|---|---|
| Props: | Seven candles of increasing height in a row, or a ladder or step display with a candle on each rung (battery candles indoors) |
| Props: | One extra lit candle to light from |
| Props: | Rank badges for the Scouts being recognized |
| Props: | Parent pins (optional) |
| Notes: | A rank presentation that shows the whole trail from Scout to Eagle. Use it inside a Court of Honor in place of a plain rank presentation, or on its own at a troop meeting. Light each candle in order; when you reach a rank being awarded tonight, stop and present it before going on. Light every candle even if no one is receiving that rank - the point is to show the climb. Readers can be one Scout per rank, ideally a Scout who already holds it. Replace [TROOP NUMBER] and [SCOUT NAME]. The rank minutes go with it: rank-scout-the-first-step, rank-tenderfoot, rank-second-class, rank-first-class, rank-star, rank-life. |
Setup
Set the seven candles in a row at the front, shortest on the left. Dim the lights if you can. Scouts receiving a rank sit together near the front with their families.
Participants
- Narrator - Senior Patrol Leader or Scoutmaster
- Readers 1-7 - one per rank, ideally a Scout who already holds it; the Eagle reader can be an adult Eagle Scout
- Scoutmaster - presents rank badges
The Ceremony
Narrator: 'Every Scout in Troop [TROOP NUMBER] is somewhere on the same trail. It has seven steps, and tonight we will light all of them. When we reach a rank that someone has earned since our last court, we will stop and honor them.'
Reader 1: 'Scout. The first step. A Scout learns the Oath and the Law and decides they are worth living by. Every Eagle started here.'
(Reader 1 lights the first candle. If any Scout earned this rank, the Narrator calls them forward now for presentation, then continues.)Reader 2: 'Tenderfoot. The first night in a tent, the first meal cooked over a fire. A Tenderfoot is new to the outdoors, and brave enough to try.'
(Reader 2 lights the second candle. Presentations for this rank, if any.)Reader 3: 'Second Class. Skills begin to stick. A Second Class Scout can find the way, help a friend who is hurt, and is starting to help others learn.'
(Reader 3 lights the third candle. Presentations, if any.)Reader 4: 'First Class. The badge joins the first two together. A First Class Scout can take care of themselves in the outdoors, and is ready to take care of others.'
(Reader 4 lights the fourth candle. Presentations, if any.)Reader 5: 'Star. The trail turns from learning to leading. A Star Scout serves the troop and the community, and is the kind of Scout younger Scouts watch.'
(Reader 5 lights the fifth candle. Presentations, if any.)Reader 6: 'Life. The badge is a heart. A Life Scout leads with it - for the troop, and for people who will never know their name.'
(Reader 6 lights the sixth candle. Presentations, if any.)Reader 7: 'Eagle. The last step on this trail, and the first on a longer one. An Eagle Scout gives back to the troop and the world that made them.'
(Reader 7 lights the seventh candle.)Narrator: 'Look at the trail. Seven lights. Every Scout here can find their place on it - and every Scout here can see the next step. Some of you will climb all of it. All of you are already climbing.'
Narrator: 'Troop [TROOP NUMBER], let us congratulate every Scout who took a step tonight.'
(Applause, or a troop cheer.)Presenting a rank at its candle
Narrator: 'Will [SCOUT NAME] and their parents please come forward.'
Scoutmaster: '[SCOUT NAME], you have earned the rank of [RANK]. Parents, please pin your Scout.'
(Parent pins the badge. If you use parent pins, the Scout pins one on the parent. Scoutmaster gives the Scout handshake. Applause, then on to the next candle.)