Rank - Second Class: Finding Your Way
| Category: | Advancement |
|---|---|
| Props: | A compass (optional) |
| Notes: | For Scouts earning Second Class, at a court of honor or the meeting where they receive it. Specific requirements change over time, so check the current Scouts BSA Handbook. Part of a rank-journey series - see also rank-scout-the-first-step, rank-tenderfoot, rank-first-class, rank-star, and rank-life. |
Some people hear "Second Class" and think it means second-best. Like coach seats on an airplane. That's not what it means at all.
Second Class is the rank where you start finding your own way. (Hold up the compass, if you have one.) You learn to read a map and use a compass, so you can figure out where you are and where you're going without somebody leading you by the hand. You learn more first aid, so you can take care of someone else. You spend time helping your community. You get more comfortable in the water and in the woods.
Up to now, a lot of Scouting has been about following: following the older Scouts, following the plan, following directions. Second Class is when you start to be able to lead yourself.
And that compass is a pretty good picture of the Scout Oath and Law too. When you're not sure which way to go, they point you in the right direction. All you have to do is check them.
Congratulations, Second Class Scouts. You're learning to find your own way. Keep going. First Class is just over the next ridge.