NJ Boys can enter Scouting as early as the first grade through the Tiger Cub program. At the end of the Tiger Cub year, boys graduate into Cub Scouting and are eligible to earn the Bobcat badge. The Cub Scout advancement program is designed to be fun and to encourage the natural interests of boys. The Cub Scout ranks are set up on a grade-age level, except for Bobcat, which all must earn.
Recognition is important to young boys.
This five step advancement program gives scouts a sense of personal accomplishment as they earn badges. There is a ladder to climb, and the advancement program gives boys a means of measuring their progress on that ladder, and recognizes their achievements along the way. Cub Scout advancement is not competition among boys. Each Cub Scout must be encouraged to advance steadily and purposefully, setting his own goals with guidance from his family and leaders. Hopefully, the program strengthens family understanding as adult family members work with the boys on advancement programs.