Advancement is one of the methods that is used to deliver the aims and purposes of Scouting. All scouts are encouraged to advance, because it gives them recognition for accomplishment, teaches them useful skills, and gives them a benchmark by which to measure their progress.  Unlike Cub Scouts, where all scouts advance in rank by age or grade, Boy Scout advancement is not tied to a specific timetable. There are scouts who advance to Eagle by the age of 14, and there have been some who reach age 18 without advancing higher than Tenderfoot.