Royal Rangers

The Ranger Kids Advancement Trail is based on the needs, interest and characteristics of boys in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The Trail is a plan of advancement through learning—from both experiences and activities—and being recognized for their learning. It is designed to offer every boy adventure and fun. The Trail is more than an interesting course of action; it is a new experience—a new achievement. It is a Ranger’s opportunity to grow through new abilities, knowledge, and desires.

Being a Discovery Ranger will give a boy many chances to do new things. He will learn new skills, like camping, building models, giving first aid, and cooking while learning about God and His Word. Royal Rangers will give him the chance to be rewarded for finishing merits and steps on the Advancement Trail.

Here’s how the trail works. As the boy follows the trail, he will grow to new heights on the “Trail to the Gold Eagle.” He’ll work on merits, and every time he finishes a set of merit requirements, he will receive a new patch. As he earns merits he will also have the chance to complete a new advancement step.

Every great challenge a young man accepts helps to build his character, increase his determination to achieve, and improve his ability to set goals and fulfill them. The Adventure Rangers Advancement Trail offers such a challenge-the Trail to the Gold Medal of Achievement. It is a plan to help you earn the Gold Medal of Achievement (GMA), a medal of great distinction and honor. It was first offered in 1964 and the tradition continues to this day.

The key to progressing on the Advancement Trail is earning merits. Each merit has a colored border, indicating its color group. After completing a specific number of merits in the required color groups, the Adventure Ranger can earn one of the Advancement awards. For example, the Advancement awards leading to the Bronze Medal of Achievement are the Powder Horn, Bowie Knife, Tomahawk, and Long Rifle.

The focus of the advancement trail is to help boys develop into young men who have the skills to make good sound decisions, strong moral character, exemplify leadership skills, and are founded in the Word of God.  The advancement system in Expedition Rangers consists of these three awards:

• E1 Award – typically earned after one full year of involvement in the program
• E2 Award – typically earned after a second full year in the program
• E3 Award – typically earned after a third full year in the program

Each award is presented after the young man has earned the specified number of merits in each merit category, as well as the required number of Spirit Challenge lessons.