In the Bear scouting program, there are 4 general achievement groups: God, Country, Family, and Self and a total of about 120 individual achievement tasks. In each group, a certain number of achievements are required to earn the Bear rank badge. After earning the Bear badge, the scout may earn arrow points by completing additional achievement tasks.

The Bear badge must be earned first before any arrow points are awarded. A gold arrow point is awarded for the first 10 achievement tasks over the Bear requirements. A silver arrow point is awarded for each additional 10 tasks completed. Since all arrow points are awarded after the Bear badge is awarded, your scouts would not receive any awards until February at the earliest. To provide frequent recognition, Bear scouts can earn Progress Beads - you need to buy these Progress Towards Ranks Kits at a Scout Shop. For completing the requirements of 3 of the Achievements listed below, one RED bead is awarded and placed on the Progress Towards Ranks totem. This provides the scout with a total of 4 beads culminating in the award of his Bear badge. These beads are awarded at the den level rather than at Pack meetings.

Much of the advancement for the Bear rank is done by the scout with his family outside of the den, similarly to the Wolf rank. The parent signs off in the scout's handbook and the Den Leader records the advancements from the handbook to tracking chart or software program. The Bear program relies heavily on family involvement, but you will see this gradually change with the scout doing more with his den and more individual direction as he reaches Webelos and Boy Scouts.