Eagle’s Nest

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Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America.  Earning the rank of Eagle Scout is a significant achievement.  In fact, according to BSA statistics, only about 5% of the boys who join Scouts earn the rank of Eagle.

Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men. The title of Eagle Scout is held for life, thus giving rise to the phrase “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle”.

Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout Spirit through the Boy Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages. Eagle Scouts are presented with a medal and a badge that visibly recognizes the accomplishments of the Scout. Additional recognition can be earned through Eagle Palms, awarded for completing additional tenure, leadership, and merit badge requirements.

History

The BSA’s highest award was originally conceived of as the Wolf Scout, as shown in the June 1911 Official Handbook for Boys. The August 1911 version of the handbook changed this to Eagle Scout. The medal illustrated in the handbook was a profile of an eagle in flight, but was changed to the current design before any were issued. In their original conceptions, Life Scout, Star Scout (Life preceded Star until 1924) and Eagle Scout were not ranks, but part of the merit badge system that recognized Scouts who had earned a specified number of merit badges. Eagle Scout was awarded to any First Class Scout who had earned 21 merit badges. Consequently, eight of the first nine Eagle Scouts did not earn the ranks of Life or Star.

The first Eagle Scout medal was awarded in 1912 to Arthur Rose Eldred, a 17-year-old member of Troop 1 of Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York. Eldred was notified that he was to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in a letter from Chief Scout Executive James West, dated August 21, 1912. The design of the Eagle Scout medal had not been finalized by the National Council, so the medal was not awarded until Labor Day, September 2, 1912. Eldred was the first of three generations of Eagle Scouts; his son and grandson hold the rank as well. Since then, more than 2 million Scouts have earned the rank. In 1982, 13-year-old Alexander Holsinger, of Normal, Illinois, was recognized as the one-millionth Eagle Scout, and Anthony Thomas of Lakeville, Minnesota was the two-millionth in 2009.

A total of 1,880,905 Scouts have earned Eagle Scout as of the end of 2008; out of 83,486,083 Scouts since 1911, this is about 2 percent of the Boy Scouting membership.^[9] In 2008, 52,025 Eagle Scout awards were presented, about 5.7 percent of the 2008 membership.^[10] There are four known Nobel Prize laureates who are Eagle Scouts: Dudley R. Herschbach, Peter Agre, Robert Coleman Richardson, and Frederick Reines.

Requirements

Eagle Scout may be earned by a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout who has been a Life Scout for at least six months, earns a minimum of 21 merit badges, demonstrates Scout Spirit, and demonstrates leadership in the troop, team, crew or ship. He must plan, develop, and lead a service project— the Eagle Project —that demonstrates both leadership and a commitment to duty. He must then take part in a Scoutmaster conference. After all requirements are met, he must complete an Eagle Scout board of review.   Important to note, although other ranks afford the opportunity for the Scout to undergo multiple Boards of Review, for an Eagle Board, the Scout only has one chance to “get it right.”  He can complete the board of review after his 18th birthday as long as all other requirements are completed before his 18th birthday.  Venturers and Sea Scouts who attained First Class as a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout in a troop or team may continue working toward the Star, Life and Eagle Scout ranks, as well as Eagle Palms, while registered as a Venturer or Sea Scout up to their 18th birthday. Scouts with a permanent mental or physical disability may use alternate requirements based on abilities, if approved by the council. Eagle Scout may be awarded posthumously, if and only if all requirements except the board of review are completed before death. A board of review may be held and the award presented to the Scout’s family. The Spirit of the Eagle Award is an honorary posthumous special recognition for any registered youth member who has died in an accident or through illness.

Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project

The Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project is the opportunity for a Scout to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of his community. This is the culmination of the Eagle Scout candidate’s leadership training and requires a significant effort. The project must benefit an organization other than the BSA, but it cannot be performed for an individual or a business, cannot be solely a fund-raising project, and cannot be a commercial effort.

Palms

Palms represent additional advancement for a young man who has stayed active in his unit. A Palm is awarded when the Scout has been active in the unit for at least three months since attaining Eagle (or a previous Palm); has demonstrated Scout Spirit, leadership and ability; has earned five additional merit badges beyond those required for Eagle or the last Palm; and has taken part in a conference with his unit leader.

The insignia is a small metallic palm frond pin or device that is worn on the ribbon of the Eagle Scout medal or the Eagle Scout square knot. The Palms are awarded in three colors: bronze, representing five merit badges; gold, representing ten merit badges; and silver, representing fifteen merit badges. For each Palm awarded for five additional merit badges beyond the first bronze, gold, and silver recognitions, Palms are worn in combinations which require the smallest number of devices to reflect the total number of Palms earned. For instance, a Scout who has earned eight Palms would wear two silver Palms and a gold Palm.^[17] The order of bronze, gold and silver follows heraldic traditions borrowed from the U.S. military.^[18]

Because of the three-month service requirement for palms, and the termination of advancement on a Scout’s 18th birthday, the ability to earn palms will depend on the timing of a Scout’s Eagle Board of Review. For example, a Scout who earns Eagle within three months before his 18th birthday will be unable to earn any palms regardless of the number of merit badges earned, because he will not be able to perform three months additional active service before becoming ineligible for further advancement.

After becoming an Eagle Scout

Eagle Scouts are expected to set an example for other Scouts and to become the leaders in life that they have demonstrated themselves to be in Scouting. As such, they are disproportionately represented in the military, service academy graduates, in higher education and academia, major professions, the clergy, business and politics. Eagle Scouts who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.

Eagle Scout is the only Boy Scout rank that is recognized on an adult Scouter’s uniform, worn as an adult recognition of the youth award as a red, white, and blue striped square knot. Eagle Scouts can join the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA), which serves as a fellowship and communications board for all Eagle Scouts.

NESA directly administers several Eagle Scout scholarships. The American Legion, the National Jewish Committee on Scouting^, and the Sons of the American Revolution offer scholarships directed toward Eagle Scouts. Many colleges and universities, local businesses, churches and other organizations may offer similar scholarships.

The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is given only to Eagle Scouts for distinguished service in their profession and the community for a period of at least 25 years after earning Eagle Scout. Only about 1 in 1000 of all Eagle Scouts have been so honored.