Are you on your way to being an Eagle Scout?

First, carefully study the Eagle requirements as outlined in the most recent edition of the Boy Scout Handbook and review the supplemental material provided here. These will help you in the months ahead. Remember to build family and summer school vacations (particularly Scout Camp merit badge opportunities), periods of being especially busy (e.g. a school sports season, college application season) and other individual scheduling situations into your Eagle "game plan." The materials here will also help prepare the application itself.

Second, discuss your plans with your Scoutmaster or unit committee’s Eagle advisor and get advice on how to proceed.  Find out what is expected of you in participation, Scout spirit, Troop leadership and personal growth. Each of these is a specific requirement for advancement to Eagle, which must be accomplished to the satisfaction of your Unit’s youth and adult leadership, and each shows something about your fitness for the Eagle award.

Third, plan and organize the merit badge work and your service project so that they will be done well before your 18th birthday. This means making sure the Merit Badge applications (those blue cards!) are completely signed and registered at the Scout office and the project report (including photos) is completed and reviewed by your District Advancement folks in plenty of time. Your Scoutmaster can provide you with a list of your official merit badge records from the internet advancement web site. While the Board of Review may meet and the award may be presented at a Court of Honor after that 18th birthday, all requirements must be completed prior to that date.

Every leader remembers that at 16, 18 seems very far away. But sadly, every leader knows Scouts who waited just a week or two too long, and didn't "make Eagle" even though they came extremely close. Please don't be one of those! Also, please don't be one of the guys who inconveniences everyone involved by needing "emergency" help right up until the night before his birthday. 

Another reason to be careful about timing is the possibility of having to redo something. What if the Eagle Board finds that you’re not quite qualified? This happens. If you allow yourself plenty of time, you can get the "loose ends" finished up in time, but, if you're nearly or already 18, you may not have that option.

You can get a lot more out of the trail to Eagle if you plan the journey carefully than if you try to make it in a last-minute sprint! 

About the documents posted here

The purpose of these documents is two-fold: they serve as a local council policy manual, and, even more importantly, as a resource and guide for those unit leaders and Eagle Scout candidates involved with advancing to the rank of Eagle. Routines and policies vary a great deal from unit to unit, and while not intending to replace these traditions, the Council Advancement Committee must ensure that the rules and regulations set forth by the Boy Scouts of America are followed.  If a conflict between the documents here and National Policy arises, the Council Advancement Committee will work quickly to update them and National Policy will be followed.

As such, these documents do not replace or supersede those rules and regulations already codified by the Boy Scouts of America, but they build on these items. We hope unit leaders and Eagle candidates will become familiar with these policies and guidelines, minimizing any confusion that may occur during the Life-to-Eagle process and attainment of the rank of Eagle.

There are many sources of information on the internet, both official sites of the Boy Scouts of America and unofficial enthusiast web sites. Guidelines, checklists, project recommendations, and other useful resources are all available. While these resources can be helpful, in our council, National Policy and our own documents take precedence over unofficial literature obtained elsewhere.  National policy is outlined in the following publications:

• Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures, 2009; #33088
• The Boy Scout Handbook, 12^th Edition, 2009
• The Scoutmaster Handbook, BSA, 2005

We recommend each unit designate an Eagle Advisor from the unit’s registered adult leadership. The individual should be registered as a Committee Member. If adult leadership is thin in the unit, one person may perform several duties, i.e. the Advancement Chairman or Scoutmaster could act as Eagle Advisor.

Questions?  Concerns?  Difficulties?