Who to Call?
Scoutmaster, Troop Advancement Chairman, District Advancement Chairman, and the Council Scout Service Center
The trail to Eagle is rugged, but the part most people put off until last is one of the easier sections of the trail.
You can make your last few steps to Eagle go smoother if you do a little homework along the way. This is the Paper Trail. Collect, write, and keep the following records up to date—
| Date you earned each merit badge (12 Eagle badges and 9 other badges). If you don't have complete records, the Scoutmaster has these dates. |
| Dates you held all leadership positions since earning Life (write in your Scout Handbook). |
| Eagle Service Project Workbook (get from troop Board of Review and make sure you fill it in and get all the needed signatures—verify with the District Eagle Chairman that you have the latest edition, since these seem to change often). |
| Eagle Project Report |
| Eagle Scout Application |
| Letter of Recommendation form to give each letter writer (Click Here for Sample Form) |
| Letters of Recommendation |
(see information on these last four items elsewhere in this booklet)
The Eagle Scout service project is different from other service projects you have done because you are now the leader. The Eagle project must meet three criteria—
| It must be of significant value to the community outside of Scouting (town, church, school, etc.). |
| It must take considerably more time than a Star or Life project (though planning and preparation time count). |
| You must provide leadership to others during the project (the project idea does not have to be original, but you must be in charge; and two people cannot lead the same project). |
So here's what you need to do to successfully complete the Eagle Scout Service Project—
| Get the Eagle Service Project Workbook from the Board of Review. |
| Come up with a workable idea. This is the hardest part! Talk to the Scoutmaster and the Board of Review for help. Talk to local agencies that serve the needy, or that provide services to the elderly. (more ideas) |
| Write up a preliminary plan, showing what you will do, who it will benefit, materials needed, costs, number of people involved, etc (see Eagle Service Project Workbook). |
| Present your preliminary plan to the Board of Review. They will help you develop your plan into an achievable project. |
| Write up your plan and present it to the District Advancement Chairman. Set up an appointment at his office by yourself. Don't forget the Eagle Service Project Workbook. |
| Get necessary donations of material. Get volunteers. Do the project. If an overnight or out-of-town trip is required, you'll need to file a BSA Local Tour Permit (get from the Scoutmaster). You and your parents are responsible to provide necessary support for the project (transportation, snacks, meals, etc.). |
| Keep a detailed time log of every hour you spend planning, phoning, coordinating, executing, etc. This will be useful at the Board of Review. |
| Take photos of the project!!! This will show the Eagle Board of Review what you have done better than words. |
| Throughout the process, make sure you keep the Eagle Service Project Workbook up to date, and make sure all signatures are there. |
| Write up a brief (half page) summary of the project to include with your Eagle application (for application requirement 5). |
After you have completed all merit badges, fulfilled the minimum six months as a leader, and completed your Eagle Scout service project, phone the Scoutmaster to arrange a Scoutmaster Conference. Only the Scoutmaster does Eagle conferences.
| Bring your project report, Eagle Service Project Workbook, any photos, and a photocopy of the Eagle application. |
| At the conference, the Scoutmaster will guide you on how to complete the Eagle Scout application. |
Get an Eagle Scout application from the the council office of the Troop website. Make a photocopy to do your work on, and do not fill out the final application until after the Scoutmaster Conference.
The Scoutmaster will help you fill out the application at the Scoutmaster Conference.
You'll need the dates for every merit badge (the Scoutmaster can provide these if your records come up short).
You will need the names of those you want to write letters of recommendation for you (see next column).
The Scoutmaster will help you on application requirement 6 (ambitions/life purpose, positions of leadership and honors & awards).
After the Scoutmaster Conference, fill out the final application, sign it, and take it to the Committee Chairman and Scoutmaster for their signatures. The Scoutmaster (or you) will then mail the application to the Dan Beard Council office in Cincinnati, where they will check all information and dates. If everything is OK, they will send the form back to the District Advancement Chairman. If anything is not OK, they will send it back to the Scoutmaster for correction.
Phone the Council office after about a week to verify if your application has been sent to the District Advancement Chairman. When it has, phone the troop Advancement Chairman to alert him to set up your Eagle Board of Review.
The Eagle Board of Review will want five or six letters of recommendation for you. You need to select the recommenders, give them the letter of recommendation form (get this from the troop website), and give them a firm deadline to return the letters (about a week after the Scoutmaster Conference would be good). Have them send the letters directly to District Advancement Chairman.
The letters should show how you have lived like an Eagle Scout in all phases of your life (home, school, church, etc). You will need recommendations from—
| your parents |
| religious leader (minister, teacher, etc; see the Scoutmaster for guidance if you don't have a church) |
| school (teacher or principal who knows you well) |
| employer (if any) |
| 2 others of your choice who know you well (neighbors, Scout leaders, etc) |
After all requirements are complete, after the Scoutmaster Conference, after you have completed the paperwork, and after the Dan Beard Council has approved the application, you should call the troop Advancement Chairman to inform him. He will arrange the date and place for the Eagle Board of Review, in consultation with the District Advancement Chairman, our troop Board members, and you.
The Eagle Board of Review will include two or three troop review members familiar to you, and it will include one or more district Review members.
The Board will ask you about your project, leadership, and how becoming an Eagle affects and changes you. This is typically the easiest review you will have (though you should make sure to review the Scout Law and Promise). The Board members will enjoy seeing the fruits of several years of Scouting in you. The Eagle Board of Review is not so much a test as it is a celebration of the completion of your long, challenging, and successful journey toward Eagle.