As a curious bystander, I was just wondering if someone could give me the jist of what it takes to become an Eagle Scout. Before reading this thread, I had always assumed that it was "just" the highest rank of Boy Scout and that eventually, if you "just" stuck with it long enough, you'd get there. Judging by this thread, however, it seems there is a lot more dedication involved and congrats seem to be in order.
Incidently, I never joined the Boy Scouts despite my parent's protests because I was deathly afraid of the guys in the Owl and Bear suits in the commercials
You have to earn 21 merit badges. 12 of those are "required" and deal with fundamental skills all scouts should have. Currently, those badges are: First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Personal Fitness, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science, Personal Management, Camping, Hiking OR Cycling OR Swimming, and Family Life. So you have to have each badge on that list (you get a choice on the ORs) and then have 9 others. Then, the big thing is the project. The badges are pretty easy and you can pick those up without much trouble if you go to summer camp regularly and other merit badge activities (my troop always attended "merit badge universities" a couple times a year, which were multi-troop events on a couple Saturdays where you could get like 3 badges or so by attending "classes"). The project is why like 95% of the scouts who get to Life (second highest rank) don't ever finish. The project is:
While a Life Scout, a Scout must plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project to any religious institution, school, or community.
As a demonstration of leadership, the Scout must plan the work, organize the personnel needed, and direct the project to its completion.
The Eagle service project is an individual matter; therefore, two Eagle candidates may not receive credit for the same project.
Eagle Scout leadership service projects involving council property or other BSA activities are not acceptable for an Eagle service project. The service project also may not be performed for a business, be of a commercial nature, or be a fund-raiser.
Routine labor, or a job or service normally rendered, should not be considered. An Eagle service project should be of significant magnitude to be special and should represent the candidate's best possible effort.
The scout must submit his proposed project idea and secure the prior approval of his unit leader, unit committee, and district or council advancement committee, or their designee, to make sure that it meets the stated standards for Eagle Scout leadership service projects before the project is started. This preapproval of the project does not mean that the board of review will accept the way the project was carried out.
Upon completion of the project, a detailed report must be submitted with the Scout's Eagle application to include the following information:
What was the project?
How did it benefit others?
Who from the group benefiting from the project gave guidance?
Who helped carry out the project?
What materials were used and how were they acquired?
Although the project must be approved before work is begun, the board of review must determine if the project was successfully carried out. Questions that must be answered are:
Did the candidate demonstrate leadership of others?
Did he indeed direct the project rather than do all of the work himself?
Was the project of real value to the religious institution, school or community group?
Who from the group benefiting from the project may be contacted to verify the value of the project?
Did the project follow the plan, or were modifications needed to bring it to its completion?
All the work on the project must be done while the candidate is a Life Scout and before the candidate's 18th birthday.
The variety of projects performed throughout the nation by Scouts earning their Eagle Scout Award is staggering. Only those living in an area can determine the greatest value and need for that area. Determine, therefore, whether the project is big enough, appropriate, and worth doing. For ideas and opportunities, the Scout can consult people such as school administrators, religious leaders, local government department directors, or a United Way agency's personnel.
You also need to hold a leadership position in the troop for 6 months while a Life scout. This is the easiest thing to get. Troops will just give you one once you reach a certain rank so you can advance.
