Troop 9 LogoLife to Eagle Guide

General Path

The path to Eagle is a complicated one, which confuses both boys on that path as well as adults. For help along the path, the following documents are helpful, almost necessary:

This site has current versions of the following:
For leaders, we have down loadable copies of the adult guide on our web-site:

Eagle Project

The hardest part of the final Eagle process is writing up the Eagle project. One of the ground rules for the District Eagle committee is that "If we gave the write-up to another Scout to execute the project, we would get the same results". The following resources are highly recommended to make the planning process of the project effective:
There is a good section on planning in the Texas site.

One council requirement that is not well documented is that the scout must acquire a letter of completion from the organization that is benefiting from the project. That letter must be:
  1. Addressed to the Eagle Board
  2. On organization letterhead
  3. Indicate appropriate completion of the project
  4. Included in the project report, NOT mailed to the office

The troop has a library of Eagle Projects, starting with a summary page, which is a source of ideas and actual Eagle project write-ups. Be aware that the quality of Eagle projects varies greatly. Some projects (and write-ups) that have been accepted in the past may not be accepted now. Emulate the better projects, rather than the marginal ones.

The Project Workbook

From the District Eagle Committee:

Dear Orange District Scouts and Scouters:

I need your help in increasing the efficiency and reducing the cost of handling Eagle packets.

Beginning in January 2007, I’ve asked each Eagle candidate I’ve met with to *not* use any type of binder for their Eagle project workbook and other application materials. Despite this request, I continue to receive Eagle packets carefully bound in 3-ring binders – two this week, in fact. I’m sure this is done with the best of intentions, but it’s neither helpful, courteous, nor thrifty. Here’s why. The council Eagle Service Desk maintains a paper file for each Eagle candidate where all the application materials are kept until the application is complete. Binders – even paper ones – don’t fit in the file drawer, and must be kept elsewhere. This creates extra work, and increases the possibility that something will be lost or misplaced. When packets are mailed to district Eagle Committee chairs, and subsequently from them to the committee member responsible for the board of review, the extra weight and bulk of binders substantially increases the cost of postage – on average, $5.00 *per mailing* vs. $2.00 without the binder. Finally, as the Eagle board reviews the packet in preparation for the candidate’s arrival, it’s most efficient to distribute different parts of the packet among the members of the board; having to disassemble a carefully bound packet makes this process difficult.

Project workbooks are returned to Scouts after the board of review, and they are free to do whatever they like with them then.

Please pass this on to Eagle candidates, their parents, and adult advisors in your units. And, as always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding any aspect of the Eagle process, please don't hesitate to contact me. My contact information (as well as much other useful material) is on the Orange District Eagle Committee web site - http://www.unc.edu/~reida/eagle_cmte.

Yours in Scouting,

Alfred Reid

Chair, Orange District Eagle Committee

Reference Letters

Guidelines for reference letters and the address they are to be addressed to are in this document. A local council clarification for the religious reference letter is here.

Board of Review

  1. Immediately after the board of review and after the application has been appropriately signed, the application, the service project report, references, and a properly completed Advancement Report are returned to the council service center.

  2. When the application arrives at the council service center, the Scout executive signs it to certify that the proper procedure has been followed and that the board of review has recommended the candidate for the Eagle Scout rank. This workbook and references are retained by the council. The workbook may be returned to the Scout after council approval.

The District Eagle Committee is willing to waive the requirement that the Eagle Service Project Workbook be returned if the scout will complete an Eagle Project  Registration form, and if that form is returned with the rest of the  Eagle paperwork (Eagle app, advancement report, and letters of reference).

Ceremony

Troop 9 has a standard Eagle Ceremony. However, it is the boy's ceremony and he can do what he wants. If he uses the standard ceremony, there are four speaking roles:
  1. Eagle Challenge
  2. Eagle Charge
  3. Eagle Oath
  4. Award Presentation
These roles can be filled by any combination of people, selected by the boy. Text for the roles can be found here. A much more elaborate Eagle ceremony can be found here for reference. An opening ceremony by George Crowl can be found here. Other texts used in Eagle ceremonies in the troop include:

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