Ultimate Guide to Becoming an Eagle Scout 2024

Aug 16 in Share LinkedIn & Opportunities

Introduction

The Eagle Scout Rank under the Boy Scouts of America is one of the most prestigious accomplishments that a high schooler (of any gender) can earn in preparation for the real world, and entails a great deal of rigorous requirements that manifest to students the key skills they must eventually learn to survive both in the wilderness and at home.

Today, we will be walking you through what the Eagle Scout Rank is, how to work your way up to it, how it is useful in your everyday life, as well as some special tips from an Eagle Scout himself on how to thoroughly enjoy and gain the most from your experience along the way. Let’s begin!

Scouting had some really big impacts on me… a lot of [my skills are] influenced through random experiences that I had growing up in the scouting program.

Rishab Jain, Harvard ’27

What is the Eagle Scout Rank? How do I Earn It?

The highest rank or accomplishment in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) program is the Eagle Scout Rank. It stands for the apex of scouting success and is a testament to a scout’s commitment, guidance, and selflessness. Since its inception in 1911, the Eagle Scout Rank has grown in prominence and recognition, yet only a small proportion of scouts have ever attained this feat.

A scout has to meet a demanding set of standards involving outdoor skills, leadership, and service in order to get the Eagle Scout Rank. These criteria are meant to test scouts’ mettle and impart citizenship, independence, and responsibility qualities in them.

Among these requirements, the most notorious includes earning a minimum of 21 merit badges, 14 of which are the same (sort of) for every Eagle Scout and 7+ of which are a scout’s choice. We highly recommend that you earn more than 21 merit badges throughout your scouting journey, as this enables you to make the most out of your experience and take away something that you may not have been able to assimilate before.

Below are the 14 Eagle Required Merit Badges that you need:

First Aid
Citizenship in the Community
Citizenship in the Nation
Citizenship in the World
Citizenship in Society (new as of 2021 end)
Communication
Cooking (most fun in my opinion)
Personal Fitness
Personal Management (rewarding for those interested in finance)
Family Life
Camping (hardest in my opinion)
Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
Environmental Science OR Sustainability
Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling

Yet arguably the most tell-tale symbol of and Eagle Scout is the culminating service project that Scouts must all carry out before attaining the rank.

Scout must show off their leadership skills by organizing, planning, and carrying out a project from beginning to end, and must fill out a tremendous amount of paperwork in the process. They also are necessitated to plan ahead of time with adults and scouts, fundraise the money for their project on their own, contact a beneficiary to make a meaningful impact towards, and construct/lead the project entirely under their own planning and delegation.

As can be seen in the image above, even the woodworking and professional mechanics of the project must be handled by the Scout themself. It’s all you baby!

Before the project can begin, it must to be approved by the BSA district or council, as well as the scout leadership in their troop. Scouts gain important life skills via their service project, including problem-solving, collaboration, and project management, all while meaningfully serving their community.

Being a leader in the scout troop is another important need for earning the Eagle Scout rank. This might include planning and directing troop events, supervising junior scouts, or holding a leadership role like senior patrol leader or patrol leader. A key component of the scouting curriculum is leadership experience, and prospective Eagle Scouts must possess initiative, responsibility, and the capacity for teamwork.

Some fun and high-level positions that a Scout can hold include but are not limited to:

Senior Patrol Leader (SPL)– In charge of leading troop meetings, campouts, and all troop events
Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL)– Responsible for assisting the SPL in all of their duties as is seen fit
Quartermaster– Manages all of the troop equipment and storage for camping materials, meeting supplies, etc.
Outdoor Ethics Guide– Ensures that Scouts are constantly following commendable environmental practices and lead as a role model to keep scouts on a a cleaner, greener path
Patrol Leader (PL)– A great stepping stone on the way to SPL, and accepts all of the responsibilities of one specifically in command over a smaller patrol rather than the entire troop

Ultimately, in order to receive the Eagle Scout Rank, a scout must pass a board of review, wherein a group of adult leaders assess their accomplishments, moral fiber, and dedication to scouting principles. Scouts can reflect on their scouting adventure, talk about their objectives and experiences, and get input from seasoned scout leaders during the board of review.

Why is Scouting Important?

The board of review, coupled with a Scoutmaster Conference at the end of each rank (except the first rank, wherein only a Scoutmaster Conference is required) are stress-free meeting that can help prepare scouts for the real-world and job interviews.

The final Eagle Scout Board of Review is what gives Scouts the green light to transitioning into an Eagle Scout, and attests for the fact that they possess the skills to be a successful and kind-hearted human being sent out into the world who follows all of the moral principles outlined in the Scout Oath and Law to the T.

Of course, if we wanted to cover every little intricacy that scouting has in store in just one article, then you would be sitting here reading for hours and hours on end and still not be able to truly grasp just how fun it can be. There are so many more opportunities from within the covers of the BSA booklet to the entirety of the outside world.

So go out there, experience scouting! With every requirement, every excursion, every adventure that you choose to lead your fellow scouts through, I can almost guarantee you that you will feel gratified. And yes, because so many of you are probably wondering- it does indeed look good on college applications, regardless of your major.

As the Boy Scouts of America themselves put it so poignantly,

Beginning with the Scout Oath and Scout Law, the Boy Scouts of America program is infused with character-building activities that allow youth to apply abstract principles to daily living situations.

Special Tips from an Eagle Scout Himself

Hello! This is Aryan Mukherjee speaking, the writer of this blogpost. Although it feels a bit weird introducing myself this deep into the article, I am the Eagle Scout in question who will be giving you my two sense on how you can make the most of your experience in scouting.

Tip 1: Start Early

There are clear benefits to joining the Scouts program early as opposed to later in life. The chance for long-term skill development and character formation is the main justification. Younger scouts can learn more gradually and thoroughly since they have more time to fully immerse themselves in the scouting experience. Scouts who begin early have the opportunity to advance through the ranks at their own speed, gradually gaining mastery of key concepts and abilities.

The chance to advance to a leadership position is another important advantage of starting early. As youngsters go up the ranks in the Scouts, leadership roles open up. Scouts who start early in life are more likely to assume leadership positions in their patrols and troops. These encounters give scouts invaluable leadership experience and boost their self-esteem in their capacity to guide and mentor others.

Additionally, joining the Scouts at a young age encourages a stronger bond with the group and its principles. Scouts who join the scouting program early in life are more likely to form a strong sense of identity with the organization. Adopted into the scouting culture, they are surrounded by peers who share their interests and adult leaders who act as positive role models. A lifelong devotion to the Scout Oath and Law is aided by this early introduction to scouting values and customs.

Moreover, by beginning early, scouts may take full advantage of the outdoor experiences that are the foundation of the scouting program. Scouting is all on developing outdoor skills, going on camping trips, and going on hiking adventures. Scouts who start early have more opportunities to engage in these activities, which helps them hone their outdoor skills and cultivate a strong love of the natural world.

Starting early in the Boy Scouts also optimizes the potential for character development and personal growth. Scouts are encouraged by scouting to take on challenges, leave their comfort zones, and conquer barriers. Scouts who start scouting early in life have more time to develop good habits, absorb scouting values, and gain valuable life lessons.

So in summary, there are many, MANY reasons why you should start early. And if it’s too late for that? Don’t worry! You are still far better off starting TODAY than waiting too long and aging out.

Tip 2: Camping

Something that people do not tell you early on is that when you first start out Boy Scouts, you NEED to go on as many campouts as you possibly can. This could be patrol campouts, troop campouts, etc. Also, try to lead as the grub master or cook for some of these campouts, filling out the Cooking Merit Badge requirements along the way.

As someone who waited until the absolute last moment before starting this merit badge, I regretted having to rush through the requirements in the end in order to keep up with my Eagle Project, and would have much rather preferred to enjoy the experience further as it ended up being one of my favorite MBs.

Another reason to camp as much as possible is because later on in your scouting career, when you get busy, spending almost an entire weekend out and about while you have 70 pages of reading due the next day for English class is deceivingly more appealing that it actually will make you feel once that insomnia hits you like a truck.

That is why it is important to experience camping as much as you can early on. Additionally, as one of the requirements of the Camping Merit Badge is to attain a minimum of 20 nights out camping, you can work your way up to this requirement at a more leisurely pace rather than, like with the Cooking Merit Badge, burning the midnight oil to out-compete time as you desperately strain to making it outdoors.

Tip 3: Bonding

There are so many different personalities of people who go into scouting, and sometimes it can be disorienting and may stifle you from branching out and trying to make new friends. Don’t.

In fact, scouting is designed specifically for the pursuit of friendship. Especially in your patrol, try making as many friends as you can through campouts, patrol events, etc. It doesn’t matter their age, race, sexuality, or personal beliefs. At the end of the day, you all have one thing in common; you are Scouts, and you must live by it.

Who knows? Some of these friends might even stick around for life, and that is something that can be truly special (unless you share a tent with them and they are gassy all night. Divorce that friendship immediately).

For me personally, one of my most memorable experiences from scouting was being able to share that moment of triumph when both my friend (whom I made on that same trip!) at Camp Emerald Bay and I were able to successfully achieve the Archery Merit Badge on the final day after repeated failures to get a score close to perfection. What will yours be?

Conclusion: Earn Your Eagle Scout and Fulfill your Requirements for Life

There isn’t much more for me to say. Go out there. Go enjoy yourself. Go scouting.

Want to Learn How Being an Eagle Scout Can Help You After High School?

Would you like to learn how this Harvard Neuroscientist used the skills he learned as an Eagle Scout to help him succeed in both life and his common application for college? Check out the video below!

Play

Blog Post: https://rishabacademy.com/how-to-be-an-eagle-scout-as-a-high-schooler-2024-boy-scout-requirements/

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