All About Getting Eagle
Advancement is a highly individualized, personal process in which the scout's own initiative must
ultimately determine the result. Scouts will not be dragged upward into higher ranks by scoutmasters
or other scouts, and, while they may need encouragement, they should not be pushed unduly by parents.
Experience shows that many scouts in Troop 12 will make Eagle, but some boys will find other worthy
interests during their teenage years and will chose to pursue them, with or without scouting.
To get Eagle, scouts must complete 21 merit badges, 12 of which are already specified by BSA.
Scouts also must hold a leadership position within the troop into which he is elected by his peers or
placed into by a scoutmaster.
The centerpiece
of advancement to Eagle rank is a substantial community service project, approved by the District
Eagle Board Chair, which the Eagle candidate must conceive, organize, and lead. Boards of
review for Eagle rank include representatives of the Council, and the Council must approve every
Eagle application.