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Scouts BSA Troop 101
Atlanta, Georgia · Building Leaders Through Scouting
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Home / How We Advance

Life to Eagle

The last stretch is the hardest, and the one with a hard deadline. Start earlier than you think you need to.

Start With Brad

Brad Johnson is Troop 101's Trail to Eagle designee. He helps scouts with the later ranks and the Eagle-required merit badges. A scout who is approaching Life rank should be talking to him regularly, not starting a conversation at 17.

What Eagle Requires

  • Earn the Life rank and remain active in the troop for a further period
  • Earn the full set of merit badges required for the rank, including every Eagle-required badge
  • Serve in a position of responsibility in the troop after achieving Life
  • Plan, develop, and give leadership to a service project benefiting a school, religious institution, or the community
  • Complete a scoutmaster conference and an Eagle Scout board of review
  • Demonstrate Scout Spirit by living the Scout Oath and Law

The current, authoritative requirements are in the Guide to Advancement and the Eagle Scout Rank Application. Confirm details there; they are revised periodically.

The 18th birthday deadline

Every requirement except the board of review must be complete before the scout turns 18. There are very limited extensions, granted only for specific documented circumstances. Scouts who plan to finish during senior year of high school frequently run out of time. Aim to finish the project by the end of junior year.

The Eagle Project

The project is where most of the work and nearly all of the learning happens. The scout must plan it, develop it, and lead others in carrying it out. Doing the labor personally is not the point; organizing other people to do it is.

  1. Find a beneficiary and an idea A school, religious institution, park, or community organization with a real need. Routine maintenance and fundraising-only projects do not qualify.
  2. Write the project proposal Using the official Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. It must be approved by the beneficiary, the scoutmaster, the troop committee, and the council or district before any work begins.
  3. Plan in detail Materials, budget, permits, safety, tools, and enough volunteers. Fundraising beyond the beneficiary may need a separate approval form.
  4. Lead the work Run the workdays. Track hours. Adjust when the plan meets reality, which it will.
  5. Write the report and submit Complete the workbook, gather signatures, and submit the Eagle Scout Rank Application with references.
  6. Board of review A council or district board, distinct from a normal troop board of review.

Common Reasons Scouts Stall

  • Waiting until senior year, then hitting college applications and sports seasons at once
  • Leaving one or two hard Eagle-required merit badges, often Personal Management or a citizenship badge, until last
  • Starting project work before the proposal is approved, which invalidates the hours
  • Losing paperwork; keep every signed blue card and a copy of the workbook

After Eagle

Eagle Scouts can continue earning Eagle Palms, serve the troop as a junior assistant scoutmaster, staff NYLT or summer camp, and at 18 register as an adult leader. Troop 101 recognizes new Eagle Scouts at a Court of Honor and provides a gift, funded by the annual program fee.