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Courts of honor, boards of review and service projects that took months of planning. Scouters wrote about the journey to Eagle from every angle, from the first rank advancement to the speech at the ceremony.
917 posts · 2008–2020
Showing 101–150 of 917 posts
David Montgomery credits what he learned in Scouting with leading him to this year’s NFL draft. Last week, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears . “To become an Eagle Scout was an experience I needed for me in my life that brought me here to this point and also influenced my mindset and the way…
There’s a reason only about 10% of applicants get accepted into West Point each year. The U.S. Military Academy takes only the best of the best: men and women who are physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. That explains why Michael Norris, an Eagle Scout from Red Bank, S.C., will join the academy’s Class…
Note: This is the 27th in an occasional series where I share Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos. See the complete collection here and submit your own here . To fully understand the impact Eagle Scout projects have on communities, you need to see to believe.
Front row, from left: Christopher Talbot, Cooper Newsom, William Greening, Reece Breaux, Will Beck and Miles Cavitt. Back row, from left: Scott Neuhoff, Luke Logan, Trey Brooks, Luke Stanford, John Carrie and Jackson Mechem. The mascot for the Episcopal School of Dallas, a well-regarded private school in Texas, is the Eagles.
For many hikers, the 2,189-mile journey along the Appalachian Trail takes almost six months. Not for Eagle Scout Michael Fibich. Last summer, he made the trek across 14 states in 94 days, 7 hours and 15 minutes — yes, he timed it down to the minute.
Note: This is the 26th in an occasional series where I share Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos. See the complete collection here and submit your own here . To fully understand the impact Eagle Scout projects have on communities, you need to see to believe.
Photo by Bill Torpy Lamar Ernest Wallace, a World War II veteran who was believed to be the oldest living Eagle Scout , died on March 31, 2019. He was 107. Wallace earned Scouting’s highest honor on Sept. 17, 1927, in Gotebo, Okla., meaning he could wear his Eagle medal proudly for nearly 92 years.
Duck factories, fowl poles or giant Twinkies on a stick. Call these mallard duck nesting tubes whatever you’d like; I’ll call them “one Eagle Scout candidate’s big idea for conservation.” For his Eagle Scout service project, Tapp Rhoads of Troop 997 in Ashburn, Va., part of the National Capital Area Council, led a group of…
Eagle Scout Eric Meek creates incredible glass artwork as part of his job at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y. His time with Troop 77 in Defiance, Ohio, instilled the leadership and interpersonal skills he uses for work every day, but it also equipped him with the survival skills he needed to stay…
Where can Scouting take young people? The sky’s the limit. Samuel Ferguson, an Eagle Scout from West Windsor, N.J., received an $80,000 prize for finishing in sixth place in the Regeneron Science Talent Search. He says he’ll put every penny of the money toward paying for college; the 18-year-old plans to attend MIT.
Tyler Henry wanted to help Memorial United Methodist Church in Summit Point, W.Va., where his grandmother had attended and where Troop 421 met. As a tribute to his grandmother and a thank-you on behalf of his troop, Tyler decided to take on multiple challenging tasks for his Eagle Scout project: replacing the church’s speakers, upgrading…
Story contributed by Mark Griffin, Great Salt Lake Council Scout Executive Last fall the Great Salt Lake Council enthusiastically participated in the ‘Scout Me In’ Influencer Campaign. We were very fortunate to have the leadership of Bruce Hough, the immediate past president of our council and the father of Julianne and Derek Hough , in our…
James Havey discovered his passion for helping the downtrodden and underprivileged after a trip to Mexico in middle school. He went on a trip with a Christian ministry to volunteer in orphanages around Monterrey, Mexico. “It was on this first trip down to Monterrey that I saw what poverty can do to a family, and…
The Boy Scouts of America and the National Park Service have been connecting families to the outdoors for generations. It’s kind of their thing. In recognition of that mutually beneficial friendship, the BSA’s Report to the Nation delegates presented the Hornaday Gold Certificate to the National Park Service on Sunday night at the Department of…
Second-year midshipman and Eagle Scout Thomas Dias (left) talks with 1998 U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Eagle Scout Jeff Messer (right). The two midshipmen stood tall in their crisp blue uniforms. It was a cloudy Sunday morning at the U.S.
With his helicopter blades spinning less than 10 feet from a vertical rock wall, Lt. Matthew Schwab’s margin for error was dangerously small. For his most daring mission, the search and rescue pilot had quickly and safely transported his team from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., to a jagged rock chute on Mount Stuart…
When he was being recruited to play college basketball, Jacob Davison met with an assistant coach from Eastern Washington. Davison and Shantay Legans — who has since been elevated to head coach at EWU — discussed the usual topics: basketball, academics, leadership.
Earning the Eagle Scout Award is an awesome accomplishment, one any Scout would be proud to proclaim. For Eagle Scouts applying for college admission or their first job, it feels natural to highlight their Scouting accolades. But how long should “Eagle Scout” remain on your resume?
Behind every Eagle Scout, there’s a story. A story of perseverance. Of parents and adult volunteers offering guidance and support. Of merit badges, camping trips and service projects. Multiply each individual Eagle Scout story by 52,160 , and you’ll begin to see just how much impact Eagle Scouts had on their communities in 2018.
NASCAR’s biggest race of the year and kickoff to this season will be Sunday for the 61st running of the Daytona 500 . And leading the pack of more than 40 of the best drivers in the sport will be an Eagle Scout.
Lena and Jack Towne Technically, Scouts BSA launch day isn’t an official U.S. holiday. But don’t tell that to Lena Towne. The eighth-grader from Georgia, like countless girls in communities across the country, is celebrating today like it’s her birthday.
The Peck family of Idaho (from left): Andrew, Rachel, Phil and Bobbie Jo. Earlier today, I shared the news that the Boy Scouts of America will offer a limited-time extension to its Eagle Scout age requirements, giving new Scouts BSA members the chance to earn Scouting’s highest honor.
Consider this getting the best of both worlds. When the Scouts BSA program launches on Friday, Feb. 1, girls already in Venturing or Sea Scouting can join a Scouts BSA troop without paying a second membership fee. That means they’ll experience the excitement of Scouts BSA without having to give up the high-adventure fun and…
You don’t have to travel across the ocean to have a transformative Scouting experience. But if you’re ever lucky enough to visit Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland, the results will be nothing short of legendary. Over winter break, Dakota Scott spent a week at Kandersteg .
When Eagle Scout Zach Dougherty met John McCain in 2007, he was a Cub Scout. What happened years later will leave you speechless. Zach knew the flag ceremony he was taking part in was important. But he had no idea the impression McCain left on him would come full circle.
The Scouting community rallied to Houston’s side in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey. A year later, when an Eagle Scout from Houston heard about the wildfire in Northern California, he was determined to return the favor. Rafe Kotalik, senior patrol leader of Troop 1772 from the Sam Houston Area Council, launched a massive gear drive for…
One carabiner can help you carry a water bottle, organize your keys or climb a mountain. But 1,856 carabiners? That’ll help you get a Guinness World Record. Charles Boone, an Eagle Scout from Dormont, Pa., was honored by Guinness World Records for creating the longest chain of carabiners ever.
Birders call a group of eagles a convocation, a congregation or an aerie. But in the case of Daniel, Tim, Ben, Adam, Sam and Joshua Moeller, a more fitting word is “family.” Last month, the two youngest members of the Cincinnati-based Moellers earned the Eagle Scout rank.
The Eagle Scout medal symbolizes a difficult, rewarding journey that, for some young people, spans more than a decade. While it’s impossible to replace the actual medal pinned on a proud Eagle Scout at a court of honor, the BSA does have a process for obtaining a replacement.
Rogers Claussen, a battalion chief with the Rochester Hills Fire Department, recently joined the National Eagle Scout Association and got the Firefighters Affinity Group decal for his helmet. That decal served as a proud statement of his earning the Eagle Scout Award in 1987.
As we move into 2019, there are some advancement changes in the offing. Significant is the issuance of a new Eagle Scout leadership service project workbook, now available from the national forms library or your local council. The new form must be used for all Eagle projects started after January 1, 2019, but projects started…
Matt Parsons, an Eagle Scout and Sea Scout from Delaware, has been elected by his peers to serve as National Chief of the Order of the Arrow. Parsons, along with National Vice Chief Eric Harrison of Illinois and four region chiefs, will serve and represent nearly 200,000 members of the OA , the Boy Scouts of…
When Chip and Wendy Waggoner took parenting advice from their son’s doctor, they changed the course of his life forever. The advice? Treat your son like a normal kid. Benjamin has spina bifida. And now, he’s achieved Scouting’s highest rank.
As 2018 ends, the flood of year-in-review stories begins. It seems like everyone with a blog is sharing the 10 best movies or 10 best books or 10 best baby strollers of 2018. Will the madness ever end? Maybe. Anyway, today I’m sharing the 10 most-read Bryan on Scouting blog posts of 2018.
Justin Regan (left) completed his Eagle project at Paramount Ranch in 2009. Mike Malone served at his National Park Service liaison. For the past decade, Paramount Ranch has been the perfect place for Boy Scouts who love movies and TV shows to perform their Eagle Scout service projects.
Celia Beekman knows it’s quite an accomplishment becoming an Eagle Scout. She has seen her brother and nephews reach the pinnacle of Boy Scouting’s ranks. So, after hearing a congratulatory message for a few new Eagle Scouts announced over the PA at Ridge High School, she decided to further honor the students by setting up…
Updated Dec. 5, 2018 These days, higher education comes with a higher price tag. These scholarships for Eagle Scouts will help take out some of the sting. If you know of a scholarship not listed here, please share the name and link in the comments.
Aaron Light has backpacked at Philmont Scout Ranch , and he’s run a marathon, but his next endeavor will dwarf the mileage he’s previously trekked. The Eagle Scout and University of Texas sophomore will cycle from Austin, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska.
Early Life and Star badges from 1913 or 1914. From the BSA’s founding in 1910 until late 1914, the Eagle Scout Award had just two requirements: Earn the First Class rank Earn 21 merit badges from a list of 57 That’s it; that’s the list.
Note: This is the 25th in an occasional series where I share Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos. See the complete collection here . To fully understand the impact Eagle Scout projects have on communities, you need to see to believe. That’s why I asked to see Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos — the same photos prospective Eagles…
California eye surgeon John Hovanesian, who has literally written the books on innovative techniques in ophthalmology, received the prestigious Distinguished Eagle Scout Award at a special ceremony last week in Newport Beach, Calif. The award, the highest honor presented by the National Eagle Scout Association , honors Eagle Scouts who have made major contributions in their…
The world gets a little smaller every time an Eagle Scout like Spencer Reeves comes along. The 19-year-old, a product of Troop 70 from New Canaan, Conn., shows how all humans benefit when people from other countries work together. It started with his Eagle Scout service project, where Reeves helped Syrian refugees feel safer and…
We’ve all heard that Scouting experience will give a young person a leg up at a college, university or trade school. But it’s always nice to see tangible proof that this is still the case. The latest example comes from Andrew, an Eagle Scout from Texas.
The Scouting journey prepares a young person to get a good job. But that doesn’t mean the final step in that journey — which for many young people is the Eagle Scout board of review — should be conducted like a job interview.
He’s the most famous Eagle Scout astronaut in our nation’s history. But there’s still a lot that people don’t know about Neil Armstrong. We’ll learn more about his lunar journey in First Man , the feature film out this weekend that’s getting rave reviews and Oscar buzz.
Want to recognize your new Eagle Scout but are running short on time before the court of honor? A handful of U.S. agencies and service academies allow you to auto-generate a congratulatory letter or certificate you can print at home.
When an orphan in China turns 14, he or she is no longer eligible for international adoption. Caleb Powell was 13 years and 11 months old when he asked God for a family to welcome him into their lives. “I was praying on my bed one night and talking to God,” Caleb said.
Two Eagle Scouts pose with the NESA World Explorers flag in the Galapagos. Earning the Eagle Scout Award opens up a world of possibilities. In the case of the NESA World Explorers Program , that statement can be taken quite literally.
Ever since he was 5 and served as a mock victim in rescue drills, Koren Ernst has been passionate about the fire service. That interest continued into Scouting when Ernst, now 20, joined Troop 1188 and Fire Explorer Post 1.
Note: This is the 24th in an occasional series where I share Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos. See the complete collection here . To fully understand the impact Eagle Scout projects have on communities, you need to see to believe. That’s why I asked to see Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos — the same photos prospective Eagles…
