THE ADULT SCOUTER 'S GUIDE
TO THE
LIFE- TO-EAGLE TRAIL

National Capital Area Council
Boy Scouts of America
Bethesda, Maryland
1997

To all the Eagle Scouts of the National Capital Area Council,
Past, Present and Future,
and To their adult leaders who invest so much of
their time and energies in the
growth and development of our youth.

NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL
THE ADULT SCOUTER'S GUIDE
TO THE
LIFE-TO-EAGLE TRAIL

INTRODUCTION

The reason for providing an adult Scouter's guidebook on the Life-To-Eagle requirements is that many people are involved at the council, district and unit levels in this particularly important process and all volunteers need to be absolutely clear as to what is required of them. No system is stronger than its weakest link and if any persons serving at the council, district or unit levels are uninformed or misinformed about their responsibilities in this process, the result can be as devastating to a young man's success as his own lack of knowledge can be to himself.

Additionally, there are fundamental requirements and procedures for earning the Eagle rank set forth in the Advancement Policies and Procedures published by Boy Scouts Of America and periodically revised. Some of these requirements and procedures are clear and precise and are either accomplished, or not. Others are imprecisely stated and allow for options or interpretations to be exercised with judgment. The reasoning behind this is clear. Opportunities, resources and environment affect people differently in various parts of the nation or even, sometimes, within a large council. Some element of judgment is reserved to the National Office, the council, the district and the unit in order to deal positively and fairly with each candidate within the scope of their own resources and capabilities. While provided with every benefit for justifiably extenuating circumstances, his own best performance must be demanded of each Scout.

Even though the Advancement Policies and Procedures publication may be purchased at the Council Trading Post, it is not readily available to every volunteer serving in the Life-to-Eagle program and the responsibility devolves upon this council, therefore, to ensure that adequate guidance is provided to all of its units and their volunteer leaders with regard to National requirements and local council policy. Information included in this pamphlet is taken from the Advancement Policies and Procedures and other publications of the Boy Scouts of America, with its permission, and organized in such manner as it is likely to be needed and used by adult volunteers on the council, district and unit levels. Duplication of this material or any portion of it is encouraged as needed. Additional copies of this guidebook are available from the Council Trading Post on a continuing basis.

• COUNCIL RESPONSIBILITIES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Council Responsibilities
• It devolves upon the Council to exercise for its districts, units and individual Scouters those options left to it by national requirements.
• It also must provide policy, guidance and interpretation for all unresolved questions arising from imprecise national guidelines.
• The Council will provide written regulations, policy, procedures, guidance and interpretation that will make the requirements and procedures attendant to attaining the Eagle rank as clear as possible to all persons involved.

• Council Policy
• Being Knowledgeable - All persons working with any phase of the Eagle Scout advancement program should make themselves thoroughly familiar with the national requirements. In all fairness to the young men for whose benefit they are working, persons playing a role in the Eagle advancement process should make this their priority concern. Additional copies of this pamphlet will be available on a continuing basis in the Council Trading Post. Local duplication to enhance availability is encouraged. Updated revisions will be issued as necessary and will be announced by the Council newspaper, roundtables and other means.
• District Vs Unit Review Board Option - It is currently the policy of the National Capital Area Council to allow each district to determine whether it can best use the district board of review method or that of the unit board of review. Due to differing conditions and circumstances such as travel distances, community resources and transient population which vary widely in different parts of our large council, it is believed that the district committees can probably determine the best method for their local situation. However, it remains a responsibility of the Council to approve the option(s) selected. It is also the council's responsibility to ensure that a uniform program is administered so as to offer effective and expeditious support to Eagle Scout candidates, that national standards are maintained, and that nothing is added to or subtracted from the prescribed national requirements or procedures.

• Council Procedures
• Information and Supplies
• The Council Trading Post will maintain a supply of this Adult Scouter's Guide To The Life-To-Eagle Trail, and the Advancement Report form, No. 4403, at all times.
• The Council Eagle Service Desk will also maintain a supply of the BSA Life-To-Eagle packet, which includes the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and a current Eagle Scout Application form.
• The Eagle presentation package with the pertinent awards and letters are made available to unit leaders, but the Eagle Award presentation kit cannot be issued until after the Eagle Certificate for the candidate has been received in the council office from the National Eagle Scout Service.
• Eagle Applications
• Application Signatures - The signing sequence appearing on the reverse side of the Eagle Application form is not optional. It is a national requirement. The original application form must be signed and dated by the Eagle candidate, the scoutmaster and the unit committee chairman in that order before sending it to the Council Eagle Service Desk for verification. The application will be returned by the Council Eagle Service Desk to the unit leader if all above signatures and dates are not present.
• Application Verification
• The first contact the Council office has with an Eagle Application is when the unit leader or unit committee representative forwards the completed Eagle application form for verification with a copy of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and life purpose statement attached. This must be the original application form with appropriate signatures affixed, but the attachments should be copies, the originals being retained by the candidate to bring to his Eagle Board of Review. The Council verification signature must be placed on the original application by the Council staff member responsible before an Eagle Board of Review can be scheduled.
• Arrival of an application form sent to the council by mail may be confirmed by telephone with the Eagle Service Desk.
• When verified, they will be returned within ten working days of receipt to the chairman of the district's Eagle board with the original letters of recommendation attached and a blank unit advancement report.
• If not verified within the ten working day period, the sender will be contacted or the application will be returned to the sender with a note indicating that:
• One or more of the three signatures, required before council verification, is missing.
• Information required to be verified by the council is missing from the application form.
• Information required to be verified by the council cannot be found in the council's unit records.
• One or more letters of recommendation have not been received.
• Letters of Recommendation - Letters of recommendation for a candidate must be received by mail by the Council Eagle Service Desk directly from the candidate's references. As an alternative, the Scoutmaster or the Chairman of the Troop Committee may deliver the reference letters in sealed envelopes. A fax will not be accepted. Guidance on the request and preparation of these letters is provided in Appendix A.
• As letters are received they will be placed in the candidate's file pending completion of the application's verification. No letter of recommendation will be accepted by the council unless received directly from the originator, or delivered in a sealed envelope by the Scoutmaster or Chairman of the Troop Committee. Upon receipt of three letters other than from parents or guardians, they will then be attached to the original application after verification is completed and sent with the copies of the Eagle Service Project Workbook and Life Purpose Statement to the chairman of the district Eagle board. The letters of recommendation are strictly confidential and are to be used solely by members of the board of review. If additional letters are later received they also will be forwarded.
• If the letters of recommendation have not been received at the council office within five working days after the receipt of the application for verification, the scoutmaster will be notified that such letters have not been received and that the application will be held by the council until the letters have been received.
• Upon approval of an Eagle Candidate by an Eagle Board of Review, the chairman will return the original letters of recommendation to the Council Eagle Service Desk with the signed application and unit advancement report where they will be held until receipt of the Eagle Certificate from the National Eagle Scout Service. Then the letters will be destroyed to maintain confidentiality.
• Eagle Application Processing - After the action of the Eagle Scout board of review is finalized and the original application form is signed, it is received once again in the council office, together with the original letters of recommendation. The following action then occurs:
• The application is reviewed and signed by the council Scout executive, signifying that proper procedures have been followed.
• The application is forwarded to the National Eagle Scout Service Office for approval.
• Upon approval, the Eagle Scout certificate with appropriate letters are sent by the National Eagle Scout Service to the council Scout executive, who will forward these documents to the candidate's Scoutmaster, making the Eagle Scout medal and associated presentation items available at that time. It requires about six weeks on the average for an Eagle Scout certificate to reach the unit once the application is approved by the Eagle board of review.
• If the application is not approved by the National Eagle Scout Service, it will be returned to the council. The Council Eagle Service Desk will attach a note to indicate what is missing or needed and return it to the Scoutmaster of the applicant for action.
• Eagle Application Appeals Procedure - The following procedures will be followed for appeals on Eagle applications.
• Initial Appeal - If a candidate who is not approved by a board of review desires to appeal that decision, he, or whoever is acting on his behalf, may do so to his district advancement committee. That committee will review the findings of the board of review which led to the decision not to recommend the candidate. It will review all of the documentation that the candidate can provide to contravene the board's findings and will make a determination accordingly. It will interview individuals as it deems necessary for a fair and impartial review.
• If the district committee finds in favor of the candidate, the application will be forwarded to the Council Eagle Service Desk together with all pertinent documents, indicating the action taken and the reasons why the candidate is recommended for the Eagle Award against the findings of the board of review. This file will then be forwarded to the National Eagle Service for final processing.
• If the district advancement committee finds against the candidate and sustains the action of the board of review, it will notify the candidate in writing of its decision and the reasons for it. The committee also will advise the candidate of his options for further appeal to the council advancement committee providing him with the name and address of the chairman and informing him of the steps he must take to make such appeal.
• Further Appeal - If the candidate elects to appeal the district advancement committee's decision, the following sequential options are open to him.
• Council Advancement Committee - The appeal to the council advancement committee will follow the same process as in the case of the appeal to the district advancement committee.
• If the decision is favorable to the candidate, the application will be forwarded to the National Eagle Scout Service for approval.
• If the decision is not favorable to the candidate, the reasons for the findings will be explained to him, or whomever is acting on his behalf, in writing as well as the options and procedures available to him for further appeal to the National Boy Scout Advancement Committee.
• National Boy Scout Advancement Committee - The appeal to the National Boy Scout Advancement Committee will follow the same procedures as the previous appeals; however, there will normally be no personal interview involved unless the National Committee elects to make personal telephone contacts. The candidate will make his case in writing, supported by whatever documentation he is offering to substantiate his claim. He will forward his letter of appeal with supporting documentation directly to the National Boy Scout Committee. The National Committee will acknowledge receipt of the appeal and then contact the council to request that it provide the documentation supporting its decision. The decision of the National Boy Scout Advancement Committee is final.

• DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES

• District Procedures -
• Districts may establish such procedures as they think will serve to clarify the Eagle advancement requirements to local units and candidates, so long as they conform with all national and council policies and procedures.

• Composition of District Advancement Committees -
• The district advancement chairman will recruit the members of the district advancement committee in sufficient numbers and proper qualifications to perform the district's functions as specified herein.

• District Vs Unit Boards of Review -
• Districts are authorized at the discretion of the council advancement committee to determine whether they will use the district board of review method or that of the unit hoard of review. Due to differing conditions and circumstances such as travel distances, community resources and transient populations which vary widely in different parts of our large council, it is believed that the district committees probably can best exercise this option. However, it remains a responsibility of the council to approve the option(s) selected. It is also the council's responsibility to ensure that a uniform program is administered so as to offer effective and expeditious support to Eagle Scout candidates, that national standards are maintained, and that nothing is added to or subtracted from the prescribed national requirements or procedures.

• District Eagle Boards -
• The district advancement committee will establish a district Eagle board of qualified individuals, naming a chairman, regardless of whether or not it is used as a district board of review.
• The district Eagle board chairman will receive all verified Eagle applications with their attachments directly from the Council Eagle Service Desk and is responsible to transmit that fie to the person who will serve as chairman of the candidate's Eagle hoard of review without delay.
• If it is not used as a district board of review, its members will normally serve as the district representatives on the unit hoards of review. These persons need not be Eagle Scouts, themselves, members of the district advancement committee or even registered members of the Boy Scouts of America. However, they should be knowledgeable about the Scouting Program and must have an understanding of the importance and purpose of the Eagle board of review. The chairman of the district Eagle Board will coordinate all assignments of board members to work with particular candidates and unit boards of review.
• The district Eagle Board will provide assistance to Eagle candidates -
• Wherever and whenever possible district Eagle boards will assign a specific member of the board to a specific Eagle candidate upon request by either a unit leader or by an Eagle candidate for approval of his service project plan. This will provide the candidate with a continuing resource besides his unit leader, or unit advisor, to whom he can refer for guidance during the rest of the advancement process. This board member may be assigned to the candidate's Eagle board of review by the Eagle board chairman.
• The Eagle board member assigned to a candidate will be concerned with the expeditious approval of the service project plan without unnecessary or arbitrary delay and for ensuring that the candidate understands the national requirements that he must meet, stressing that:
• Approval of a project plan does not mean an automatic approval of the project as completed, a decision reserved for his Eagle board of review.
• Leadership, planning, organization and coordination are the primary attributes required in executing an acceptable Eagle project. (See Requirements Of An Eagle Service Project under Unit Responsibilities below.)

• Eagle Boards of Review -
• District Eagle Boards of Review - When the Council Advancement Committee authorizes district boards of review:
• The chairman of the District Eagle Board will assign persons to serve as chairman and members of a particular candidate's board of review. The Chairman is not restricted to the sole use of persons who are Eagle Scouts, members of the District Advancement Committee or even persons who are registered in the Boy Scouts of America. However, persons selected should be knowledgeable about the Scouting Program and must have an understanding of the importance and purpose of the Eagle board or review. Neither scoutmaster, assistant scoutmasters, parents, guardians or relatives of the candidate may serve as members of his board. Guidance for members of an Eagle board of review is provided in Appendix B.
• Board of Review meetings will be scheduled in so far as possible so as to preclude unnecessary or arbitrary delay to the completion of the advancement process by a candidate. This includes the possible need for subsequent sessions of the hoard for the same candidate.
• Unit Boards of Review - When the Council Advancement Committee authorizes unit boards of review:
• The district representative(s) will be assigned by the Chairman of the District Eagle Board. The primary responsibility of the district representative is to ensure that the national standards are maintained and the conduct of the unit board of review is consistent in all units. This person may serve as chairman of the Eagle board of review if requested by the unit. Suggestions or guidance for future boards of review may be made as appropriate.
• The unit members of the board normally will be selected from the unit committee, but may not be either the scoutmaster, assistant scoutmasters, parents, guardians or relatives of the candidate. It is not necessary that persons serving as members of the unit board of review be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America, but they should be knowledgeable about the Scouting Program and must have an understanding of the importance and purpose of the Eagle board of review. Guidance for members of an Eagle board of review is provided in Appendix B.
• The signature of the district representative, obtained on the Eagle Scout application after that of the chairman of the Eagle board, is the last signature needed to signify that the application has been approved by the Board of Review and is ready in all aspects for forwarding to the council Scout Executive and the National Eagle Scout Service.
• Conduct of the Board of Review - The purpose of a board of review is to determine the applicant's preparedness for the Eagle rank, not to re-examine him on his merit badges. That has already been satisfactorily done by a qualified merit badge counselor. Consideration should be given to such factors as age, maturity and background while maintaining standards of quality and achievement. Among the topics a board of review should cover, but to which it is not limited, are:
• Scout Spirit - Living the Scout Oath and Law.
• Scouting Participation - what the candidate has accomplished in Scouting and what he anticipates his contribution will be in the future.
• Merit Badges - what they mean to him and his assessment of their value.
• Duty To God, Country, Home and Self - what these ideas represent to him and how he has demonstrated his commitment to them.
• Future Plans personal, educational, and Scouting; the candidate's sense of obligation to those Scouts coming along behind him; a discussion of the candidate's Life Purpose Statement.
• Eagle Scout Service Project - a detailed examination and evaluation of the project.
• Confidentiality of Recommendations - All board members will ensure the complete confidentiality of the candidate's letters of recommendation. They are for the board's use only.
• Copies Retained - The Chairman of the hoard of review will ensure that a complete copy of the original application with all of its attachments is retained by the Eagle candidate and one by the unit leader or review board chairman at the very least to guard against loss. Other copies retained are optional. Copies of the letters of recommendation may be retained by the Chairman of the Eagle Board of Review only to guard against loss. They are to be destroyed after six weeks.
• Final Action By Board of Review - Upon the final signature of the application by an Eagle board of review, the chairman of the board delivers the completed, fully signed, original application with all original letters of recommendation and unit advancement report to the Council Eagle Service Desk for final signature by the council Scout Executive. If mailed, receipt of the application may be confirmed by telephone with the Council Eagle Service Desk. The Eagle Service Project Workbook and/or Report and the Life Purpose Statement should be retained by the Eagle candidate.

• Appeal To The District Advancement Committee
• First Level of Appeal - When an Eagle candidate is not approved by a board of review and he, or whoever is acting on his behalf, elects to appeal the board's decision, the district advancement committee is the first of three levels of appeal available to the candidate.
• Appeal Procedure - The district advancement committee will follow the procedure provided below upon receipt of an appeal to a Eagle board of review decision:
• Review the candidate's appeal letter and familiarize itself with the reasons for his appeal.
• Request, if it has not already received, the follow-up letter to the candidate from his board of review indicating its reasons for not approving him and citing the steps he should take to remove those deficiencies.
• Request any additional documentation or information from the candidate or the unit which it needs in order to arrive at a decision on the appeal.
• Interview the candidate and allow him to make whatever additional comments he wishes to make.
• Interview, as deemed necessary, the chairman of the board of review and especially those members who did not approve the candidate in order to thoroughly understand their reasons.
• Reach a decision on the appeal which can take one of three positions.
• Reverse the Eagle board of review's decision and approve the candidate for the Eagle rank.
• Sustain the Eagle board of review's decision not to approve the candidate.
• Grant the candidate a new Eagle hoard of review. Normally, this would be a district board of review composed of members who do not know the candidate and have not been privy to the discussions, decisions and letters of the previous board of review and the appeal review.
• Act on the decision resulting from the above process by:
• Forwarding through normal channels any approval of the candidate obtained by either reversing the original Eagle board's decision or by the decision of a new Eagle board of review, and notifying the candidate, unit and chairman of the original Eagle board of review in writing of this decision.
• Notifying the candidate, unit and chairman of the original Eagle board of review in writing of the committee's decision to sustain the original Eagle board's decision, citing its reasons and reemphasizing those steps the candidate must take to remove the deficiencies noted. The committee will also notify him of the name and address of the council advancement committee chairman, to whom he may direct his next appeal if he so chooses.
• Upon request from the council advancement committee, the district advancement committee will forward all documents pertaining to the district level appeal of a candidate.

• UNIT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Planning And Guidance
• The unit leader should assign himself or another adult Scouter to each Life Scout as an advisor on the Life-To-Eagle Trail to ensure his full understanding of all facets of the Eagle Scout requirements and his Eagle service project planning and execution, and to keep a check on his continuing progress in the other requirements.
• A copy of The National BSA Life-To-Eagle Packet, including the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and a current Eagle Scout Application form, will be provided the candidate by the unit. These are available to unit leaders from the Council Eagle Service Desk for Life Scouts who are ready to begin their Eagle service projects.
• If the candidate transferred into the troop during his Scouting career, the unit leader or advancement chairman should:
• Check with this council to determine what the candidate's record reveals for periods of registration and achievements earned with other troops in the National Capital Area Council. This will prevent duplication of effort and ensure the candidate's completion of all additional requirements not previously met. This will also provide an opportunity to ensure that all completed requirements are, in fact, on record and available for later verification.
• Request a record transfer from all previous councils in which the candidate was registered and have his record officially recorded in this council's files so as to be available for verification at the appropriate time. The official Transfer Application Form, No. 28-401B or later revision, is available at the Council Trading Post to send to any previous council for that purpose.
• In either case previous unit numbers must be obtained from the Scout in order to enable any council office to locate the Scout's prior record and respond.

• Eagle Service Project
• Selecting A Service Project - In selecting a service project:
• The unit leader assigned as the Eagle candidate's advisor should brief the Life Scout on the attributes of a good Eagle service project as provided in the Advancement Policies and Procedures, the Boy Scout Requirements, and the Boy Scout Handbook.
• The unit advancement chairman or the candidate's unit adviser should provide the Scout with a copy of the National BSA Life-To-Eagle Packet, including the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and a current Eagle Scout Application form. The use of this workbook is a national requirement for all Eagle Scout candidates and is not a local option. The unit advisor should make himself available for advice on how to go about completing it properly.
• Requirements For An Eagle Service Project - The basic requirements of a Eagle service project are:
• Plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project to any religious institution, school or non-profit public organization serving the community in which the candidate lives, conforming to the wishes and regulations of those for whom the project is undertaken.
• Plan the work, obtain the materials, organize the personnel and direct the project by way of demonstrating leadership.
• The project cannot be performed for any Boy Scouts of America property, any business or be commercial in nature.
• Fund-raising is not permitted as a project, but only for securing materials or supplies to carry out a project.
• Routine labor, job or service normally rendered should not be considered as an acceptable project.
• There are no minimum number of hours that must be spent on carrying out an Eagle Service Project, but the amount of time should be sufficient enough for a Scout to clearly demonstrate leadership skills.
• The Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, No.18-927 or later revision, must be used to meet the Eagle service project requirement.
• All work on an Eagle Service project must be done while the candidate is a Life Scout and completed before his 18th birthday unless a time extension has been allowed.
• An Eagle Service Project is an individual matter and two Eagle candidates cannot receive credit for working on the same project.
• Obtaining Approval - Unit and district approval must be obtained before a project is begun.
• When the unit adviser is satisfied that the project plan is practical, thoroughly thought out and meets the national requirements, he should inform the Scout that he is ready to obtain the scoutmaster's approval of his plan, followed by that of the unit committee representative.
• Next the unit advisor should provide the Scout with the name and address of the district Eagle board member whom he should contact to review and approve his Eagle service project plan.
• Adult Support - There are numerous sources from which a youth can obtain adult support in planning and executing his Eagle service project. Among these are:
• Unit Leader/Advisor - It is recommended that the unit advisor maintain close contact and work with the Scout through all phases of the project, advise him as necessary on problems encountered and records that should be kept. He can even serve as one of the project workers. But, at all times he should ensure that the Scout is leading the project through his own initiative. It is highly recommended that the unit leader verify the status of a project that has not been completed within six months of its approval date, although the Project Plan must have a proposed date of completion.
• District Eagle Board - The candidate may call upon the member of the District Eagle Board who approved his project for advice at any time. That person will make himself or herself available for that purpose and keep the candidate's Scoutmaster informed of any guidance given.
• Organization Benefitting From Project - The individual representing the organization for which the project is being done, whose name is cited in the Eagle Service Project Workbook as the contact person, should be the candidate's primary resource within that organization.
• Parents or Guardians - The candidate's family usually remains, and understandably so, his chief source of encouragement and inspiration. However, if such positive support is not immediately available to a particular candidate, the unit leader/advisor should join with other adult unit leaders and/or unit committee members in seeking to provide appropriate support of the candidate in this area.
• Role Of The Adult - Parents or guardians and unit leaders can have a difficult role in this process. The line where advice and encouragement ends and interference begins is often fuzzy and ill defined. Their role should be supportive, but yet one that allows the candidate, himself, to give leadership to the project. Once the project has been approved, they should follow his progress closely, but remain uninvolved in its details and direction. Advice is always to be desired, especially if it means the difference between the completion of an acceptable project or not. However, it remains up to the candidate, himself, to decide whether or not to accept it. It is only his decisions and initiative which will ultimately make his project a successful one.
• Project Report - The Eagle candidate must prepare a written report on his completed service project
• The advisor must insure that the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, No .18-297 or later revision, is used for this purpose. The use of this workbook is a national requirement and is not a local option. It is made available by the Council Eagle Service Desk to unit leaders for Life Scouts who are ready to begin work on their Eagle service projects. If properly used that workbook should provide everything a candidate needs to organize an acceptable written project report, especially if he completes its various parts as he plans and directs his project. Additional pages may be inserted for more space as desired, such as for the inclusion of "before" and "after" photographs.
• The advisor should counsel the Scout on ways he can phrase his report to best describe what he has accomplished. He should read the report draft and offer constructive criticism to assist the Scout in polishing it into final form. He must ensure, however, that it is entirely the candidate's own work.
• The finished report should be read and approved by the unit advisor before the candidate presents it to the scoutmaster (if not serving as advisor) and the unit committee. When these persons have signified their approval of the project and the final report, the candidate should then complete the Eagle Scout Application form if all other requirements have been fulfilled.
• Publicity Of The Project - A member of the unit committee should prepare a news story on the project with the assistance of the Eagle candidate using some of the photographs of the project. This story should then be submitted by the unit to whatever local newspapers or other media are appropriate to publicize what this young man has accomplished for his community.

• Processing The Eagle Application - The process through which an Eagle application passes is far different than for any other rank in Scouting. A chart is provided in Appendix C which describes the various paths through which it may pass to gain final approval.
• Completion of The Application Form -
• The Scoutmaster and/or unit advisor should provide the candidate with all necessary records and dates for him to complete his application. They should ensure that only the board of review dates appearing on unit advancement reports as forwarded to the council are used for the rank advancements. For merit badges they should ensure that the day, month and year is cited in the merit badge date column for each merit badge earned as indicated on the advancement form. If errors are discovered in a Scout's record, the unit advancement committee will have to correct the error by submitting a corrected advancement report for updating the council's unit records.
• The candidate must ask those persons he wishes to use as references for their permission to use their names for this purpose on his Eagle Application form. If they agree, he should ask them to write a letter of recommendation in his behalf, providing them with a copy of the council's request printed in Appendix A of this pamphlet. This letter should be addressed to the "Chairman of the Eagle Board of Review for "Name of Scout]" and sent by mail directly by the originator to the Council Eagle Service Desk at the address cited on the instructions. No letters of recommendation will be accepted by the council unless received directly from the originator.
• The unit leader should review the entire Eagle application form and personally verify its accuracy before he and the unit committee chairman sign the form.
• After the above signatures have been affixed, the unit should deliver or mail the original application, with copies of the Eagle Service Project Workbook and Life Purpose Statement attached, to the Council Eagle Service Desk for verification.
• If the unit leader does not recommend a Scout for a board of review or if the unit leader or unit committee will not sign the Eagle application, the Scout, or other interested party acting in his behalf, may appeal that decision to the district advancement committee requesting that he be authorized an Eagle board of review. The unit leader or unit committee, however, will notify the Scout what he must do to remove the deficiencies prompting their decision as well as inform him of this appeal option. They will also provide him with the name and address of the chairman of the district advancement committee to whom he must write a letter of appeal providing full information and documentation to support his appeal. The appeal process will be conducted in a similar manner to that of an appeal from a board of review. The result will be to either:
• Reverse the unit decision, in which case a district board of review will be granted and normal procedures followed thereafter.
• Uphold the unit decision and notify the Scout by letter as to the reasons why the decision was upheld and informing him as to the deficiencies he must meet before he will be authorized to receive an Eagle board of review.
• Verifying An Application - Upon receipt of an Eagle application by the council office, it will be verified and returned to the District Eagle Board Chairman with the letters of recommendation and a blank unit advancement report form attached within ten working days of receipt.
• If sent by mail, the unit may confirm its receipt by telephone with the Eagle Service Desk.
• References listed on the Eagle Application will be verified by the letters of recommendation or by such other means the council may deem appropriate.
• The application will be held in the candidate's file until three letters of recommendation, other than from parents or guardians, have been received. If a required letter has not been received within five working days of the receipt of the Eagle application, the unit leader will be contacted to either help expedite its issuance.
• Return of An Unverified Application
• If any portion of the Eagle application cannot be verified by the Council Eagle Service Desk, the sender will be contacted for clarification. Only if absolutely necessary will the council return an application to the sender for action accompanied by a note explaining the deficiency and what needs to be done in order to correct it.
• If the council indicates that it has no record of some of the dates or awards listed on the application, it will remain incumbent upon the unit (unit leader, unit advancement chairman or committee chairman) and the Eagle candidate to research the deficiency, correct it and return the application to the Council Eagle Service Desk.

• Board of Review - Guidance for members of an Eagle board of review is provided in Appendix B and may be easily duplicated for the convenient use of board members. Guidelines for conducting an Eagle Board of review are provided below:
• Composition - The board of review, is comprised of a minimum of three and a maximum of six members. If a unit board of review is authorized by the Council Advancement Committee, at least one member must be a district or council representative, who also may serve as chairman if so requested by the unit. Qualified persons should be carefully chosen, for a decision vital to the future of a young man rests in their hands. These persons need not be Eagle Scouts, themselves, members of the district advancement committee or even registered members of the Boy Scouts of America. However, they should be knowledgeable about the Scouting Program and must have an understanding of the importance and purpose of the Eagle board of review.
• Unit Leader Role - The unit leader cannot serve as a member of the board, but may remain in the room as an observer without participating, except for clarifying any matter directed to him by the review board. The same is true for any assistant unit leader. No parent, guardian nor relative of the candidate may attend the board of review or remain in the same room, even as a unit leader or assistant unit leader.
• Multiple Candidates - If there is more than one candidate to be reviewed, it would be courteous and practical to stagger the candidates' time of arrival in order to show respect for their time as well as allowing time for the board members to review each candidate's application and enclosures before his arrival. It may be desirable to schedule more than one board of review to meet simultaneously.
• Review Room - The room used for the review should be quiet, informal, free from distractions or interruptions, conducive for serious and thoughtful discussion. Avoid any arrangement giving the atmosphere of an inquisition, but have everyone seated comfortably around a table in an informal manner wherein all participants can easily see each other.
• Board Preview - The board members should either receive advance review copies of the entire Eagle application, including the service project workbook and life purpose statement, before the date of the Eagle board of review or be assembled with the unit leader at least thirty minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the candidate for that purpose. The chairman of the board or the unit leader should introduce all members of the board to each other and provide sufficient copies of the Eagle application and attachments to facilitate the review. The chairman will already have in his possession the original application and letters of recommendation, as well as copies of the Eagle project workbook and life purpose statement, received from the Council Eagle Service Desk.
• Candidate's Arrival - The unit leader should escort the candidate into the review room and introduce him to the members of the board in a relaxed and informal manner. The unit leader should verbally make the point before everyone present that he recommends the candidate for the Eagle rank and is satisfied that the candidate has completed all the Eagle requirements. All adults present should make every effort to put the young man at ease and help him feel relaxed and free to speak. He should be made to realize that the board members are there to help him attain his goal, not to place impediments or obstructions in his path. However, he should also be informed that it is the board's primary responsibility to ensure that all Eagle Scout standards are well maintained. The unit leader should then either leave the room or take a seat to the side to observe.
• Conduct of the Board of Review - The purpose of a board of review is to determine the applicant's preparedness for the Eagle rank, not to re-examine him on his merit badges. That has afready been satisfactorily done by a qualified merit badge counselor. Among the topics a board of review should cover, but to which it is not limited, are:
• Scout Spirit - living the Scout Oath and Law.
• Scouting Participation - what the candidate has accomplished in Scouting and what he anticipates his contribution to Scouting will be in the future.
• Merit Badges - what they mean to him and his assessment of their value.
• Duty To God, Country, Home and Self- what theses ideas represent to him and how he has demonstrated his commitment to them.
• Future Plans - personal, educational, and Scouting; the candidate's sense of obligation to those Scouts coming along behind him- a discussion of the candidate's Life Purpose Statement.
• Eagle Scout Project - a detailed examination and evaluation of the project.
• Board Evaluation and Discussion - When the board of review has concluded its interview with the candidate, it should:
• Excuse the candidate, and his unit leader if still in the room, while considering the board's recommendation on the application, and invite them to wait in an adjoining room. No one should be in the review room during this evaluation and decision phase except the members of that board of review.
• Conduct a thorough and frank discussion of the candidate's strengths and weaknesses with no reservations withheld among the board members. These three to six persons should be reminded that as board members they hold in their hands the successful conclusion to one of the greatest challenges that this young man has yet attempted to meet and that their decision can vitally affect his future. But, they also hold in their hands the future integrity of the Eagle Scout standards and what that has represented for over three quarters of a century in this country to over one million persons. Consideration should be given to such factors as age, maturity and background while maintaining standards of quality and achievement. Only those who are believed to have fully met all the requirements should be deemed acceptable. All decisions by the board to recommend a candidate for the Eagle Scout rank must be unanimous.
• Announcement of Board's Decision - Invite the candidate and unit leader back in the room after a decision has been reached.
• Approving A Candidate - If the candidate is approved by the board:
• The candidate is congratulated and a ceremonious signing of the Eagle application by the chairman of the board and the district or council representative can be held.
• The remaining process should then be explained to the candidate, namely:
• That the final sequence of approval signatures on the application is first by the Council Scout Executive and then the National Eagle Scout Service Office.
• That, even though the board of review recommends the candidate as qualified to be an Eagle Scout, only the National Eagle Scout Service can actually approve the award which is then presented by the Boy Scouts Of America.
• That the average time for processing is about six weeks for the receipt of the Eagle Scout certificate by the council office from the National Court of Honor.
• That setting a firm date for the Eagle Court of Honor should not be made before the Eagle Certificate is actually received from the National Eagle Scout Service.
• That under no circumstances will the Eagle award be made available to the unit or candidate until the Eagle Scout Certificate has, in fact, been received in the council office.
• Not Approving A Candidate - If the vote on the recommendation is not unanimous, the board should discuss the reasons with the candidate as to why he was not approved and inform him of the following courses of action open to him. Normally, a discussion of the first option listed below is sufficient. The last two options do not become an issue unless the candidate, unit leader or whoever is acting on the candidate's behalf, objects to the decision of the board, or unless there are serious substantive deficiencies that are in the board's judgment beyond the candidate's ability to correct.
• Inform the candidate, and his unit leader, what specific tasks he must accomplish to correct the deficiencies identified. A list of these requirements must be provided to the candidate through a follow-up letter, a copy of which is retained in the records of the board of review for future reference. Suggest to him a specific time frame within which to accomplish the corrective action and, if practical, set a date for a second meeting of the board of review. The time factor is primarily for the purpose of encouraging the candidate to complete his work before he becomes sidetracked with other activities. Of course, he still has until his eighteenth birthday to complete the work. If some different persons serve as members of the board of review at its second meeting for a particular candidate, the chairman of the board must ensure continuity with the decisions made at the first meeting.
• Inform him that either he, his unit leader, the unit committee or someone acting on his behalf may request a new hoard of review to be convened if any of them disagree with the findings of this board and its recommendations.
• Inform him of his right to appeal this board's decision to the district advancement committee, the council advancement committee and the National Boy Scout Advancement Committee, in that order. Provide him with the name and address of the district advancement chairman to whom he must now direct his appeal in the form of a letter citing the reasons, including documentation, to indicate why he does not agree with the decision of his Eagle Board of Review. The candidate should retain copies of all documents submitted with his appeal to guard against loss. The candidate will be contacted by the district advancement committee after receipt of his appeal.

• Final Approval of An Eagle Application - After the Eagle Application is signed by the Eagle Board of Review, the following procedures will be followed:
• The chairman of the board completes the unit advancement report and has it signed by the board members.
• The chairman of the Eagle board of review should ascertain how the completed, original application, unit advancement report and letters of recommendation will be returned to the Council Eagle Service Desk and ensure that this is done without delay. The Eagle Service Project Workbook and/or Report and the Life Purpose Statement should be retained by the Eagle candidate.
• Upon receipt of the signed and completed Eagle Application with the above attachments by the Eagle Service Desk:
• The application will be reviewed by the Scout Executive, signed to signify his approval that all procedures have been followed and forwarded to the National Eagle Scout Service for final approval.
• The letters of recommendation will be held in the candidate's file.
• The Eagle Scout Certificate and related documents should be received from the National Eagle Scout Service in about six weeks time on the average from the date the signed application was forwarded by the Eagle board of review. The Council Eagle Service Desk will then send the following items to the candidate's Scoutmaster or other appropriate unit committee member:
• The Eagle Scout Certificate.
• Congratulatory letters from the National Scout Executive and the National Capital Area Council Scout Executive.
• The Eagle Scout presentation set, including the Eagle medal and associated pins. The cost of these items is provided through special contributions to the council.
• The new Eagle Scout's name is inscribed in the National Capital Area Council Eagle Scout Record Book, the unit advancement report is placed in the council's unit file and his application file is closed.
• If the Eagle application is returned not approved by the National Eagle Scout Service, then the unit will be contacted to provide corrective action as appropriate.

• Time Extension Requests - Under certain circumstances a Scout can request an extension of time beyond his 18th birthday in which to complete his requirements for the Eagle rank, Such an extension can only be granted by the National Boy Scout Committee and should be requested by the Scout through the district and council advancement committees by letter.
• Such request letter should include:
• Name, address and unit of the Scout.
• Date the Scout joined the unit.
• Date the Scout will/did turn 18 years old.
• Listing of all merit badges and ranks earned, and the dates each were earned.
• List of all requirements not yet completed for the Eagle rank, including identification of the partial requirements within a merit badge.
• Reasons for requesting an extension, citing the extenuating circumstances.
• Reasons why an extension was not applied for prior to the Scout's 18th birthday, if such is the case.
• Extenuating circumstances are defined as conditions or situations that are totally beyond the control of the Scout.
• If the reason for applying for an extension has to do with a physical or mental handicap, the unit leader should contact the district advancement chairman for guidance on how to proceed.
• Temporary disabilities need a time extension request
• Permanently disabled scouts may remain registered.
• The district and council advancement committees will sequentially review the extension request letter, ensure the inclusion of all pertinent information needed by the National Committee to make a fair decision and forward it with a recommendation.
• The decision of the National Boy Scout Committee is final.

• Court of Honor - The Eagle Court of Honor is one of the most momentous occasions in the life of a Scout as well as in the program of any troop and should be treated with the same dignity and distinction that the achievement itself confers upon the Scout. Units are encouraged to give special attention to Eagle award presentations and to utilize local Eagle Scouts if available. The Council's National Eagle Scout Association representative will have been notified of each new Eagle Scout receiving the award. There are numerous resources available for helping to plan an appropriate ceremony, such as Woods Wisdom, No. 7262A. However, there are several points the unit committee person responsible for the event should keep in mind.
• Setting The Date - Being one of the truly significant moments in the life of the new Eagle Scout, he will want to have numerous family members and friends attend, many of whom may have to travel long distances and plan well ahead in order to be absent from home, school or job.
• Set the date well enough ahead to allow for people to make plans to attend.
• In considering a possible date, remember to allow about six weeks for the final approval of an application to be received by the Council from the National Office.
• The Eagle Award cannot under any circumstances be made available to the unit nor can the award ceremony be held prior to the receipt of the Eagle Scout certificate by the Council from the National Eagle Scout Service.
• Setting a date, even in the reasonable future, before the Eagle certificate is received from National is taking a chance and may prove embarrassing for the candidate and his family if something unforeseen causes the application to be returned for additional information or action. It is highly recommended that a firm date not be set until the Council receives the certificate and forwards it to the unit leader.
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SUGGESTED AREAS OF EVALUATION OF EAGLE SCOUT CANDIDATES

Your cooperation and prompt response to this request is most earnestly requested. Thank you in advance.