Being an Eagle Scout

For the vast majority of boy scouts, reaching Eagle Scout is more than simply reaching a final rank. It's the end of the trail established by Scouting, a symbol that you have persevered and completed the path which you had first set foot on many years ago.

It should be noted that only about 2% of all Boy Scouts manage to make Eagle Rank. For the Scout and his parents, this becomes a considerable achievement. Often on the same level as high school graduation, if not slightly above.

There are generally two types of scouts who make Eagle. Those who apply themselves early on in life, working hard and completing the requirements (it takes a minimum of sixteen months) as fast as possible. The youngest Eagle Scout I've ever heard of earned his rank at the age of 12.

The second type of Eagle Scout is the high school student who has only a few months until his eighteenth birthday (Boy Scouts are no longer scouts at the age of eighteen). This is the student who has, for some reason or another, procrastinated and now must rush in a bit of a huff to get his work done. I find myself among the second type, and generally consider the experience to be more meaningful when you reach this rank at an older age.

Reaching Eagle Rank is not easy. In addition to completing twenty-one merit badges (three of which require three month commitments), you must rise in the ranks of Scouting. The higher ranks require you to be active in positions of leadership, and the potential Eagle Scout must also complete a service project. In my troop, the requirement was a total of 100 recorded man-hours of service, twenty of which must have been my own. Other troops have varying requirements.

Ultimately this endeavor is extremely difficult, and parents become a universal motivating factor, but the end resut is usually extremely rewarding for the Scout. But reaching Eagle does not present fame or fortune. Instead, an Eagle Scout finds the reward within himself. He's changed.

Scouting has instilled in me a sense of honor and duty, values which are exemplified in the Scout Oath, Motto, Law, and Slogan. Friends can count on me to be there when they need me, and I can count on myself to retain the pride and honor which I expect to keep me on the right path for the rest of my life.

Ultimately, the Eagle Rank is a reflection of the individual scout. It's not a doorway to success, nor is it merely something to put on your college resume to impress people. It's a rank earned through effort, discipline, and perseverance. A sign that the man you are looking at is composed of considerable virtues, and is an exceptional individual.