Troop 849
Manhattan Beach, CA
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Eagle Candidate Information

When a Scout earns Life rank or reaches his 16th birthday, it is time to seriously consider the rank of Eagle. This decision should not be made lightly as it requires a great deal of work by both the Scout and the troop. To that end, the following letter will be sent to all Scouts to help them with the decision and inform them of the process and what is expected of him by the troop.

To: Troop 849 Eagle Candidate (and His Parents)

You are receiving this Eagle Scout Candidate package because you have either just earned the rank of Life or just turned 16 years old. Congratulations and/or Happy Birthday. If you do not plan to pursue the rank of Eagle please sign where indicated and return this package to your Scoutmaster. If you are planning to seek the rank of Eagle, please read on.

The attainment of the Eagle rank is the highest honor/award a Boy Scout can earn and will result in a lifetime of benefits for those who earn it. Troop 849 maintains very high standards for its Eagle Candidates (EC's) and follows the requirements of the Boy Scouts of America. The Troop Committee and the troop's adult leadership have a duty to uphold the honor and merit of the Eagle award. Therefore the Troop Committee has created this set of guidelines that describe certain requirements, deadlines and standards to attain the rank of Eagle as a member of Troop 849. To ensure no misunderstandings of these guidelines, the EC and at least one parent must review the information presented below and in the package and sign as indicated. Please return this completed form to the Troop 849 Assistant Scoutmaster for Eagle Candidates or your Scoutmaster as soon as possible.

If you choose to follow the path to Eagle, and we certainly hope you do, be forewarned that time goes by quickly. If you wait until the last minute you will not succeed in your quest. Almost all of the requirements below must be completed before your 18th birthday.

Participation

The EC must be active for at least a six-month period after achieving the Life rank where the EC actively participates in and contributes to the troop's meetings, outings and service projects.

Leadership

While a Life Scout the EC must demonstrate active leadership in two areas.

1. He must hold and effectively perform a significant leadership position in the troop (i.e. SPL, ASPL, etc.).
2. In conjunction with the troop's adult and youth leadership, he must actively work with younger Scouts to assist in their development and advancement. He must demonstrate active support in improving the quality of the Troop 849 experience for everyone.

Long-Term

As a backpacking troop we recommend that all EC's during their time with Troop 849 participate in at least one Troop 849 Long-Term backpack (i.e., the week-long trip in the Sierras held every summer). We also suggest EC's investigate the requirements of the Backpacking Merit badge to determine if their schedule/hiking plans makes earning this merit badge feasible.

Scout Spirit & Oath & Law

While a Life Scout the EC must clearly demonstrate that he understands and lives by the Scout Oath and Law. He must show Scout Spirit in his daily life, and especially at Troop 849 meetings and activities.

Merit Badges

An EC must earn 21 merit badges to attain the Eagle rank. 12 of these are specified as "required" by the Boy Scouts of America.

Eagle Project

The Eagle Service Project is a major undertaking and will probably require significant support from the EC's parents. Due to the size of Troop 849 and the limited number of weekends available during the year for Eagle projects, it is absolutely critical that the EC begin planning for his project soon. The EC will work with the Assistant Scoutmaster for Eagle Candidates and the Senior Scoutmaster from the start of his project's planning phase through completion. A complete set of Eagle Project Guidelines is included in this package. Here is a summary of the important items:

• In order to demonstrate the degree of leadership needed for an EC the project should probably encompass at least 200 hours of total labor.
• Because the troop schedules only one Eagle Project per month the EC should request a date for his project at least six months in advance of the project (or by his 17th birthday). [Note: Projects which do not need Troop 849 resources are still required to follow these guidelines unless specifically exempted by the Troop Committee.]
• The project's detailed plan and presentation materials must be approved by the Asst. Scoutmaster for Eagle Candidates and the Scoutmaster prior to meeting with the Troop Committee to discuss the project.
• Troop Committee approval is required on all projects, and ideally should be obtained at least two months in advance of the project (but one month is acceptable).
• Pacifica District approval of the project is also required and is obtained after Troop Committee approval and before any "real" work (i.e. non-planning work) has started.
• During the weeks immediately leading up to the project the EC should attend troop meetings to explain his project to other Scouts and obtain their commitment to work on the project. Recruiting workers is part of the project.
• Upon completion of the actual project work, the EC should try to complete the project notebook(s) and submit for review and approval within two months of project completion (i.e., the longer you wait, the harder it gets).

Eagle Scout Notebook

All EC's must compile a notebook of their Scouting experience which will encompass the Eagle Scout application, rank history, leadership history, merit badges, Eagle project, letters of recommendation, etc. The notebook must be approved by the Asst. Scoutmaster for Eagle Candidates and the Scoutmaster prior to the EC's Eagle Board of Review by the Troop Committee.

Scoutmaster Conference

The EC will participate in a Scoutmaster conference with the Scoutmaster. This conference typically occurs after all other Eagle Scout requirements are completed, but before the EC's Troop Committee Board of Review.

Troop Committee Interaction

The EC will meet with the Troop Committee a minimum of two times: Once to present his Eagle project and once to participate in an Eagle Board of Review. The EC will meet with the Committee alone (i.e., no family members may be present). Prior to ANY committee meeting the EC plans to attend he must first contact the Committee Chairman two weeks in advance of the meeting to be placed on the agenda. The Troop Committee will not be able to accommodate unscheduled requests.

Once you are successful in attaining the rank of Eagle you will join an elite group of people. The Eagle rank is a highly regarded indication of character, motivation and commitment that can provide opportunities to you throughout your life. We wish you the best in your quest and thank you for taking the time to become familiar with the troop's Eagle Rank requirements.

Please sign on the appropriate line and return this portion to the Assistant Scoutmaster for Eagle Candidates or your Scoutmaster as soon as possible.

I will NOT be seeking the rank of Eagle from Troop 849.

I WILL be seeking the rank of Eagle from Troop 849 and I have read and reviewed the Troop 849 guidelines outlined above.

[Date Of Last Revision: 9/17/01]

Contents of this page provided by Tom Thorpe.
©2023 Boy Scout Troop 849, Manhattan Beach, CA. http://troop849.org/