Re: When Eagle Age Limit Was Imposed
(no name) ((no email))
Wed, 21 Feb 1996 09:40:19 -0600
Lucien L. Van Elsen cross-posted a series of questions from
the Arrow-L list to us this morning...I've answered this one
from Arrow-L, but I'll repost it here for the general information:
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Tom Moore wrote:
>I would like to know what year the rule was established that all >the
requirements for Eagle had to be met before a Scout's 18th >birthday. I had
thought it was in the 50's, but my former SE >apparently remembers ASM's
during his first professional >assignment in the late 60's/early 70's
earning Eagle.
Yes, that's possible, IF the ASM was an Explorer. Here's what
the BSA stated, and the references if you wish to track them all
down:
****PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT THE CURRENT BSA ADVANCEMENT
PROGRAM!!!!!*******
Explorers can earn Eagle by attainment of merit badges and
service within the Post, Ship or Squadron (this from the 1962
Scoutmaster's Handbook). Explorers can continue to serve
their Troops as Assistant Scoutmasters, and continue to earn
Eagle or Eagle Palms to age 21 (from the Exploring Manual,
1958).
The advancement program in Scouting, the way it was back then,
was that you could earn Eagle as a Boy Scout to age 18; or
as an Explorer to age 21, provided that you earned First Class
as a Boy Scout prior to entry. This all changed with the "Improved Scouting
program", in 1972, which established the age
18 for the attainment of Eagle (Improved Scouting Program pamphet, BSA,
pages 4, 16 and 22).
1972 is the year you're looking for.
>Was there any transition period or "grandfather" clause as well?
A brief "transition period" was held between the two advancement
programs (the "traditional" program and the "improved" program) of
one year (actually, depending on local Council implementation, it
could have been less than that), or December 31, 1973. At that
time, all of the "traditional" program requirements were gone,
and only the "improved" program requirements were to be accepted.
So, starting with 1 Jan 74, ALL requirements for Eagle must be met
before the Scout's 18th's birthday, whether Explorer or not. This
statement appeared also in the first "public release" of the BSA's
Rules and Regulations.
Another brief "transition period" was held between the period
when we moved from Skill Awards to "basic Scouting skills" later on.
>I would also like to know when the number of merit badges >required for
Eagle dropped from 24 in the 1970's to 21.
It was dropped from the 24 required from the start of the "Improved" program
in 1972 until the fall of 1977, when the "Hillcourt" program (also known as
the "Back to Basics", or
as ALL OUT FOR SCOUTING!) program brought the number back
downward in the coming year (1978) back to 21.
Reference, the 1976 Scout Handbook and the first edition, seventh
printing of The OFFICIAL SCOUT HANDBOOK in 1978.
(I earned 24 merit badges for Eagle under "improved I" in
1975.)
>I needed 24 in 1975; and I think this was the requirement at >least until
the late 1970's. I am only concerned with the time >period since 1975.
1977, with a one-year transition period to 1978.
I posted this to the list, Tom, because I'm sure that there's
other Arrowmen here that remember those "confused days" as I did,
and are glad that we finally have went back to the basics of
our program. Now, if we can just talk folks out of those
terrible looking sashes in favor of the REAL embrodered sashes
*grinning*
Weren't the seventies fun?? *grinning*
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Hope this all helps!
Settummanque!
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