Age for Eagle & Other Stuff

Regarding the date at which the requirement was changed that an adult could
be awarded the Eagle, it has already been written:

>>>Until the late 50's or early 60's, an adult could earn theEagle rank.<<

>>I find absolutely no reference that in that time frame, or any other, that
adults could earn the Eagle rank. My references only go back to 1910,
however, and I will certainly research this while at Philmont this summer.<<

According to the book, "A Comprehensive Guide to the Eagle Scout Award" by
Terry Grove, September 1965 was when the requirement was changed. Going
through the requirements, (page 93):

"September 1965 (Two significant changes)

(1) The Eagle Scout Award required that the scout must hold a troop officer
position for at least 6 months, since becoming a Life Scout. This
requirement finally ended the option for an adult scouter to earn the Eagle
Scout Award.

(2) The Eagle Project was added"

Incidently, the Eagle Scout Award did not become the highest award in the BSA
until August 1911 (or at least the August 1911 printing of the Handbook). In
1910, there were three "classes" of scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and
First Class. In the June 1911 printing of the Handbook, the Wolf Scout
(award was to be a "Wolf's head") was the highest rank. Finally, in the
August 1911 edition (page 43) it states:

"Eagle Scout

Any first-class scout qualifying for twenty-one merit badges will be entitled
to wear the highest scout merit badge. This is an eagle's head in silver,
and represents the all-around perfect scout"

Now while the book SAYS the award was an eagle's head, the picture of the
award is of a sideways view of a flying eagle. This flying eagle was never
produced as an award of the Boy Scouts of America, although the Philippine
Eagle Award looks very similar to this flying eagle.

The first Eagle was awarded to Arthur Eldred, who completed his 21 merit
badges by April, 1912, and was awarded his Eagle on August 21, 1912. (Eldred
not only had a troop board of review, but a special board of review conducted
by Ernest Thompson Seton, Dan Beard, and James West). This first Eagle was
the spread-winged, perched eagle that is the same (except for a few minor
modifications) that you see today.

The fourth Eagle awarded (early September, 1912) was given to a Scoutmaster,
and this was the first awarded to an adult Scouter.

A few more bites (bytes?) of trivia: It was Seton who came up with Wolf
Scout as the highest rank in the early BSA Scouting movement. Before any of
these were awarded, Beard was able to have it changed to Eagle Scout. Beard
received his Eagle, which was the only gold Eagle ever awarded, when he was
at least in his 70's.

References to the above:

A Comprehensive Guide to the Eagle Scout. 1992. Terry Grove.
History of the Eagle Scout Badge. 1985. Philip Olson. In Scout
Memorabilia, Vol 20, No. 3.
Boy Scouts of America, Official Handbook. 1910.
Boy Scouts of America, Handbook for Boys. 1911. June 13, 1911 Edition.
Boy Scouts of America, Handbook for Boys. 1911. August 31, 1911 Edition.

More Eagle stuff than you ever wanted to know, and then some.

By the way, the library at Philmont is great! Unfortunately, those pesky
things known as "Treks," or "Training" get in the way of library research
while you are there :-). Have a great trip!

YiS

Dave McCullough
Mccecolsys@aol.com

Boulder Dam Area Council
Las Vegas, Nevada

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