Go For The Eagle by Nancy and Dean Hoch

Go for the Eagle Book Review

by Mark Ray
Senior Writer, Author of the Eagle Court of Honor Handbook

When I was a district executive, I often met men who hadn’t quite made it to Eagle. It seemed that every one of them remembered exactly why he’d missed the goal: "I only needed two more merit badges," "I just couldn’t pass Lifesaving," "I ran out of time before I could finish my Eagle project."

There’s no doubt that becoming an Eagle Scout is a huge undertaking. In researching The Eagle Court of Honor Book, I calculated that a boy must complete about 325 different requirements to earn Scouting’s highest rank. Completing those requirements takes not only motivation on the boy’s part, but also the support of his parents and Scout leaders.

And it takes a plan.

That’s where Go for the Eagle comes in. This 142-page book helps Scouts plan their journey to Eagle, from the day they join Scouting to the day they receive the Eagle badge and beyond. The authors, Nancy and Dean Hoch know their stuff—in fact, they wrote the book after helping their five sons become Eagle Scouts!

Some of the book’s best material deals with the Eagle service project. The Hoches explain how to select a project, how to plan it, how to recruit volunteers, and how to document the project. The list of "seven easy steps" to writing the final project report is the best summary of this process that I’ve seen.

Other chapters detail how to prepare for the Eagle board of review, how to plan a court of honor, and some of the long-term benefits of being an Eagle Scout. The book includes several planning checklists, as well as samples of advancement records, press releases, and more.

Go for the Eagle is written specifically for Boy Scouts, but it’s also a valuable resource for parents and Scoutmasters. Although the advice in the book is timeless, the new edition reflects current BSA policies and procedures.