Eagle Question for the Advancement Gurus

[Eagle74]

"All requirements for Eagle Scout must be completed before a candidate's 18th birthday. The Eagle Scout board of review can be held after the candidate's 18th birthday."*

further

"All the work on the project must be done while the candidate is a Life Scout and before the candidate's 18th birthday"*

Question: Must the final paperwork for the Eagle project be complete prior to the 18th birthday? In other words must the workbook be complete and signed? Specifically the hour tally, material tally, statement of project changes, photos of completed project, etc. part of the Eagle Project Workbook?

To start the discussion, view #1 would be that the workbook cannot be signed off as "project completed" by the project organization rep and the SM until the workbook is complete. Therefore the project requirement (req 5)would not be complete without the completed workbook and signatures, as needed (prior to 18th birthday).

View #2 is that the "work" on the project must be complete before the 18th birthday. Then, "Upon completion of the project, a detailed report must be submitted with the Scout's Eagle application to include the following items . . ."* Hence, the project has reached "completion" if the physical work is done. The Board of Review is reponsible for determining the final approval/acceptance of the project. Therefore the final paperwork is simply a part of the application packet that can be forwarded for the Board of Review, which may take place after the 18th birthday.

*Boy Scout Requirements, 2004 ed.

[OldGreyEagle]

In the Council I serve, the completed Eagle application and Eagle project workbook needs to be signed and submitted to the Council Office by the scouts 18th birthday. Or the last day poosible is when the scout is 17 years and 364 days old.

[scoutldr]

Writing up the final report of the project is part of the "work".

[John-in-KC]

My Council will let the app go in after the 18th birthday, but everything to the Scoutmaster Conference must be done by the day before the 18th birthday.

[FScouter]

The requirements must be completed before age 18. Requirements include writing the workbook, getting signatures, and turning in the application. Only the BoR may be completed after 18.

[Mike F]

First critical timing is SM Conference, which must be completed before 18th birthday. (My #1 son was very active all the way through, but intentionally slid in with 3 hours to spare.)

 

SM Conference cannot be accomplished until Project (Req #5) is completed - including the workbook with all required signatures. Workbook is part of the project.

 

(In theory, some might argue that nothing says the SM Conf must wait until all other requirements are complete. Instead of splitting hairs, just think of it as all "requirements", except the BoR, must be completed before the clock strikes midnight. Project, including approved workbook, is Req #5. SM Conf is Req #6.)

 

Second critical timing is Board of Review. BoR must be completed within 90 days (or maybe 60 - I don't have reference in front of me) of the SM Conf. This gives scout and system more than enough time to collect reference letters and schedule the board. This is the only requirement which does not have to be completed prior to 18th birthday and this is because the letters and BoR schedule are not all within direct control of the scout.

[EagleInKY]

Mike, I have seen that they are more flexible with the timing of the BOR. While there is a deadline, national will waive it for a variety of reasons (going off to college, military, etc.). For example, there was a lad in our district that went off to Basic Training shortly after his 18th birthday. He didn't have his BOR until he was nearly 19. I think he had a good excuse, though.

[nldscout]

If your council is imposing a date to turn in application prior to 18th birthday and denying a scout a BOR even though the application is signed prior to his birthday then the council is wrong and will be overturned on appeal.

[Eagle74]

Thanks everyone for the input; additional posts would still be appreciated.

 

Yes, this is another "death-bed" Eagle situation. Scout just finished physical work on project and has only a week til 18th birthday. Although a sufficiently motivated candidate should be able to finish the paperwork with a little time to spare - so to speak - and the SM would accomodate the "urgent" need for a conference within the remaining final days/hours, there is some doubt that the candidate will make it. So the question has arisen whether or not the workbook itself must be complete or can be handed in (completed)after the birthday along with the application, and whether or not the conference can take place without the finished workbook (completed workbook handed in after-the-fact).

 

Additional question raised by replies:

Is there documentation stating that the application must be complete and submitted before the 18th birthday?

 

Troop and District Advancement Chairs initial thoughts are that the Workbook must be totally complete prior to birthday (but application submittal does not), but they are checking further to be sure. These specific questions haven't come up in the past.

[FScouter]

"Is there documentation stating that the application must be complete and submitted before the 18th birthday? "

 

Turning this around, is there any documentation stating that any Eagle requirements other than the BoR may be completed after 18 ??

[Kaji]

Up to six months after they turn 18 you can hold the board if everything else (workbook included) was done befor their 18th birthday. After 6 months, a petition needs to be placed with National to be able to hold the board, with an explanation for the delay (which to my understanding, unless you got called up for military duty right when you turned 18 or something like that, they'll generally turn down...).

 

Amusing the things we found out when my little brother decided to literally finish his eagle in the 11th hour...

[Eagle74]

Update:

 

Troop Advancement Chair indicates that scout must complete all requirements, complete workbook with sign-offs, and complete application (with the exception of the "life statement") prior to 18th b'day.

 

District Advancement Chair and his primary assistant agree with that position.

 

Interesting though is that during a recent University of Scouting session the Council Advancement Chair made a comment that all requirements, project, and project workbook must be completed by 18th b'day, but the application does not.

[BSAMustang]

why is the Life statement allowed to be late? I've held 53 Eagle SMCs, always with the expectation that all the requirements had been finished.

 

Latest Eagle Letter from NESA had article that stated the First Eagle scout's son finished his Eagle at the last days. Should start a list of last minute Eagles... also "Life for lifers" (those dads that never finished as a scout)(need a patch)

[Eagle74]

Update 2:

Candidate handed in all paperwork (without life statement) less than three hours before deadline. Advancement Chair advised him that his Board cannot be scheduled until the life statement is received - the longer he waits, the more it eats into the 90 days during which the Board of Review must take place. Gasp! Gasp! :

[dan]

What is a Life Statement?