PinkFloyd 10 Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Yikes! I was just informed that as SM, there will be a time set aside for me for comments at an Eagle ceremony this coming weekend. I am new to scouting and have never attended an Eagle ceremony. My brain is dead and refusing to cooperate. Any ideas for such a momentous occasion would be tremendously appreciated! Thanks in advance for any suggestions, ideas, or comments! Link to post Share on other sites
mk9750 11 Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 PF, If I read you right, you're concerned about having to make comments because you are new in your Troop. Do I have that right? If that's the issue, I can see your concern. At least in our Troop, the words of the SM have always been stories about his relationship with the new Eagle. After 5 - 7 years together, our SM always has many great things to say about a new Eagle Scout. Most are funny, some are very inspirational, and all leave the entire audience, but especially the Eagle and his parents, with very warm memories of the boy's career in our Troop. If you're new as SM, you may lack some of this backround, making it tough to develop a few stories. If it were me, I think I'd make a big effort to contact the old SM, some of the Scout's best buddies, maybe people he may have been on staff with at events, anything like that, to get a nice picture of who the boy is as a Scout, then develop a short speech to talk about the boy's Scouting achievements. Over time, I'm sure you'll get to know the guys better as they make their way to Eagle. As you do, you'll develop your own library of stories to pull from to help make the new Eagle's evening even more memorable. Good luck!! Mark Link to post Share on other sites
Eagledad 2779 Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 I used the opportunity to tell the audience, specifically the parents, stories of their son actions as an Eagle in the troop. I included humorous stories and stories that brought tears to show the human side of the scout. Sometimes these ceremonies can be pretty dry, so I tried to get the audience to relax so the could feel my heart speaking. I wanted the parents to understand why I felt their son was an Eagle. Most of the guest watching the ceremony are there to celebrate the scouts honor. But few of them really understand the honor and why this scout deserves it. Your heart will warm the words that paint a small picture for them. I am always honored to be ask to speak on behalf of a Scout. Its a blessed reward for giving an hour a week. And I love this scouting stuff so much. Have a wonderful evening with your first Eagle Pinkfloyd. Barry Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 I loved doing this when I was the SM! I always related stories about the Eagle! Good ones naturally! Since you might not know that much about the Scout since this is your 1st one, I would talk to the other leaders & Scouts in your Troop & get some details that way. Enjoy it! Smile a lot! It's a great time! Ed Mori 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
KoreaScouter 13 Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 PF: If you PM me with an e-mail address, I can send you one I used about a year ago for a lad I wasn't with through most of his Scouting career. I received good reviews on it. You may feel free to use it as is, or make it your own by changing it. KS Link to post Share on other sites
PinkFloyd 10 Posted February 26, 2004 Author Share Posted February 26, 2004 KoreaScouter...have sent PM's to you w/ no response...hope all is well. Link to post Share on other sites
OldGreyEagle 5 Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 A tactic I have seen with good results would be to find out the date the scout joined the troop and then do some research as to the top news stories of the day, which sports team was hot, which movie was number one, which singer had the number one song. It generally take 4-5 years or so to earn Eagle and kids have a way of thinking what was 3 years ago is sooooo old. It might be refreshing to bring back the environment the scout started off in scouting in. What were the top rated shows, who were rookies of the year in sports the scout follows. You can fill quite a bit of time, be very interesting and you dont have to say much about the scout except the dates he joined, made first class, etc and tie in the world events. Link to post Share on other sites
Bob White 20 Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 I would be honest. Tell the audience how even to you are new to scouting you understand the importance of this occasion and the of the Eagle Award. Tell them how you feel about being in a program that develops scouts to this degree and that you hope tonight has benn as meaningfull to the Eagle scout and his family as it has been for you to be able to be a part of it. Relax, you will be fine. Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Very often I am invited to attend Eagle Scout Court of Honors'. While I really do try to know all the Scouts in the District. I don't know that much about most of them. Most of the time someone will just acknowledge the fact that I'm there and I can just munch away on the cookies and slurp the bug juice. However every now and then they expect me to say something. I do normally ask before the event if they are going to do this foolishness. By the time they get to me the bit about being a marked man has been voiced many times. Sometimes way too often to my way of thinking. If I don't know the Scout I turn it around and talk to the other troop members and how they all have the opportunity to follow the example that has been set at times I follow this up with the page from the Scout Handbook that outlines what Scouting promises the Scouts. Of course I'm not the Scoutmaster and those who have posted that words from the heart are the best are right on the money. Eamonn Link to post Share on other sites
Scoutmaster Ron 12 Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 I'm new to this one and have never attended an ECOH, who plans it? is dinner usually served? How many speakers do you usually have? Link to post Share on other sites
PinkFloyd 10 Posted February 27, 2004 Author Share Posted February 27, 2004 SM Ron, the ceremony is planned by the parents of the Eagle Scout. Ours is being held at that family's church, with refreshments to follow in the fellowship hall. The mother of the scout is about to go nuts....I told her it was like she was trying to plan a wedding...lol. The good news is that the former SM has just agreed to attend and speak also...the bad news is that now I don't know what I'll do or say! Link to post Share on other sites
mk9750 11 Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Ron, I'm sure that if you asked 1000 Troops how they do their Eagle ceremonies, you'd get 1000 answers, and everyone one of them is right. Ultimately, the best way to do it is how your Troop comes up with how to do it. In an effort to get you stsrted with some ideas, here's how ours go: First, this is a night for the Eagle and his family, so, ecxept for the Eagle Charge (Eammon's reference to being a marked man is the keystone of our Eagle Charge), the night is planned by a group that includes the Eagle, the family, the SM and me (advancement chair). Pretty much whatever the family wants, we do. They pick the date (we tell them to chose a date at least 8 weeks later than the Board of Review), they pick the venue (the family's church is the most common, but we have also done them at a BSA camp, at a local nature preserve, and outside) the ceremony (we have three stock ceremonies, but we've had families write original ceremonies themselves), and the social afterward. We ask the mother of the Scout who is most likely to make Eagle next to be the this Eagle's mom assistant. That gives here an oppurtunity to see what must get done, to understand the pitfalls, and get an idea what goes into the process. These mom's usually recruit one other mom to help, and all families are asked to bring a pot luck appetizer or dessert, although our most recent decided they wanted a full sit down meal. Most of the ceremonies go something like this: Flag ceremony, a welcome, History of the Eagle Scout Award, the candidate's Scouting history, including a description of his Eagle project and other community service work done, the Eagle charge, the awarding of the Eagle badge, The new Eagle presenting his parents with their pins and tie tacks (these all come in a kit that our Council provides. I get the impression this might be a local thing, but I really don't know), then each Patrol usually comes up, says a humorous story or two, presents the Eagle with a token gift (these are sometimes gag gifts, sometimes memento type stuff), then the SM speaks, the Eagle's parents speak, then the Scout speaks. A closing flag ceremony, and then the social. Our ceremony takes 1:15 to 1:30, and the social usually lasts another hour or so. Hope this helps, but remember, I believe that the family should be the driving force in how the evening goes. The entire Troop should be ready to support them, but it's his, and their, night. Keep Troop traditions in mind, but, if it were me, the family would plan most everything. Mark Link to post Share on other sites
cliffgolden 10 Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 We include the Eagle presentation as the highlight of a troop COH. We start the Eagle presentation with a few words about the Eagle traditions within our troop, followed by lighting a candle for each Eagle presented dating from 1930. The Eagle's name and year is announced as each candle is lit. If present, they stand as their name is called. All those flickering candles look pretty impressive. We ask any other Eagles present to stand. I talk about Eagle as being always; it's never you WERE an Eagle Scout, you will always be an Eagle Scout. The Eagle candidate is escorted to the stage by two of our newest Scouts, a thrill for the new guys and to emphasize how far our Eagle has come since he was a new guy. I talk about the Eagle Candidate, his Cub days, as a young Scout, leadership, awards, various adventures, with a few good stories that define his persona. I include some heartfelt words about how I've seen him grow through the program. His parents are escorted to the stage. I present the Eagle award to the mother, who then presents it to her son. The Eagle presents the other pins to his parents. Eagle Oath, Eagle Charge, Eagle comments, etc. The Eagle lights his Eagle candle, which he takes home afterwards. A duplicate Eagle candle will be purchased to light in future Eagle COHs. One year we had the 5th son of a family earn Eagle. At least one brother had been in the troop for each of the past 19 years. The mother had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. We opened the program with 12 Scouts each coming forward with a rose and describing a point of the Scout Law. After his talk, he left his rose in a vase. After 12 Scouts had completed the Scout Law, the SPL called the mother forward and presented the vase of 12 roses to her, explaining they symbolized the ideals that for 19 years she had supported for her sons and all the Scouts in the troop. Her cancer is now in remission and her oldest grandson is a 2nd year Scout in our troop with another grandson in Cubs heading our way. She still attends our COHs. Whatever you do for your Eagle Scout at his COR, just make it sincere and the rest will fall into place. Cliff Golden Link to post Share on other sites
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