Eagle Court of Honor Claim

[Oak Tree]

At the last Eagle Court of Honor I attended, several people made the claim that only a small percentage, about 3% or 4%, of Scouts earn Eagle. But I see from the annual report that there are less than 1 million Scouts, and over 50,000 Eagles in 2004, so that means that 5% of the Scouts earned the award **in this one year**. But of those million Scouts, surely there will be more Eagles next year, and more the year after that.

 

Without knowing how many of these Scouts are new each year, I don't have enough information to know what the actual percentage is. But if the average boy is registered for only two years, that would still mean that over 10% of Scouts earn Eagle. If the average boy is registered for three years, with 333,333 new Scouts each year, that would mean that 15% (50,000/333,333) of boys earn Eagle.

 

So I ask you this, what percentage of Scouts do you think earn Eagle? Does National report this? And why do so many people believe the number is smaller?

 

Oak Tree

[Hunt]

The idea has always been that a small percentage of boys who join Scouting will eventually become Eagle. While I think that's still true, there are a couple of questions I would ask:

1. What percentage of boys who are still members of a troop or crew at age 18 are Eagles? I'll bet it's a pretty large percentage, perhaps more than half. I think the main reason a boy doesn't make Eagle is that he drops out earlier.

2. As total enrollment in Scouting has dropped, has retention gone down or up? Perhaps those who join Scouts are more likely to stay in Scouts than before.

These factors could explain an increase in the percentage of Scouts becoming Eagles, even if there is no weakening of Eagle standards.

[Bob White]

The actual figure in 2004 was just under 5%, and it was the highest percentage in the BSA history. For the past 30 years it has fluctuated in the 3% to 4% range.

[dsteele]

Perhaps you're dividing by the wrong number. When the statistic includes all boys who join Scouting, I read that to mean that it includes those who may join the Cub Scouts, but who never move on to a troop. Therefore you can not divide by Boy Scout membership at year end to arrive at a percentage.

 

I think the percentage of Boy Scouts who achieve the rank of Eagle is a different figure than the percentage of all boys who join Scouting achieving the rank.

 

Unc.

[OldGreyEagle]

lets see, 3, 4, 5 percent all mentioned and not really clear what or how the numbers are arrived at, the interesting thing, at least to me, is the notion that the Eagle Scout requirements are so watered down and there are "Eagle Mills" out there giving away the Eagle rank "like candy". Yet with the most liberal number of 15%, that means 85% dont earn Eagle. yet we have so many here who worry about desecrating the rank, not sure why

[Hunt]

I was trying to think of a way to develop statistics that might help tell you if getting the Eagle rank has really gotten easier. Perhaps you could look at how many boys leave scouting with the rank of Life as opposed to how many did so 20 years ago or whatever.

But however you slice it, even if more boys are making Eagle now than did in the past, that just may mean that the boys who are joining scouting and staying in now are, on the average, more serious about it.

[cajuncody]

I can only give you my district numbers that were read at our district banquet. For the last complete scouting year we had 1800 scouts and of them 17 received Eagle which was explained by the man with the numbers at 1.7%.

Not sure if the numbers include cubbies or not. Just what was said.

Kristi

[scoutldr]

OGE, perhaps the "Eagle Mills" out there are balanced by the units who never produce an Eagle because they are holding tight to the standards. In my mind, it's not the number of Eagles produced, but the number of Eagles who decide to earn it and then do so on their own, showing initiative, proficiency and determination. I am an Eagle, but my own two sons aged out at Star and Life, respectively. Making Eagle was not their highest priority and I refused to interfere with their decisions by threatening, pleading, reminding, or doing it for them. They both now have their college degrees and are successful young adults...but they did it on their own terms, not mine.