The requirements for Eagle Palms have changed. Boards of Review are gone, and there are more ways that you can meet leadership and participation requirements. But the single most important change for Eagle candidates is the opportunity to be instantly awarded palms for your additional merit badges at your Eagle Scout Board of Review.
Yes, that’s right! That is the one opportunity to avoid a three-month requirement for an Eagle Palm. That means you earn one palm at your Eagle Board of Review for every 5 merit badges you have earned beyond the 21 required for Eagle Scout rank. I recently conducted an Eagle Board of Review for a Scout who earned a bronze, gold, silver and another bronze palm (he had earned 44 merit badges.) You can read all the requirements here.
This is wonderful news for Eagle candidates who are approaching their 18th birthdays. They will now be recognized for their past merit badge ambitions.
So you may want to consider taking stock of your merit badges before your Eagle Board of Review. Ask the Advancement Coordinator in your unit for a “Member Unit Advancement Summary.” This is a report from the BSA database that will list every merit badge that your have earned. You just might be one merit badge away from one or more Eagle Palms!
“Oh, the possibilities!”
Coach Hunt