While we hope that every boy who joins Troop 46 aspires to earn their Eagle Rank, we recognize that many different youth and families come to Scouting for many different reasons.  With that said, the Scoutmaster Team and Committee of Troop 46 work together with parents to provide inspired, encouraging leadership opportunities, to foster opportunities for growth, and most importantly, to work toward the Rank of Eagle while working hard and enjoying the journey.

Those who are Life Scouts will want to review this page and some of the tips listed here.  Whether you are soon to be a Life Scout, have been for a while, or are just looking ahead, you should already start contemplating how you can help your community by completing your Eagle Project.

What does that entail?  For each scout, the individual steps are going to be very different from every other scout.  Regardless, the project should be some project that your are interested in or for an organization or group about which you are passionate.  Maybe it is your church, or the local VFW because your family has active military personnel.  It could be your school, or the community in which you live.  Maybe you love to run trails and you really want to fix up one of the area trails.  Or you are passionate about helping others learn about history and create a historic trail for the county conservation.  Regardless of what your project ends up looking like, you need to be connected to the idea.

Here are some Steps from Project Planning to Final Eagle Rank application.

1. Download the most current version of the "BSA Eagle Project Workbook."  We do not provide a link here as the links sometimes change, however, you can search it and the most recent will be at the top.

2. Read all the instructions in the workbook and ask questions of your Scoutmaster Team and Committee Members, including older scouts who have already traveled the path to Eagle.

3. Schedule a sit down meeting with one or more of the Scoutmaster Team to discuss your ideas.  They have seen projects approved, returned for alternations, and not approved.  Trust their input and their suggestions.  They will be most hard on you so that when you present your final project to the Kittan Eagle Board of Review, it will be a piece of cake.  The Scoutmaster Team will help you determine a specific path and steps to take for your project.

4. The part of the project that gets scouts hung up more than anything is the paperwork.  The paperwork is not hard, but it is very important and you simply need to set aside uninterrupted time to work on it.  The benefit to the workbook now is that it is a fillable PDF and allows you to put everything in one document.  Do not hesitate to save it and email it to your Mentor and Scoutmaster for review and copy editing.  Fill out as much of the entire workbook that you can before and during your project.

5. Turn in your Proposal ASAP.  The Kittan Eagle Board of Review only meets once every 1-2 months.  As soon as you turn in your proposal, send an email to, a text to, and leave a message for the Kittan Eagle Board of Review Committee Chair letting the Chairperson know that you have turned in your project proposal.  A great practice is to email a copy of your PDF to the Chairperson as well.  Certainly, this pdf will not have the signatures on it, but it can be easily emailed to other members of the Eagle Board for review and approval. Let your Scoutmaster know the day you drop off your proposal so that your Scoutmaster can help you keep track of where it is in process. You can find this contact information listed under the Kittan District Link at www.illowabsa.org. 

6. Don't just sit back and wait for approval.  Continue working as if your project is going to be approved.  Gather more information, schedule fundraisers, continue conversations with the beneficiary organization, schedule work days, etc.

7. Schedule a time to sit down with the Awards and Advancements Chair and a Scoutmaster to review where you are in the Merit Badge completion process.  While you have a minimum of 21 Merit Badges to complete for your Eagle Rank, you should not leave incomplete Merit Badges hanging out there as all merit badges earned above and beyond 21 convert to Eagle Palm opportunities.  Regardless, you do not want anything left hanging at the end with regard to your Merit Badges, leadership positions, or record-keeping in general.

8. Download the "BSA Eagle Application" as well.  Read through the instructions and begin compiling the information to complete the Eagle Application.  All dates of completion for ranks, merit badges, and leadership positions can be found here, on Troop Track under your account.

9. On the Eagle Application, Requirement 2 asks you to list 5 people you are going to ask to provide a recommendation.  While it does not specify, the intent and expectation is that these people will provide a written letter of recommendation on your behalf.  Click the link below to a document you can use when asking people to write a letter of recommendation for you for your Eagle Application.  You must have 3 recommendations before your application is considered complete.  ASK FIVE PEOPLE to ensure you receive THREE recommendations.  It will not count against you if you have more than three.

Eagle_Scout_Candidate_Letter_of_Recommendation.8460648.pdf

10. On the BSA Eagle Application, under the "Certification of Applicant" in bold typing is a requirement to attach a LETTER OF INTENT.  This is your opportunity to share your experiences in scouting and to convince the Eagle Board of Review that you have grown in your journey through scouting, that you have lived the Scout Oath and the Scout Law to the best of your abilities every day.  There is no requirement for length, but if you type it in a letter format, addressed to the Kittan Eagle Board of Review and try to follow a basic 5 paragraph essay format, you will never have any issues.  Like all other paperwork, have someone copy edit your letter before you print and sign the final copy.

11. This is the most important step.  Please plan ahead and do not give your Scoutmaster a heart attack trying to help you get your paperwork turned in by midnight of your 18th birthday.  While the Eagle Rank is just as prestigious whether it is earned at 14 or 17 years, 11 months, 29 days, 11 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds, remember that a lack of planning on your part does not make for an emergency on anyone else's part.  If you need help with motivation, your Scoutmaster Team would LOVE to help light fires for you and encourage to you keep on going.  All you need to do is ask.

Once everything is turned in, it is a waiting game.  The Eagle Board representative will contact you to schedule an Eagle Board of Review.  There are not many opportunities in a month to schedule this, you may need to consider not attending something else to participate in this month's Eagle Board of Review opportunity.  Plan for at least 2 hours and by all that is Scout-like, do not forget to let your Scoutmaster and Mentor know when your Eagle Board of Review is scheduled, because they will want to be there with you and your family.

Know this, if your Scoutmaster has signed all the necessary paperwork for you to turn in, that means that you have been deemed ready.  Your Scoutmaster is confident in your growth, learning, commitment, and decision to live daily by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.  There is nothing to worry about in regards to the Eagle Board of Review at that point.

Eagle Board of Review

 The Eagle Scout Board of Review is also a very important part of the process to become an Eagle Scout. During the board of review, the Life Scout must explain to adults, including those representing the local Council, how he became a scout, what he has done while a scout, how Scouting has helped him in areas outside of Scouting, and how he sought, planned, carried out, and reviewed his service project. It is an indicator of the scout's communication, leadership, and self confidence skills. The scout must do this himself; neither his parents nor his Scoutmaster is allowed to be present during the actual board of review.

  Requirements for the Eagle Scout Board of Review:
    1. Class "A" scout uniform.
    2. Merit badge sash. (The Order of the Arrow sash is not worn over top, this is not an OA event.)
    3. Scout handbook.
    4. Recite the Scout Oath, Scout Law, and the Outdoor Code.
   
  Eagle Board of Reviews are scheduled at the scout office approximately every two weeks.

Congratulations of considering earning your Eagle Rank.  The Scoutmaster Team and Troop Committee are excited to help you along your journey.  Good Luck!