Eagle Scout rank

1. Boys joining on or after  Jan. 1, 2016  MUST use the new requirements.
2. Boys who have joined prior to Jan. 1, 2016:
   • Who are working on the Scout badge MAY continue to work on the existing requirements, but MUST convert to the new requirements upon completion of the Scout rank (it will be a true rank at that point).
   • Who are working on Tenderfoot through First Class MAY continue to work on the existing requirements, but MUST convert to the new requirements upon attaining First Class.
   • Who have completed First Class MAY complete the rank they are currently working on in the existing requirements, but then MUST convert to the new requirements for subsequent ranks.
3. As of 01 Jan 2017, all Scouts MUST use the new requirements regardless of rank.

Eagle Scout rank requirements

2015 requirements

1. Be active in your troop, team, crew, or ship for a period of at least six months after you have achieved the rank of Life Scout.
2. Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your daily life. List on your Eagle Scout Rank Application the names of individuals who know you personally and would be willing to provide a recommendation on your behalf, including parents/guardians, religious, educational, and employer references.
3. Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following:

   a. First Aid

   b. Citizenship in the Community

   c. Citizenship in the Nation

   d. Citizenship in the World

   e. Communication

   f. Cooking

   g. Personal Fitness

   h. Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving*

   i. Environmental Science OR Sustainability*

   j. Personal Management

   k. Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling*

   l. Camping, and

   m. Family Life*

   * You must choose only one merit badge listed in items h, i, and k. If you have earned more than one of the badges listed in items h, i, and/or k, choose one and list the remaining badges to make your total of 21.

4. While a Life Scout, serve actively in your unit for a period of six months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility.** List only those positions served after your Life board of review date.

   ** Assistant patrol leader and bugler are not approved positions of responsibility for the Eagle Scout rank. Likewise, a unit leader–assigned leadership project should not be used in lieu of serving in a position of responsibility.

5. While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project should benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) The project proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your unit leader and unit committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 521-927, in meeting this requirement. (To learn more about the Eagle Scout service project, see the Guide To Advancement, topics 9.0.2.0 through 9.0.2.15.)
6. Take part in a unit leader conference.
7. Successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review***. In preparation for your board of review, prepare and attach to your Eagle Scout Rank Application a statement of your ambitions and life purpose and a listing of positions held in your religious institution, school, camp, community, or other organizations, during which you demonstrated leadership skills. Include honors and awards received during this service. (This requirement may be met after age 18; see below.)

***If a Scout believes he has completed all requirements for Eagle, but is denied a unit signature or a Scoutmaster conference, he may request a board of review under disputed circumstances in accordance with Guide to Advancement, topic 8.0.3.2. If the board of review does not approve the Scout’s advancement, the decision may be appealed in accordance with Guide to Advancement, topic 8.0.4.0. Although rarely granted, if a Scout foresees that, due to no fault or choice of his own, he will be unable to complete the Eagle Scout rank requirements before age 18, he may apply for a limited time extension in accordance with 3 topic 9.0.4.0.

Official notes (part of the rank requirements)

As of Jan. 1, 2014, the Cooking merit badge is required for the Eagle Scout rank.

For Varsity Scouts working on Boy Scout requirements, replace "troop" with "team" and "Scoutmaster" with "Varsity Scout Coach." For Venturers working on Boy Scout requirements, replace "troop" with "crew" and "Scoutmaster" with "Crew Advisor." For Sea Scouts working on Boy Scout requirements, replace "troop" with "ship" and "Scoutmaster" with "Skipper."

AGE REQUIREMENT ELIGIBILITY. Merit badges, badges of rank, and Eagle Palms may be earned by a registered Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer. He may earn these awards until his 18th birthday. Any Venturer who achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout in a troop or Varsity Scout in a team may continue working up to his 18th birthday toward the Star, Life, and Eagle Scout ranks and Eagle Palms. An Eagle Scout board of review may occur, without special approval, within three months after the 18th birthday. Local councils must preapprove those held three to six months afterward. To initiate approval, the candidate, his parent or guardian, the unit leader, or a unit committee member attaches to the application a statement explaining the delay. Consult the Guide To Advancement in the case where a board of review is to be conducted more than six months after a candidate’s 18th birthday.

If you have a permanent physical or mental disability, or a disability expected to last more than two years, or beyond age 18, you may become an Eagle Scout by qualifying for as many required merit badges as you can and qualifying for alternative merit badges for the rest. If you seek to become an Eagle Scout under this procedure, you must submit a special application to your local council service center. Your application must be approved by your council advancement committee before you can work on alternative merit badges.

Main article: Eagle Scout Rank - Alternate Requirements

A Scout or Venturer with a disability may work toward rank advancement after he is 18 years of age if he meets the guidelines outlined in the Guide To Advancement.

2016 requirements

1. Be active in your troop^[2] for at least six months as a Life Scout.
2. As a Life Scout, demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Tell how you have done your duty to God and how you have lived the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your everyday life, and how your understanding of the Scout Oath and Scout Law will guide your life in the future. List on your Eagle Scout Rank Application the names of individuals who know you personally and would be willing to provide a recommendation on your behalf, including parents/guardians, religious (if not affiliated with an organized religion, then the parent or guardian provides this reference), educational, employer (if employed), and two other references.
3. Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than required for the Life rank), including these 13 merit badges: (a) [[First Aid], (b) Citizenship in the Community, (c) Citizenship in the Nation, (d) Citizenship in the World, (e) Communication, (f) Cooking, (g) Personal Fitness, (h) Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, (i) Environmental Science OR Sustainability, (j) Personal Management, (k) Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling, (l) Camping, and (m) Family Life.

   You must choose only one of the merit badges listed in categories h, i, and k. Any additional merit badge(s) earned in those categories may be counted as one of your eight optional merit badges used to make your total of 21.

   	Name of merit badge	Date Earned
   (Eagle required)
   (Eagle required)
   (Eagle required)
   (Eagle required)
   (Eagle required)

4. While a Life Scout, serve actively in your troop^[2] for six months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility:
   • Boy Scout troop. Patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, senior patrol leader, troop guide, Order of the Arrow troop representative, den chief, scribe, librarian, historian, quartermaster, junior assistant Scoutmaster, chaplain aide, instructor, webmaster, or outdoor ethics guide.^[3]
   • Varsity Scout team. Captain, cocaptain, program manager, squad leader, team secretary, Order of the Arrow team representative, librarian, historian, quartermaster, chaplain aide, instructor, den chief, webmaster, or outdoor ethics guide.
   • Venturing crew/Sea Scout ship. President, vice president, secretary, treasurer, den chief, quartermaster, historian, guide, boatswain, boatswain’s mate, yeoman, purser, storekeeper, or webmaster.
   • Lone Scout. Leadership responsibility in your school, religious organization, club, or elsewhere in your community.
5. While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project must benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) A project proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your unit leader and unit committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 512-927, in meeting this requirement. (To learn more about the Eagle Scout service project, see the Guide to Advancement, topics 9.0.2.0 through 9.0.2.15.)
6. While a Life Scout, participate in a Scoutmaster^[2] conference.
7. Successfully complete your board of review for the Eagle rank.^[4] In preparation for your board of review, prepare and attach to your Eagle Scout Rank Application a statement of your ambitions and life purpose and a listing of positions held in your religious institution, school, camp, community, or other organizations, during which you demonstrated leadership skills. Include honors and awards received during this service. (This requirement may be met after age 18, in accordance with Guide to Advancement topic 8.0.3.1.)^[5]

Footnotes

1. ↑ [Guide to Advancement - 4.2.1.4 The Scout Is Recognized]
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2}
   • For Varsity Scouts working on Boy Scout requirements, replace “troop” with “team” and “Scoutmaster” with “Varsity Scout Coach.”
   • For Venturers working on Boy Scout requirements, replace “troop” with “crew” and “Scoutmaster” with “Crew Advisor.”
   • For Sea Scouts working on Boy Scout requirements, replace “troop” with “ship” and “Scoutmaster” with “Skipper.”
3. ↑ Assistant patrol leader and bugler are not approved positions of responsibility for the Eagle Scout rank. Likewise, a unit leader–assigned leadership project should not be used in lieu of serving in a position of responsibility
4. ↑
   • If a Scout believes he has completed all requirements for the Eagle Scout rank but is denied a board of review, he may request a board of review under disputed circumstances in accordance with Guide to Advancement topic 8.0.3.2.
   • If the board of review does not approve the Scout’s advancement, the decision may be appealed in accordance with Guide to Advancement topic 8.0.4.0.
   • If a Scout foresees that, due to no fault or choice of his own, he will be unable to complete the Eagle Scout rank requirements before age 18, he may apply for a limited time extension in accordance with Guide to Advancement topic 9.0.4.0. Time extensions are rarely granted.
5. ↑ Merit badges, badges of rank, and Eagle Palms may be earned by a registered Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or a qualified Venturer or Sea Scout. He may earn these awards until his 18th birthday. Any Venturer or Sea Scout who has achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout in a troop or Varsity Scout in a team may continue working up to his 18th birthday toward the Star, Life, and Eagle Scout ranks and Eagle Palms. An Eagle Scout board of review may occur, without special approval, within three months after the 18th birthday. Local councils must preapprove those held three to six months afterward. To initiate approval, the candidate, his parent or guardian, the unit leader, or a unit committee member attaches to the application a statement explaining the delay. Consult the Guide to Advancement, topic 8.0.3.1, in the case where a board of review is to be conducted more than six months after a candidate’s 18th birthday. If you have a permanent physical or mental disability, or a disability expected to last more than two years, or beyond age 18, you may become an Eagle Scout by qualifying for as many required merit badges as you can and qualifying for alternative merit badges for the rest. If you seek to become an Eagle Scout under this procedure, you must submit a special application to your local council service center. Your application must be approved by your council advancement committee before you can work on alternative merit badges. A Scout or Venturer with a disability may also qualify to work toward rank advancement after he is 18 years of age if he meets the guidelines outlined in section 10 of the Guide to Advancement.

The official source for the information shown in this article or section is: Boy Scout Requirements, 2016 Edition (BSA Supply SKU #621535)