When can an Eagle Scout wear the patch?

[gwd-scouter]

I'm hoping someone on this forum can point me to an official statement or document that has the answer this this question.

 

Last night one of our Scouts had his BOR for Eagle. Afterwards, when we were congratulating him on becoming an Eagle, our District Advancement Chairman said that he wasn't yet an Eagle Scout until he received approval from National.

 

I mentioned that I thought he was an Eagle after successful completion of his BOR. If a Troop uses Troopmaster software, for instance, when an advancement report is printed, it shows the Eagle award without having to put a date in for National approval.

 

Have also read so many threads on the forum about presenting the Eagle patch to a Scout so that he may wear it while waiting to arrange for his Court of Honor.

 

So, what is the real answer? Can a Scout wear the Eagle Patch before his approval from National, or does he have to wait?

 

 

(This message has been edited by gwd-scouter)

[Gold Winger]

Just like a lower rank isn't official until the advancement report is turned in, Eagle isn't official until approved by National. However, in both cases the date of rank is the date of the BOR.

 

 

[acco40]

What Gold Winger stated is correct. The Eagle accoutrements (patch, medal, pins, etc.) are controlled items so unless some underhanded shenanigans goes on, the advancement chair should not have an Eagle patch on hand to give out until the paperwork comes back to the Scoutmaster from the national council.

 

Our district advancement chair, however, makes it a point to tell a Scout, if he has passed his EBOR, that if anyone asks, he may immediately tell everyone he is an Eagle Scout.

[ScoutNut]

Per Step #12 of "The 12 Steps from Life to Eagle" on the back of the "Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook" -

 

"The (National) Eagle Scout Service screens the application to ascertain information such as proper signature, positions of responsibility, tenure between ranks, and age of the candidate. Any item not meeting national standards will cause the application to be returned for more information. If the application is in order, the Scout is then certified as an Eagle Scout by the Eagle Scout Service on behalf of the National Council. Notice of approval is given by sending the Eagle Scout certificate to the local council. The date used on the certificate will be the date of the board of review. THE EAGLE AWARD MUST NOT BE SOLD OR GIVEN TO ANY UNIT UNTIL AFTER THE CERTIFICATE IS RECEIVED BY THE COUNCIL SERVICE CENTER. The Eagle Scout court of honor should not be scheduled until the local council receives the Eagle Scout rank credentials."

 

 

So, to answer your question - "Can a Scout wear the Eagle Patch before his approval from National, or does he have to wait?" - Since the patch can not be purchased until after the council has received approval from National, the answer would have to be - He has to wait. And, your Dist Advancement Chair was correct.

[FScouter]

Ive sat on a good number of Eagle boards of review. After weve had our talk, we dismiss the boy while we consider. If the board decides he has met all the requirements, we call him back in with his parents, Scoutmaster, and anyone else that is there with him. The board chair makes the congratulatory announcement. Invariably the boy sports an ear-to-ear grin. Mom, Pop, and Scoutmaster are bursting with pride. Handshakes, hugs, kisses, and tears all around. Mom pulls out the camera.

 

I cannot imagine how cruel it would be telling a boy he has met all the requirements and has successfully completed his Eagle Scout board of review, but youre not really an Eagle Scout until the national council signs off on it. BOO! HISS!

 

I do tell the boy that his application will be forwarded to the national council for verification of the details and if there are no discrepancies, the official certificate will arrive in 2-4 weeks. At that time he will be able to get his medal and rank patch. He may start planning his court of honor but must wait until the certificate arrives before scheduling it. But as of right now, YOU ARE AN EAGLE SCOUT! Well done man!

[Eagledad]

>>He may start planning his court of honor but must wait until the certificate arrives before scheduling it. But as of right now, YOU ARE AN EAGLE SCOUT! Well done man!

[Gold Winger]

No. What if you tell the boy,"Go ahead sew your patch on" and then national kicks it back for some reason?

[GernBlansten]

Its my understanding that you can't get the patch until you have the card back from national, so by default, he cannot wear the patch until national certifies the application.

[evmori]

He can't purchase the patch until the paperwork comes back from National. He is an Eagle, he just can't wear the goods yet.

[John-in-KC]

Pretty much what Frank and acco said:

 

We tell the young man:

 

"The paperwork must process through National. Expect that to take 10 days to a month. Until then, know that you are an Eagle Scout, even if you do not yet wear the patch, neckerchief, or medal!

 

"When you get your credentials, we'll give you your Eagle patch at a Troop meeting. You can start planning your Eagle Court of Honor immediately, we'll provide you support as we say in our Troop ECOH planning letter.

 

"Congratulations, you've become an Eagle Scout."

[FScouter]

Barry, I do support the national council double checking the paperwork. The district would be wrong to make the patch or medal available when the national council has clearly said to not do so. But I completely disagree with telling a boy hes not really an Eagle Scout when he has completed all the requirements.

 

If the advancement chair feels this is such an important point, the board should tell the boy at the conclusion of his board of review that he will hear back in a few weeks if the rank has been earned.

[Vicki]

Yep, this is what we tell our newly minted Eagle Scouts. Eagle is a state of mind, regardless of whether or not you have some piece of cloth on your pocket (yet). I'm with others who can't imagine telling a young man, at this exhilarating moment in his life, that he's not an Eagle yet!!

 

Not to mention that the advancement chair or Eagle counselor (depending on the troop) should have gone over this part with the scout long before his EBOR so there aren't any surprises.

Vicki

 

>I do tell the boy that his application will be forwarded to the national council for verification of the details and if there are no discrepancies, the official certificate will arrive in 2-4 weeks. At that time he will be able to get his medal and rank patch. He may start planning his court of honor but must wait until the certificate arrives before scheduling it. But as of right now, YOU ARE AN EAGLE SCOUT! Well done man! >

 

 

(This message has been edited by Vicki)

[Crew21_Adv]

gwd-scouter and Fellow Scouters,

 

Greetings!

 

I concur with GW, acco, and Fscouter previous statements.

 

I too have asked this same question (as well as other fellow Scouters on this forum), and also I've answered this similar question to friends and to parents of Eagle Scout candidates.

 

If you take a look at the Eagle Scout Rank Application 58-728, the EBOR chairman is the first signature on Requirement seven. The next signature is the Council/District Representative (if available), but the final required signature is the Scout Executive. After that final signature is a box, Eagle Scout Service Validation, which is stamped by national.

 

I have been told the Eagle Scout rank is not approved by National it is validated and processed, after the Council Scout Executive signature.

 

Even after the EBOR there is at least one more signature, I doubt the Council Scout Executive will be sitting on the Eagle Board of Review.

 

In each council, there is a council registrar. For years they have handled the Advancement reports, for Cub Scout ranks, Boy Scout merit badges and Boy Scout ranks. Since 2000, they have been using ScoutNet 2000, entering advancement data into a database at national.

 

Now, Scoutnet2000, has taken the processing of the Eagle Scout Rank Application from a 3-4 week long process down to 24-48 hours. The eagerly awaited answer may be back to the candidate and family within three days.

 

I have been told that council registrars, will enter the Eagle Rank into the Scoutnet, after the Council Scout Executive signature and prior to the application being mailed to National.

 

I have stated to friends, that they may "title" their Scout an Eagle Scout after the Scout Executive has signed the application (the Scout council office staff can state when it is signed). But the official date is after national verification.

 

gwd-scouter asked

 

So what is the real answer? Can a Scout wear the Eagle Patch before his approval from National, or does he have to wait?

 

The real answer is on the bottom of the rank application.

"Presentation of the rank may not be made until the Eagle Scout credentials are received by the BSA local council."

 

That being said, some councils will allow the title "Eagle Scout" to be used, after the SE has signed. Pending the validation and processing of the application. However, the rank patch should not be worn until council has received the reply from national.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[skeptic]

Date of rank is date of completed BOR.

 

No awards may be issued or worn until the "official" National certificate and related paperwork is received.

 

HOW MUCH CLEARER DO WE NEED TO BE?

[allangr1024]

So, does anyone know if and when National has ever sent an Eagle application back unapproved? I have never heard of this. Surely some council head would roll if they sent in an application that was not tripple verified.