Wearing Eagle Patch before COH

[CherokeeScouter]

My son and his buddy completed Eagle BOR last month. Figure it will take another few weeks or so before National registers it and before we can pick up the  presentation kit. 

 

My question is this: My son and his patrol want to do their Eagle COH together. The ones that are still working on it will probably finish up by Xmas, which means a spring 2017 Eagle COH. 

 

My son doesn't mind waiting - he would like to go through this with his buddies - but he did ask if he could wear the patch after he was certified by National but before the COH. I'd never seen this done before, but then again, the COHs are usually a little closer to the date earned. 

 

Any thoughts are appreciated. 

[qwazse]

Most definitely he may!

 

I had a scout whose CoH wasn't until after summer camp, and he wanted to wear his badge, I told him to bring it and on day 1, stop by my hammock. At which point I handed him my sewing kit and recommended the last of my white thread. It was probably the 1st patch he ever sewed on his own.   Did a pretty good job at it too.

[MattR]

He's an Eagle scout as soon as the BOR is completed. So if he wants to wear the patch, let him.

 

He doesn't have to do the COH. I'd call that bad taste but there was a story about someone that missed his ECOH because he went to war in WWII (so, not in bad taste). Anyway, when the guy was something like 85 years old he decided to have his ECOH.

[T2Eagle]

Absolutely.  There are lots of reasons that an ECOH might be aways off and yet a scout would want to have his uniform up to date.

 

The most recent for us was a scout who completed his work in the spring, had ECOH scheduled for after school got out, and then he got an offer to staff summer camp and off he went, proudly wearing the new patch.

 

As long as you get the official word from National you're good to go.

Edited August 3, 2016 by T2Eagle

[Hedgehog]

He is an Eagle as of the date of his Eagle Board of Review.  He can wear the patch.  

 

And tell them CONGRATULATIONS!

[dfolson]

The BoR is the date he is an Eagle, but he can't officially wear the patch until your Council gets the paperwork back from National. There is no requirement to have a CoH, and I would doubt anyone would raise an eyebrow if he were to start wearing the Eagle patch the day after the BoR

 

8.0.3.0.11  - from the GTA: The Eagle Scout medal or patch must not be sold or otherwise provided to any unit or to the Scout, nor should the court of honor be scheduled until after the certificate is received at the council service center from the National Advancement Team.

[Eagle94-A1]

... there was a story about someone that missed his ECOH because he went to war in WWII (so, not in bad taste). Anyway, when the guy was something like 85 years old he decided to have his ECOH.

 

Col. Mitchell Paige, USMC. Actually he enlisted in the Marines before he could have the COH.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_Paige

 

One of my Eagles didn't have his ECOH, and almost didn't have an EBOR. He did the Delayed Entry Program, going to basic and being in the reserves for a year while he finished HS, and when the EBOR was convened once he returned from basic, it was discovered that it was after the after 18 EBOR deadline a council could do, and he had to appeal to national. By the time that process was done, he had his EBOR, and it was approved he went on active duty.

 

 

As @@dfolson stated, you are not suppose to be able to pick of the Eagle presentation kit, or any extra patches and knots, until the paperwork comes back from national. So I would definitely wait until then.

 

I also know that there are some old school units out there that still do not present the ranks until the COH. That may be a consideration.

 

My troop growing up didn't give the rank until the ECOH. I attended a friends' ECOH with a Life patch on still, but stood up when they asked for all Eagles to stand to be recognized.

[DadScouts]

I think one of the silliest things I see, all the time, is some Eagle's photo in the newspaper for his ECOH with an Eagle medal and a Life patch on his uniform.  It just doesn't work.  We patch right after EBOR, GTA or not.  Far too much delay for ECOH, or sometimes getting the certificate back from Council/National.

[CherokeeScouter]

I think one of the silliest things I see, all the time, is some Eagle's photo in the newspaper for his ECOH with an Eagle medal and a Life patch on his uniform.  It just doesn't work.  We patch right after EBOR, GTA or not.  Far too much delay for ECOH, or sometimes getting the certificate back from Council/National.

Yeah, but I think he's gotta wait at  least until National OKs it.

[dfolson]

@@DadScouts In the Northern Star Council, the Council provides a temporary Eagle patch for the photo shoot!

[krikkitbot]

I think one of the silliest things I see, all the time, is some Eagle's photo in the newspaper for his ECOH with an Eagle medal and a Life patch on his uniform.  It just doesn't work.  We patch right after EBOR, GTA or not.  Far too much delay for ECOH, or sometimes getting the certificate back from Council/National.

I agree that they can start wearing it as soon as the paperwork comes through. However, the NESA poster shows a Life patch with an eagle medal above it and it is a great image. 

 

http://www.nesa.org/court_honor_prints.html

[Ankylus]

The Court of Honor is not a prerequisite for anything regarding Eagle. I have seen scouts forgo the COH on several occasions. One of my son's best friends earned the rank in his senior year of high school and he didn't want to go through a COH. In his troop, the troop paid for all the Eagle scout paraphernalia handed out at the COH. The SM told the scout he could not have any of those materials until he had a COH. That was the last time I looked at the question and confirmed that the COH is not needed.

[SSScout]

Well, it certainly is not "required" by any BSA reg, but it does make a nice occasion.   It should be remembered that the presentation of the goodies need not be too fancy. The celebration/recognition is up to the Scout and his family.  A regular Troop CoH  is sufficient.   Say the Eagle Promise , congratulate the Scout and eat the cookies.

 

It is kind of sad when the Scout won't allow any recognition.  He earned it, he should be congratulated for it. 

Humility?  Embarrassment?  Disgust that he finally accomplished what his parents required  of him?  Got the Eagle, let me get my license now....Different reasons, I guess.

  I have seen  the  family  try for a nice ceremony only to have the Scout begrudgingly go thru the motions and then never be seen at a Scout event again.  

[Ankylus]

It is kind of sad when the Scout won't allow any recognition.  He earned it, he should be congratulated for it. 

Humility?  Embarrassment?  Disgust that he finally accomplished what his parents required  of him?  Got the Eagle, let me get my license now....Different reasons, I guess.

 

Every time I have seen it happen the scout was off to college before it could be done and just didn't want to spend a weekend home from college to get it all done. It's kind of like a part of their life they associate with high school and, like high school, have left behind.

[andysmom]

We have a scout right now who had his Eagle BOR in December 2 mos, 3 weeks and 4 days after his 18th birthday.  he apparently does not want a COH and all of our attempts at recognizing his achievement before the troop (regular COH, troop meeting, annual mini golf and ice cream outing) have been fruitless.  One of our old timers has stated that he isn't an Eagle Scout until his COH.... nonsense.  The Scoutmaster found out he will be in attendance at an Eagle COH for one of his friends tomorrow evening and he will be "presented" with his kit, certificate and a gift from the Scoutmaster in private.  He earned it and he should have it, however he wants to receive it.