88-year old Eagle

[oldsm]

I just found this posted on Yahoo! (July 29, 7:25 a.m. EST). I'm curious how this happened. The story doesn't state as much, but he must have completed his EBOR (and been approved) before he had to ship out. If this was just the Court of Honor, I think it's great. Too bad it took so long...

 

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FORT MYERS, Fla. - More than a half-century after he finished the requirements to earn the rank, an 88-year-old man was honored as an Eagle Scout on Saturday, making him possibly the oldest person to ever collect the honor.

 

Walter Hart couldn't become an Eagle Scout at the time he earned the rank because his service in World War II got in the way.

 

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time," said Hart, who lives in a retirement center in nearby Lehigh Acres.

 

Scout officials say he may be the oldest person to ever earn the honor.

 

Hart joined the Cub Scouts in 1928 in Malden, Mass., and earned 23 merit badges during his years as a Boy Scout, scouting officials said. Of the 120 merit badges available, 21 must be earned to qualify for Eagle Scout rank.

 

It all got set aside when he joined the Navy during World War II and served two years aboard the USS Alfred A. Cunningham.

 

Last year, he rediscovered some of his old Boy Scout memorabilia, including documents that showed he completed the requirements for his Eagle Scout rank. He contacted the Scouts about receiving his award.

 

"I think this was something that was always on his mind, but every time he went to go do it, something else came up," daughter Elizabeth Gatturna said. "I know how hard he's tried to get to this point."

 

Only about 5 percent of all Boy Scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Since 1912, nearly 1.9 million Eagles have been awarded, but the recipients' ages aren't recorded, Boy Scout officials said.

 

"I'd be pretty surprised if anyone older has ever become an Eagle Scout," said Margie Byers, spokeswoman for the Southwest Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America.

[scoutldr]

However it happened, I think it's great. Remember, the rules were different in the 1940's. Adults were allowed to work on and achieve Eagle Scout, with no age limit. It wasn't unti l952 that the age limit of 18 was instituted. POR and service project were added in 1965.

 

Source: http://www.troop97.net/bsaeagle.htm(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

[oldsm]

Thanks. I'd forgotten that.

[GNX Guy]

There is a difference between "earning" the Eagle and being awarded the Eagle Badge. Once you pass the BOR and the Scout Exec Signs the documents, you have earned your Eagle.

 

They say this guy is the oldest to ever have earned Eagle, I'd be willing to bet there are others that are older that hold that rank. It should have been stated that he was the oldest to have been awarded the rank, not earned the rank.

 

Also, any male over 18 may join Boy Scouts as a youth if they meet the requirements as stated in the current advancement publication if they are permantely disabled. Just a FYI.

[epalmer84]

As noted, there is a difference between "earned" and "presented."

 

Before Hart, the oldest person I knew of to be awarded Eagle was Mitchell Paige. Paige was awarded his Eagle Scout at age 84, but he had earned it before joining the Marines, much like Hart:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_Paige

 

But the oldest person I know of to go through a board of review and earn Eagle Scout was Eugene Cheatham, Jr at age 88:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20040807-9999-1n7scout.html

 

Ed

 

[theysawyoucomin']

To add to the Mitchell Paige story...

He was talking to a group of young men and he talked about earning the Eagle Award. Well, the boys did some research and later confronted Col. Paige about the award saying his name did not appear on the list of Eagles. Col. Paige was upset that the boys thought him a liar, especially after his work exposing MOH imposters.

 

They did some research, including schoolmate who remembered hearing it announced over the loudspeaker at school back in 19whatever.

 

The research proved he earned it and he was presented the award.

 

 

This last March Troop 53 from NY awarded the Eagle to Gordon Shillinglaw. If you google his name he is a published accounting professor. Mr. Shillinglaw is also 80something years old.