Scoutmaster gifts to new Eagle Scouts

[cheffy]

Since I've become Scoutmaster I've given every Eagle a custom turned wood pen with an Eagle Scout pin attached. Most of the wood has come from some portion of their project. Everything from Buckthorn on a trail clearing project to olive that was sent back from some Troop members serving in Iraq.

Since I do the work myself it has a personal touch.

The Buck knife someone mentioned is very nice also.

[docmorgan77]

I received the "Eagle kit" as most did, but after the ECOH, Mr. H. White my SM said..."Walk with me..." And on that night told me a story of a father that earned the same Eagle medal, like the one hanging from my left pocket flap, and about the son on which had hung that same medal years later. Wars (both large and small)and America torn down and re-built....years in the making. My SM had a "Legacy" in the making too, but as he explained, no son(s)......would I take this legacy and go further with it? He told me that he would be retiring from the Navy soon and would be passing on the troop leadership to another Scoutmaster. In his hand was this small green box, and a worn red, white & blue ribbon, and darker colored medal than the one I wore. I said I would be honored as he pinned the old medal on me, and I would pass it on to my son when it was his time. I would be Mr. White's last Eagle scout, and youngest, too. I was 15, and just back from the "71"World Jamboree in Japan. Years later, I have wondered about that night and what it now means. I am 51 now. My son just earned his "Bobcat". We will see.

 

I wish that every Scout who finishes this trail, to have a Mr. White or fathers "Legacy" to carry on.

 

(The medal is a Robbins type 3 in a "green coffin box" Early 1933-35.)

[NeilLup]

What a wonderful trust and challenge. I hope that you are able to entrust it to your son or, if that is now possible, to some other young man who stands to be a superb Eagle Scout.

 

I believe that I have told the story of a young man who graduated a few years ago from the school in our council which has red as its color and name that begins with "H". He did a spectacular job in our council, organized the Scouter's organization at this school, organized a Merit Badge University for our council and built it to 400 participants, served on Wood Badge staff and currently runs the "First Year Camper" sections at camp school for the Northeast Region.

 

We selected him (at age 24) to receive the Silver Beaver. In my opinion, richly deserved. I was speaking with his parents who flew from Atlanta to Boston for the ceremony. They told me that his paternal grandfather had received the Silver Beaver and his maternal great grandfather had received the Silver Beaver in the early 1930s. The family still had the award. So they brought it and we were able to invest our young man with the Silver Beaver which his great grandfather had received over 70 years earlier.

 

I hope that he someday has a great grandson who will proudly wear that award. If so, it may be in the 22nd century.

[Gunny2862]

acco40 mentions above the possibility that the Eagle should give a gift to the Scoutmaster.

 

I don't know that a tangible gift needs to be exchanged in either direction from the Scoutmaster or from the new Eagle.

 

They have already given each other hours and hours of time, of discussion, of trust, of respect, of understanding and communication in good times and of bad.

 

In my view, their gifts have already been exchanged.

 

The Troop (as a whole) might want to acknowledge either/both of the two parties work with a tangible gift on this accomplishment, however. (But it certainly isn't necessary or required.)

[kb6jra]

I give them a letter that lets them know just how proud of them I am, and a crisp $50 on top of it. What young man doesn't like cash.

 

Our troop provides the Eagle kit, embroidered neckerchief, pewter slide, and a campaign hat (from back in the day). If an Eagle already has a Campaign hat, we have a local jewler make a custom Eagle tie bar for them and give them an Eagle tie. It's actually very nice.

 

Our troop also has a perpetual plaque(s) with the name and BOR date of each Eagle the troop has had. Each Eagle also has a wooden Eagle emblem with thier name and EOB date engraved on it hung in our scout house. They're pretty awesome as well.

 

The new Eagle will invariably give some token to the Scoutmaster. Whether it be the mentor pin, a mentor plaque, or some other rememberance, the Scoutmaster usually makes out pretty good. IMO I think most Scoutmasters are very happy to receive a thank you from the boy, either in public or privately.

[ChiefThundercloud]

My Troop Committee gives an Eagle Scout a membership to the NESA, pewter neckerchief slide and Eagle neckerchief.

[ChiefThundercloud]

I have my own tradition. Many years ago, I would sit around a campfire carving hiking sticks and Scouts would constantly ask me to carve one for them. I told one persistant Scout that when he reached the rank of Eagle, I'd carve him the best stick of all. He did, and I did.

 

I've been presenting my Eagle Scouts with a custom carved Diamond Willow Hiking Staff ever since. I place within the staff, the spirit of a Bald Eagle (my secret), and top the staff with a pewter Eagle Scout topper.

 

I have an Eagle COH coming up next month. He has chosen the two most recent Eagle Scouts to escort him to the podium and they'll be carrying their Eagle Staffs.

 

Here's a link to the photo:

http://diamondwillow.homestead.com/Eagle01.jpg

[dhendron]

I whittle a neckerchief scarf for each Eagle Scout. Each one is unique and has an eagle pin of some type on the front of it. My current set from Walnut (hard to whittle, but it looks great when done) with a pewter Eagle.

 

They are fun to make and allow me to express my appreciation of their dedication, skill and scout spirit with a little elbow grease and imagination.

[Sarge]

I like the concept of the Eagle giving a token of appreciation to the SM. Doesn't have to be anything large, but something that can sit on a mantle or shelf that can serve as a reminder of the individual Scout they helped.

Seems a little more personal then just adding another notch on a belt.

[marian5355]

Our SM gives the youth a personal gift. When it was my sons getting their Eagle it was a Savings Bond, I believe it still is. They still have not cashed them in, and it was over 15 years ago that they earned them. However, they gave the SM at their ECOH a gift. It was a statue of an owl looking owver two young in the nest. Very reflective since it is well known in our troop that the SM is a WB owl....He still has it, and it sits proudly on his mantle. My sons were # 4 and #5 Eagles in the Troop and we have just had the BOR for #50, all under the same SM.

The Troop provides the presentation kit, neckerchief and a binder of congratulatory letters. If the youth chooses not to have a COH, then he received the binder of letters.

[sheldonsmom]

I would have been happy if the SM would have shown up for the ECOH for our son.

[Frank17]

I give a BSA leather belt with an Eagle Buckle to the scouts I mentor. Useful and memorable.

[Frank17]

I give a BSA leather belt with an Eagle Buckle to the scouts I mentor. Useful and memorable.

[The Beav SR831 & 948]

I've done 6 Eagle ceremonies within the past year, and each time our Troop has given the scout an Eagle bolo tie.

 

I've followed old traditions that my scoutmaster had done for

us that graduated in the '70s and '80s. He would normally give out lanyards, 4 blade scout knives or walking sticks.

 

I started doing decorative knots after I got out of my WoodBadge session last year because I was so frustrated with not being able to tie turks head knots and other knots like so many other folks around me. So....fast forward a few months and I began tying all sorts of fancy knots and developed various ones that I give out for different occasions like completion of C.O.P.E., fellow Woodbadgers, adults that help me out when we go to summer camp for the week, etc.

 

The one that I'm the proudest of though is a Red, White and Blue Lanyard that only my Eagle Scouts receive when they obtain their rank. I've found rope near the chains section of my local Wal-Mart that works really well for what I do. I make a round sennit that spirals like a peppermint stick(red and white 3/16" rope) about 3"~4" long. On one end is a royal blue 3/16" rope tied into an overhand knot on a bight. (The loop is just big enough for you to put your car keys on it.) This blue rope is woven through the interior of the red and white striped round sennit(picture it as a blue rope threaded through a straw) and comes out the other end about 1"~1 1/2". It then terminates into a blue monkey's fist that's been knotted around a 1/4" wood ball.

 

Needless to say, I've had quite a few requests for that particular item from several Eagles in our district as well.

 

As for the boys giving me gifts, It's almost always a Nalgene bottle, sharpening stone or metal scout travel coffee mug. Yeah, I know, it's not Christmas time. Quite frankly, having been a long time scouter since I was very little in the 1960s, like many of you, I've got more gadgets and camping equipment than I'll ever need. However, the gift that I covet and desire more than anything is the gratitude that I get when my new Eagle grins really big when it's just me and him talking at the reception after his ceremony, and he tells me "Thank you for everything that you've done for me!" "I couldn't have gotten here without your help."

 

THAT, my friends is more precious than anything that I will ever get in scouting and makes all the long hours and sacrifices worth the investment. Because, then I know that I have made a difference in at least one person's life.

[ChiefThundercloud]

What a great place for inspiration. I'm going to change the braided leather strap on my walking stick gifts for my Eagle Scouts to red, white and blue braided straps - what a great addition!