Eagle Scout Requirements

Eagle Scout is just about the most significant accomplishment a boy can do. The award has value in adult society because of the example and success of past Eagles in adult life. Today, more than 2 million boys and men have earned Eagle Scout.

Here are the requirements for the BSA's highest rank since its creation in 1911. By my count, there have been about 12 different sets of requirements, though changes were sometimes minimal. A boy could begin his advancement toward Eagle when he became a Scout (age 12 until 1949, age 11 until 1972, about age 10-1/2 since). Until 1952, adult men could also earn Eagle; since then the opportunity to earn the award stops at age 18. Note that neither leadership nor service were required until almost 50 years after Scouting's founding.

Of the original 1911 requirements, Eagle Scouts today still have to earn First Class, and still have to earn a total of 21 merit badges. Of the original Eagle required list of 11 badges from 1914, today's Eagles must still earn Camping and First Aid (and today's Personal Fitness is a direct successor to Personal Health). Lifesaving is still on the Eagle list, but is optional.

1910

The BSA comes into existence. For the first few months, the highest rank is First Class.

1911 Eagle Requirements

The BSA adds three higher ranks for earning merit badges beyond First Class: Life, Star, and Eagle (Star was switched before Life in 1924, apparently because the five points of the Star could symbolize the five merit badges required for the rank). Neither Life nor Star is required for Eagle (a Scouting magazine article [May-June 2003] indicated that 8 of the first 9 Eagle Scouts [including the BSA's first Eagle] did not earn either Life or Star ranks).

• Earn First Class
• Earn any 21 merit badges

1914 Eagle Requirements

[created an Eagle required list of 11 badges by adding 6 badges to the 5 formerly required for Life]

• Earn First Class
• Earn 21 merit badges, including the following 11:
  First Aid
  Physical Development
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health
  Cooking
  Camping
  Bird Study
  Pathfinding
  Pioneering
  Athletics

1915 Eagle Requirements

[made Physical Development optional along with Athletics; added Civics]

• Earn First Class
• Earn 21 merit badges, including the following 11:
  First Aid
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health
  Cooking
  Camping
  Civics
  Bird Study
  Pathfinding
  Pioneering
  Athletics OR Physical Development

1927 Eagle Requirements

[required 1 year active service as First Class Scout]

• Be active as a First Class Scout for at least 1 year
• Earn 21 merit badges, including the following 12:
  First Aid
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health
  Cooking
  Camping
  Civics
  Bird Study
  Pathfinding
  Pioneering
  Athletics OR Physical Development
  (Swimming–not listed, but required for Lifesaving)

1936 Eagle Requirements

[for the first time, required earning Star and Life ranks; added Safety]

• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• Earn 21 merit badges, including the following 13:
  First Aid
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health
  Cooking
  Camping
  Civics
  Bird Study
  Pathfinding
  Safety
  Pioneering
  Athletics OR Physical Development
  (Swimming–not listed, but required for Lifesaving)

In 1952, maximum age set at 18; before that there was no maximum age at which a boy or man could earn Eagle.

1958 Eagle Requirements

[now it gets complicated—a maze of merit badge options adding up to 16 required badges (from a list of 65 badge choices!) and 5 other badges; plus the first requirement to provide leadership and give service]

• Do your best to live up to the Scout Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan
• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• While a Life Scout, work actively as a leader in meetings, outdoor activities, and service projects of your unit
• While a Life Scout, do your best to help in your home, school, church, and community
• While a Life Scout, take care of things that belong to you and respect the property of others
• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  1 badge from the CONSERVATION group (Forestry, Soil and Water Conservation, Wildlife Management)
  3 badges from the CITIZENSHIP group (Citizenship in the Home, Cit. in the Community, Cit. in the Nation, World Brotherhood)
  Camping
  Cooking
  Swimming
  Lifesaving
  Nature
  Personal Fitness
  Public Health
  Safety
  Firemanship
  First Aid
  1 badge from the OUTDOOR SPORTS group (Archery, Athletics, Cycling, Fishing, Hiking, Horsemanship, Marksmanship, Skiing)
  1 badge from any of the following groups: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, PLANT CULTIVATION, COMMUNICATION, TRANSPORTATION, BUILDING (40 badges to choose from)

1965 Eagle Requirements

[eliminated the complex merit badge list and returned to a simple list of 11 required badges; required specific leadership and a community service project]

• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  Camping
  Cooking
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Nature
  Soil and Water Conservation
  Personal Fitness
  First Aid
  Swimming
  Lifesaving
  Safety
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months as a troop warrant officer [patrol leader, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, junior assistant scoutmaster, instructor, scribe, quartermaster, librarian, den chief]
• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and carry out a service project helpful to your church or synagogue, school, or community
• Take part in a Scoutmaster Conference (includes living up to Scout Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan)

1970 Eagle Requirements

[alphabetized the required list of badges; Conservation of Natural Resources replaced Soil and Water Conservation]

• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  Camping
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Conservation of Natural Resources
  Cooking
  First Aid
  Lifesaving
  Nature
  Personal Fitness
  Safety
  Swimming
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months as a troop warrant officer [patrol leader, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, junior assistant scoutmaster, instructor, scribe, quartermaster, librarian, den chief]
• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and carry out a service project helpful to your church or synagogue, school, or community
• Take part in a Scoutmaster Conference (includes living up to Scout Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan)

1972 Eagle Requirements

[increased total badges required to 24, reflecting the new requirement to earn 5 merit badges for First Class; dropped Camping, Cooking, Nature; renamed/updated Conservation of Natural Resources as Environmental Science; added Citizenship in the World (formerly World Brotherhood), Communications, Personal Management (formerly Personal Finance), and optional Emergency Preparedness and Sports; made Swimming, Lifesaving, and Personal Fitness optional; for the first time, permitted a boy to earn Eagle Scout without knowing how to swim and without having any particular outdoor or camping experience; troop offices now referred to simply as a "position" rather than as "leadership"]

• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• Show Scout spirit
• Earn 24 merit badges, including:
  First Aid
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Citizenship in the World
  Communications
  Safety
  Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
  Environmental Science
  Personal Management
  Personal Fitness OR Swimming OR Sports
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months in one of the following positions [patrol leader, junior assistant scoutmaster, scribe, den chief, quartermaster, librarian, member of the leadership corps, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, or instructor]
• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and carry out a service project helpful to your religious institution, school, or town
• Take part in a Personal Growth Agreement Conference (Scoutmaster Conference)

1978 Eagle Requirements

[reduced the Eagle total back to 21 merit badges; restored Camping to the required list]

• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• Show Scout spirit
• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  First Aid
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Citizenship in the World
  Communications
  Safety
  Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
  Environmental Science
  Personal Management
  Personal Fitness OR Swimming OR Sports
  Camping
  Family Life (added later)
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months in one or more of the following positions (later called positions of responsibility) [patrol leader, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, den chief, scribe, librarian, quartermaster, member of the leadership corps, junior assistant scoutmaster, instructor (later added chaplain aide and troop guide, and dropped leadership corps)]
• 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
• Take part in a Personal Growth Agreement Conference (renamed back to Scoutmaster Conference in the early 1980s)

1999 Eagle Requirements

[made Personal Fitness mandatory for the first time since 1972; dropped Safety and Sports as Eagle badges; added Hiking and Cycling as optional Eagle badges]

• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• Show Scout spirit
• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  First Aid
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Citizenship in the World
  Communications
  Personal Fitness
  Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
  Environmental Science
  Personal Management
  Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling
  Camping
  Family Life
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility [assistant senior patrol leader, chaplain aide, den chief, historian, instructor, junior assistant scoutmaster, librarian, patrol leader, quartermaster, scribe, senior patrol leader, troop guide (Order of the Arrow troop representative added later)]
• 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
• Take part in a Scoutmaster Conference
• Successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review (added later)

2009 Eagle Requirements

[very minor adjustments to Scout Spirit requirement (spelling out the requirement for references), to the "positions of responsibility" list (bugler, Venture patrol leader), and an expanded description of the service project process; new leadership positions of Leave No Trace trainer and troop webmaster allowed for Star/Life but not Eagle]

• 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.
• Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. List 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.
• Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following:
  First Aid
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Citizenship in the World
  Communications
  Personal Fitness
  Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
  Environmental Science
  Personal Management
  Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling
  Camping
  Family Life
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period of six months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility [assistant senior patrol leader, bugler, chaplain aide, den chief, historian, instructor, junior assistant scoutmaster, librarian, Order of the Arrow troop representative, patrol leader, quartermaster, scribe, senior patrol leader, troop guide, Venture patrol leader]
• 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 plan must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Servie Project Workbook, No. 512-927, in meeting this requirement.
• Take part in a Scoutmaster Conference.
• Successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review.

Highest Scout Rank in Other Countries