It’s your Ceremony. Ultimately it is up to the Eagle Scout and their family as to the size, location, and date of their Eagle Court of Honor. If there are several scouts who want a combined ceremony, the families should get together early to work out and agree upon all facets of the event. The following paragraphs outline the areas you and your family should discuss and plan for when thinking about commemorating the occasion of achieving the rank of Eagle.
The Venue. The Nichols Bethel United Methodist Church has been the traditional location for any Eagle Courts of Honor, however, nothing prevents you from conducting the ceremony in another preferred location. Many ECoHs are held in the main chapel area with guests sitting in the pews, but ceremonies have also been conducted in the Cafe area since there is the capability to live-stream the event from there. Due to Covid restrictions and personal preference, some ceremonies have been conducted outdoors in the parking lot as well. You can use this link to request which room or area you would like to use for your ceremony, and check back by phone to ensure they received the request.
Letters of Congratulation and Awards. There are numerous letters of Congratulatory Letters that you can request on behalf of your Eagle Scout from local officials to celebrities across the country. For the instructions on how to request a letter from local government officials up to the President and Vice President take a look at this guide.
For a letter from the Commander of US Cyber Command, prepare a short biography of your scout (something you would put in your ceremony program), and request a letter through their website at https://www.cybercom.mil/Contact-Us/ . You can use the following example of what to enter in each block here
Bryan On Scouting also has a great guide on everything you need to know about these letters and who else you can request letter from, just go here.
Theme, Format, and Scripts. Your Eagle Court of Honor can follow any theme that you and your family identify with. The most popular are ones that incorporate ideas and concepts from across the history and principles of scouting. These include but are not limited to the following…
Akela and the Pack
Red, White, and Blue
The light (candle) of knowledge
Lord Baden Powell’s Legacy
Climbing the mountain
Many components of the ceremony format can be found on the BSA Troop Resources site. You can take a look at some of the examples there as well, and pick what works for you and your family best.
Examples of Scripts for different themes are abundant. You can find some of them at the following sites:
A great way to encourage younger scouts to continue scouting is to involve them in your ceremony. They will be able to see firsthand the results of persistence and hard work, and being involved in the ceremony will make them feel part of the achievement.
Guest Speakers. If you have a guest speaker in mind, you should try to coordinate with them as soon as you can. Guest Speakers are not a requirement, but if your scout has a special connection to someone in the community who can connect with scouting, then it can add significance to the ceremony. Those who are community leaders who are also Eagle Scouts themselves are great choices for this.
Reception. Providing refreshments following the ceremony allows the participants and attendees the chance to gather and talk about the Eagle Scout’s accomplishments and future. A cake and some punch are the most traditional, but potlucks and BBQs are also great ways to celebrate and involve family and friends. If their are multiple scouts being recognized, the families may want to divide up the responsibilities or the types of dishes to bring. At Nichols-Bethel UMC, you can request to use either Manning Hall, the Beacon Café, or even the outside parking lot between the church and soccer field. Click here to go to their online request form or call 410-674-2272.
The following steps for properly preparing and submitting the Eagle Scout Rank Application and accompanying materials will help the Scout ensure everything is correct and is ready to proceed to his Eagle Board of Review. Our Council Guidelines follow those contained in the Guide to Advancement with local processes included as necessary.
Complete All the Requirements
Confirm all requirements have been completed before his 18th birthday: merit badges, service project, active participation, Scout spirit, position of responsibility, and unit leader conference. Note that the unit leader (Scoutmaster) conference need not be the last item accomplished. The board of review may be conducted after the 18th birthday. A candidate must be registered through the time he is completing requirements but need not be registered thereafter or when his board of review is conducted.
Complete the Application
The Scout must complete the official Eagle Scout Rank Application, No.512-728. No other form or application method is permitted. A fillable PDF can be found at Click Here . A digitally filled application is preferred for clarity. Pay special attention to the following red-flag items. It may be helpful to compare the application to the Scout’s current advancement profile obtained through Scoutbook.
Dates: Became a Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer/Sea Scout; First Class and Star boards of review; birth date; Life board of review (on both the front and back); all merit badges earned; position(s) of responsibility since earning Life rank with “FROM” and “TO”; Eagle service project finished; Scoutmaster (unit leader) conference; and applicant, unit leader, and unit committee chair signatures.
Signatures: Applicant, unit leader, and unit committee chair. (Remaining signatures come later.)
References: Must list all six (five if not employed). If not affiliated with an organized religion, then the parent or guardian provides this reference.
Merit badges: Dates as mentioned above; check the unit number in which each badge was earned.
Position of responsibility: Must be one of those listed in Eagle Scout rank requirement 4, and must relate to the unit where the Scout was registered and active at the time service was rendered.
Eagle Project Title and Hours.
Two Attachments: — Service project workbook — Statement of ambitions and life purpose, and listing of positions, honors, and awards.
Obtain Required Signatures
The unit leader and committee chair signatures represent approval for the candidate to move on to a board of review. In providing them, the signers carefully check the application. If there are errors such as time spans between ranks that don’t meet the requirements, then the dates should be confirmed. If they are correct but do not fit the requirement, then the Scout, parents, or unit leader should contact the district advancement chair for guidance. Note there is no requirement that the signatures of the unit leader and committee chair must be dated before the Scout’s 18th birthday.
Prepare the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook
The most current workbook must be used and is strongly recommended to be typed. It is a fillable and savable PDF document and can be found at Click Here. The workbook shows the project proposal was approved ahead of time, and then properly accepted by all parties when finished.
Submit Binder to Council Service Center
The Scout’s binder containing all the original documents should be delivered promptly to the council service center. Binder is signed in by the council personnel. It should be neatly put together and well organized so that the reviewers do not have to search for any information. Ideally, it will be a proud reminder of a significant accomplishment and not a sloppy or hastily put together effort. Timeliness is especially critical if the scout is approaching, or has already turned, 18. Sending materials late can imply the work continued afterward. Blue cards are not required but can be helpful to the reviewers.
Council Verifies Application and Board of Review Scheduled
Everything is checked by the Council Registrar against council records. If information in Scoutbook or council files is incomplete, the Scout or the unit will be asked to provide certificates, blue cards, or other suitable proof that merit badges and ranks were earned and that dates are accurate. The regular use of Scoutbook will help expedite this process. If everything is correct, the council provides a certification signature the original binder with the service project workbook and other items is picked up by the respective District Advancement Chairman The board is scheduled only after the council-certified application is received.
References Contacted
Baltimore Area Council registrars will mail reference letters to the individuals the scout lists on his application. The Scout should ensure the contact information is accurate and legible, that they have informed their references that they will be receiving a letter and ask that they respond promptly. If after a reasonably diligent effort, generally 2-3 weeks to account for mailing times, no response can be obtained from any references, the board of review can still be scheduled without them. Completed reference responses of any kind are the property of the council and are confidential, and only review-board members and those officials with a specific need may see them. The responses are not to be viewed by or returned to the Scout. Once a review has been held, or an appeal process conducted, responses shall be returned to the council, where they will be destroyed after the Eagle Scout credentials are released or the appeal is concluded.
Board of Review Scheduled
Eagle Scout Boards of Review in the Baltimore Area Council are held at the District level.
There shall be no fewer than three and no more than six members, all at least 21 years old. At least two members of the respective District Advancement Committees (DAC) must serves as a member. One of the DAC members serves as the Chairman. Members need not be on an advancement committee or registered with the Boy Scouts of America, but they must have an understanding of the rank and the purpose and importance of the review.
A board of review shall not occur until after the local council has verified the application.
The chair works with all involved parties to schedule the date, time, and place.
If a unit leader or unit committee chair fails to approve an application, the candidate is still granted a board of review, but the lack of approval may be considered in the decision. See “Initiating Eagle Scout Board of Review Under Disputed Circumstances,” 8.0.3.2.
To go over the application, references, and service project workbook, members should convene at least 30 minutes before the scheduled board of review. A discussion about the procedures and questions can help those members who may have never served on an Eagle Board of Review.
An Eagle candidate may have only one board of review (though it may be adjourned and reconvened if the scout is not yet 18). Eagle Scout Board of Review Beyond Scout’s 18th Birthday An Eagle Scout board of review may occur, without special approval, within three months after a Scout’s 18th birthday. If a board of review is to be held three to six months afterward, the applicable District Advancement Chair has the authority to preapprove it. To initiate approval, the candidate, his parent or guardian, the unit leader, or a unit committee member attaches to the application a statement explaining the delay.
To hold a board beyond six months after the 18th birthday, the candidate, his parent or guardian, the unit leader or a unit committee member must petition the national Advancement Team for authority to do so. The request must explain the reason for the delay, and it must be processed through the local council and sent to the national Advancement Team with a copy of the application. A position statement from the Scout executive, designee, or council advancement committee must be included.
Application Returned to Council Service Center
If a board of review approves a candidate, the signed application, reference letters, and any information that might be considered confidential are returned to the council service center. the Chair of the Board of Review or a participating Board of Review member is to return the book to the Council office. If the Scout is not advanced, the Scout should receive a letter from the Eagle Board Chairman within 30 days explaining the Board of Review’s decision and appeal procedures. All materials from the Board of Review are held by the Council pending any addition actions.
Council Sends Application to National Advancement Team
At the council the Scout Executive signs the application, certifying proper procedures were followed. The application is then entered into ScoutNET, filed locally, and then extracted from ScoutNET by the National Advancement Team.
National Advancement Team Returns Credentials
The National Advancement Team validates all applications received. Then the National Distribution Center generates the credentials and prints, packages, and mails the certificate, pocket card, and congratulatory letter to the council. Upon receipt of the Eagle credentials, council service center personnel should alert unit leadership immediately. The Scout’s Eagle Court of Honor should not be scheduled until after the unit is notified that the scout’s credentials have been returned
Dues: Troop dues are collected on the quarterly basis and are currently at $45 per quarter but can change as needed. Dues go towards the cost of maintaining our camping equipment, trailer, and canoes plus campsite reservations.
Activity Fees: For each planned activity, scouts are expected to pay towards the amount for meals, usually $20-30; however, current CDC guidelines are such that each scout must bring their own meals on activities until further notice.
Fundraising: Various fundraisers are available throughout the year for scouts to help offset the cost of activities, summer camp, and dues. Campcard and Popcorn sales are coordinated by an adult leader designated each year.
If you have any questions regarding dues or costs, please click below to send an e-mail to our troop Treasurer, Joe Regel.
Dues: Troop dues are collected on the quarterly basis and are currently at $45 per quarter but can change as needed. Dues go towards the cost of maintaining our camping equipment, trailer, and canoes plus campsite reservations.
Activity Fees: For each planned activity, scouts are expected to pay towards the amount for meals, usually $20-30; however, current CDC guidelines are such that each scout must bring their own meals on activities until further notice.
Fundraising: Various fundraisers are available throughout the year for scouts to help offset the cost of activities, summer camp, and dues. Campcard and Popcorn sales are coordinated by an adult leader designated each year.
If you have any questions regarding dues or costs, please click below to send an e-mail to our troop Treasurer, Joe Regel.
Date/Time: Currently, weekly Troop meetings are held on Tuesdays from 7 – 8:30 pm via Zoom. Scoutbook members receive the Zoom link weekly via e-mail, but prospective members can also request the link using the Contact Us email.
Location: Once COVID restrictions are lifted, meetings will return to the Nichols-Bethel United Methodist Church in either the fellowship hall or in the parking lot behind main building.
Uniform: From Labor Day until Memorial Day, the uniform for each meeting is Field Uniform (Class A/B); during the summer months, the activity uniform (Troop T-shirt) is worn.
With each new year , we find ourselves getting ready for the warm weather to break …. but it broke too soon. Our Annual Ski trip was melted out and with that came ……
A flood of new new scouts crossing over. This year we welcome more than a dozen new scouts….
Exciting that we continue to attract and develop young boys into responsible young adults.
We have activities, skills development, outdoor events lined up to keep them energized and active.
With every new scout coming in – we say goodbye to some…some make the decision to achieve Eagle
At Troop769 , we encourage and guide the Boys on a journey of development, and in that there are opportunities to earn advancement and Merit Badges that draw them to that best outcome. It is the Journey and spirit of scouting that we build. Our outcomes are only the embodiment of those efforts.
Share the journey with us. It is remarkable what these boys can do….especially when they say on Tuesdays – are you ready yet? When they first start – they say can I go ?.. Then it turns to – I would like to go …… and towards the end …. I need to be at the Church Friday night by 5 ….we are going to ……
Parents – learn how you can be part of that journey …talk to any of the Volunteers on Meeting night. Be involved and be rewarded with guiding, encouraging and supporting their journey. Its more than just your boy…its the group they grow with.
With the summer over and school back in session, I just want to take a moment to congratulate our scouts on a great summer. The Troop ( and we are talking about the boys ) provided significant assistance the the 4 Rivers District Cub Scout Day Camp. They had opportunity to attend Camp Rodney or Camp Henson. We had a crew attend Northern Tier High Adventure Camp in Canada and Great lakes exploring the territory by canoe. One scout was awarded the coveted triple crown for attending three high adventure camps. We held our annual Aquatics Camp at Lake Kerr. At our Annual Summer Picnic / Court of Honor we awarded over 120 merit badges and acknowledged 16 Rank advancements. Wow!
Looking forward to the Fall – we have a number of camping activities and merit badge opportunities.
We will be camping at Antietam Battlefield National Park where the boys will Bike the C&O Canal from Brunswick to Sharpsburg or Hike the Antietam Historic trail. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Parks and it’s a privilege that our boys have such great resources to complement our programs. We will participate and assist in Woodsmoke and spend another weekend backpack camping a lower segment of the C&O. Planning is progressing for December – March activities when we will forward to our scout skill weekend and March Merit Badge Madness.
Congratulations Scouts ( and our volunteer adult scouters and parents that make Troop 769 programs thrive!)
Den Leaders and Parents : Are you looking for Troops for your Webelos to earn their Scouting Adventure activity pin as part of the Arrow of Light Rank award? Troop 769 Offers that opportunity and the Campout is coming up. Our Webelos Invitational is September 30-October 02 and we will travel to Antietam Battlefield to Campout. The Boys will then either Bike the C&O canal or take a Historic Trails Hike. Check Our Google calendar for Dates – we have a few practice sessions for the Bike Ride locally and our meetings are open – we will be happy to have your webelos join us and experience a troop meeting and answer any questions that you may have. Join us on Tuesday nights @ 7:00 pm at Nichols-Bethel UMC in Odenton or contact us via email. Be prepared to be impressed!
