The Eagle Scout Application Process

See the Baltimore Area Council Life to Eagle Procedures site for the fillable application

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.

1. 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.
2. Signatures: Applicant, unit leader, and unit committee chair. (Remaining signatures come later.)
3. References: Must list all six (five if not employed). If not affiliated with an organized religion, then the parent or guardian provides this reference.
4. Merit badges: Dates as mentioned above; check the unit number in which each badge was earned.
5. 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.
6. Eagle Project Title and Hours.
7. 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