Eagle Requirements Complete COVID19

The following information has been compiled for Eagle Scout candidates that have completed ALL of the requirements to be an Eagle Scout and have completed their Eagle Scout Project.  During the governor’s mandated closure of nonessential and non-life-sustaining businesses, the normal process for submitting completed Eagle Rank paperwork to the New Birth of Freedom Council has been modified.

It is important to note that ALL REQUIREMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE SCOUT’S 18th BIRTHDAY.  The board of review and processing of the documentation can happen after.  If a Scout is unable to complete all of the requirements prior to his or her 18th birthday because of issues caused by the COVID-19 virus, then they should file for an extension.

Step 1:  Make sure you have all of your documentation

With the service centers closed, you will need to submit all of your paperwork digitally.  All documents must be complete and have the appropriate signatures*.  

You will need to submit:

  • Completed Eagle Scout Application (please use the fillable PDF version)
  • Names and Email addresses of all of your references (Requirement 2 on the Eagle Application)
  • Eagle Scout Project Workbook (please use the fillable PDF version)
  • Statement of ambitions and life purpose

Step 2:  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 . It is preferred to be typed. 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 Internet Advancement 2.0 or Scoutbook.

  1. Dates: Became a Scouts BSA 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.  Applicants MUST supply an email address for each.
  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.

Step 3:  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.

*IMPORTANT REGARDING SIGNATURES:  Signatures are going to be a little tricky with current measures in place for social distancing but are not impossible.  For documents that need signatures, documents can be scanned to the appropriate parties, get signed, and then sent back and assembled.  Documents could go through the mail as well.  The preferable method of signatures at this point is an electronic or digital signature.

National has announced that through September 30, 2020 electronic or digital signatures will be accepted.  There may be some Scouts and volunteers that have access to digital signature technology and will be able to sign documents that way.  Electronic signatures are going to likely be much more common.  An electronic signature can be simply someone’s signature sent back in an email as a scan or a photograph or someone writing in an email that they approve the result of the board of review as long as their full name is included in the email (i.e. I, John Smith, participated in the board of review for Scout Sam Jones, and approve that he should be a Life Scout).  This email can be printed and included with the form. 

Step 4: Prepare the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook

The most current workbook must be used and is strongly recommended to be typed. It is a PDF fillable and savable 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.

Step 5: Submit All of the Eagle Paperwork to the Council Digitally

Until the Service Centers are reopened, the only way to submit a completed Eagle Binder and Application is using the two-step digital process below.

First, the Eagle Candidate must upload their Eagle Application and input the names and email addresses of their references here.  Completing this form with accurate information will streamline the processing of the application.

Second, the Eagle Candidate will receive the following receipt message after successfully completing the Eagle Scout Forms: 

“Success! Thanks for submitting your Eagle Scout Application. Please Submit your workbook and other supporting documents here: (Dropbox link) .Your District Eagle Advancement Chair has been notified. Typically, you will be notified within 30 days to have your board of review. If you have any questions, please contact. Cory Kercher, Staff Advisor for the Council Advancement Committee, cory.kercher@scouting.org or Tom Porsch, Chair for the Council Advancement Committee, tjporsch@comcast.net .”

The uploaded document(s) should contain all of the required signatures, the project workbook and documentation, and photographs of the project.  At this time, PLEASE DO NOT UPLOAD COPIES OF BLUE CARDS.  Please make sure that files contain the Scout’s last name in the file name.

The upload page will look like the picture below, and please have all of your documents prepared to upload at once.  You are able to upload more than one document at a time.  We prefer that documents be uploaded as PDFs.  

Step 6: Council Verifies Application and Board of Review Scheduled

Everything is verified against council records. If information in ScoutNET 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.

If everything is correct, the council provides a certification signature, the digital binder with the service project workbook and other items to the respective District Advancement Chairman. The board is scheduled only after the council-certified application is complete.

Step 7: References Contacted

Reference letters requests will automatically be sent through email to the individuals the scout lists on his or her application as part of Step 5. The Scout must ensure the email address is accurate.  They should also inform the references that they will be receiving an email and ask that they respond promptly. If after a reasonably diligent effort, generally 2-3 weeks, 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 destroyed after the Eagle Scout credentials are released or the appeal is concluded.

Step 8: Board of Review Scheduled

Until the governor lifts the Stay at Home order, all Eagle Boards of Review will be conducted via Videoconference.

Eagle Scout Boards of Review in the New Birth of Freedom 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 and time.

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.

Members of the board of review will receive access to the application, references and service project workbook digitally before the board of review.  Those sitting on a board of review should plan to log in to the virtual platform 30 minutes before the Eagle candidate for a discussion about the procedures in order to 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.  For special circumstances regarding COVID-19 related delays please view our page on COVID-19 Eagle Extensions.

Step 9: Application Returned to the Advancement Staff Advisor

If a board of review approves a candidate, the digitally signed application, reference letters, and any information that might be considered confidential are returned to the Advancement Staff Advisor.  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 additional actions.

Step 10:  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.

Step 11:  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.

Note: Both Council Service Centers are currently closed as well as the National Distribution Center.  The National Distribution Center will be unable to generate any of these items until they reopen and the council will not be able to receive anything until the council service centers have reopened.  It is important to remember that the Eagle candidate is considered an Eagle Scout the night of his or her successful board of review, not when the certificates are received.

Questions or Concerns

Any questions about this process should be sent to the Council Advancement Staff Advisor, Cory Kercher at Cory.kercher@scouting.org.