how long did it take you to earn your Eagle rank?

[pipestone1991]

Hopefully for me I'll have it in July so 4 years 5 months (hopefully)

[RWSmith]

Good question... but, I plead the fifth. (Seems to be the PC thing to do these days.)

[scouter01]

lol, I am in 7th grade and a star whoich is the youngest for my troop, and I plan on getting life by the end of this october. sll I need is one meritbadge, and cit in world seams like the one I will do. hope to get eagle soon after that lol.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

I myself was not a scout but my boys took 6 years and 7 years.

Both joined at 10 years old, one was 16 one 17. Both continued with scouts till reaching 18 and then some.

I'm guessing this isn't what your looking for though. lol

Actually from start the first signature to the Eagle BOR it was 5-6 mos for each one.

[Fibonacci]

Our district representative asked an Eagle candidate at his Board of Review how long he had been working toward Eagle Rank. This was an interesting question.

Had the Scout been working on Eagle, developing a strong character, becoming a great leader, just since he earned Life Rank? Since he joined the troop? Became a Cub Scout? Perhaps he had always been striving to be an Eagle. (note: these are rhetorical questions)

We believed that he had been "working on Eagle" all of his life; he developed Eagle qualities as he grew, participated in the troop, completed merit badges, did his project, and at that stage in his life, he really exemplified what an Eagle Scout should be. Of course he passed his Eagle BoR.

[jr56]

It took me just under 4 years.

[Billiken]

Earned my Eagle Six years, one month from my WEBELOS cross-over.
I was 16 yrs, 8 months old.
At that time (1977) 24 MBs were required (and Camping MB was not).

At a recent District Roundtable meeting someone had statistics from the National BSA Office that said the average age of a boy earning his Eagle award is 17 years 11 months.

As a math major I question that number. (If one scout earns Eagle at age 15, it takes 40 boys at age 17 yrs & 11 months to make the average of the group 17 years, 10 months.)

However, our last 4 Eagle COHs inlcuded 2 where the recipient had since turned 18 years old since turning in all the paperwork.

[Hubert]

Good question! I am working on mine right now, Im in the middle of my project. SO............5-ish years. I plan on being done soon!

[gwd-scouter]

Older son earned his Eagle at 14 1/2 years - started as a Tiger in first gradge and entered the Troop in fifth grade at 10 1/2 years old Arrow of Light.

Continued active in his troop after that and still is heavily involved today in Scouting - he's in college now, age 20, vice chief of administration with our OA lodge, has served on summer camp staff for four years, and helps as an ASM with our troop (even though he can't make weekly meetings because of the distance to college, he does attend campouts when he can).

Younger son just finished his last merit badge to complete requirements for Life and will be 14 in a month. We'll just have to wait and see when he earns his Eagle.

[rreeder]

I earned mine in 1974 at age 13. It took 2 years, 4 months.

My oldest son earned his at age 11 (5 days before 12th Birthday) after 1 year 10 months. He currently has 20 palms (121 MB)

My youngest son earned his at age 12, after 2 years 4 months. He currently has 8 palms (98 MB).

Both remain active in their unit (oldest is JASM, youngest is OA Rep) and are both active in the OA.

[lifescoutforlife]

The average time in our troop is 2 1/2 years from making life.

[jhawk]

My son was 13 years and 11 months, and in the 8th grade. He did his project during the summer between 7th and 8th grades. So, it was 2 years and 8 months after crossing over from Webelos. He announced as a Wolf cub in second grade that he was going to be an Eagle. He is still motivated now three and a half years later and has 13 or 14 palms. He has 113 merit badges and plans to earn them all. He says that even if he doesn't finish them all, he still thinks he has been very successful in scouts and he will be happy with whatever he gets done.
I think scouting has been one of the best influences in his life. He was critisized early on for "rushing" to Eagle, but he has his Arrow of Light done and could have crossed into scouting almost a year earlier and chose to stay with his den until everyone crossed over together. Of his original cub den, three crossed into boy scouts and have all made eagle before age 16.
It wasn't a race for any of them, just a desired destination.

[lifescoutforlife]

jhawk glad to see your son highly envolved. My son is on a very fast pace also but he was 11 1/2 when he crossed over. I at one time thought that eagle's should not be young but I have learned that they are all on there own pace, some just faster than others. I myself believe in goal setting and dreams. To all of you scouts out there that want to be eagle, set your goals and go after them reguardless how long it takes you.

[jhawk]

I think a lot of people are afraid that if boys get Eagle "too soon" that they will leave scouts before they have gotten enough out of it. I have not seen this happen. But many people have the mindset that once you get Eagle, you have completed scouting and ready to drop out. I am more worried that the boys who do not advance very often get frustrated and less motivated.....
As long as the scout himself is happy with his own pace, it's the correct pace....

[MDEagle]

I'm sure this is not original thought, but here's a few thoughts:

It's a function of the individual Scout's drive and determination, coupled with committed parents (for example: the Scout doesn't just magically show up at an event; he has to be driven there), and whatever other activities are on the Scout's plate.

A boy might make Eagle quickly if Scouting is his main activity. It may take a little longer if he's into sports or music or something else that takes time to master... not to mention a whole different set of functions to attend.

That's what is so impressive about Scouting as a program. It is tailorable to each situation, so that the individual boy can get as much out of the program as he needs/wants.

[Ridge Runner]

Nearly five years, late 1964. It was a time when one could only work on one rank at a time, nor start working on MB's until they made First Class. Very rare then to see an Eagle under the age of 16 during that era. First Class alone was a major achievment, often taking over a year to complete after making 2nd Class. To date, I still know Morse Code, how to track and stalk, how to use and read trail signs, etc. It was a great time to be in Scouting before it went Urban and down hill in the 70's.

And, as for some of the those MB's. Many were down right tuff, with a few of the 4H based MB's requiring at least a year to complete. Spent a whole summer putting in a small orchard just to earn the Fruit and Nut growing MB, and later, the Bee Keeping MB.

[scouter01]

my grandmas friend lets say born 1915-1925 got eagle at 15.

[Craft Lady]

Ridge Runner-- That is great that you still know Morse code. My biggest regret is that I did not learn it before the FCC did away with the code requirement. I foolishly let my husband loan out my Morse code CDs to a friend that said he wanted to borrow them for a week and I have never gotten them back. I really wanted to take the test to PROVE I could do it.


My son has been "working" on his Eagle in the grand Scheme of things since Sept 10, 2001. That was the day that he became a Tiger and also the day that he told me he would be one of the few that go from Tiger to Eagle.

Now on that path he currently is Star Scout. He will have all the Merit badges done for Star after Summer Camp. He plans to have the community service done in August (the volunteer activites he does stop for summer break due to low turn out.) He will be at 6 months active in the Troop and 6 months in a POR at the end of November. So he should be able to get his Life in December no problem.

So in theory he could be Eagle a year from now which would be 2 years and 6 months after he crossed over and he would be 12 years and 3 months old.

His goal however is by December 2008. He will be 12 years and 9 months old (well on Christmas he will be...) and he will have been in Boy Scouts for 3 years at that point.

Jennifer

[WVBeaver05]

For me, I crossed over right around 11 years old and completed my Eagle requirements right before my 18th birthday (yes, I am one of THOSE) - so we could call that 7 years. If you count Cub Scouting as part of the time I would add 3 years (I didn't join as soon as I could have).

And, yes, as some others have mentioned that was in a time when you could only work on one rank at a time. I moved along quickly in an active Troop and it took around a year and half to reach First Class. I know of some that took more like 3 years.

My son has expressed a goal of making Eagle before he turns 15. He could do it, but with the other activities that he is in I expect he will end up completing it while he is 15, but you never know -- he can be pretty stubborn about things and may make it before his birthday.

YiS

[mt_goodrich]

I didn't get my Eagle until a month before my 18th birthday. I was heavily involved in Scout and having fun and procrastinated. As I look back on it, I felt the journey was just as important as the destination.

There were other Scouts getting their Eagle at age 14 or 15 and once they did, they quit coming to meetings or being involved in Scouts. They reached their goal and that was all.

I was a Star Scout for the longest time. I was busy with being on staff of JLT (Junior Leader Training) and other Scout related activities.

My dad (Eagle Scout 1957) finally mentioned that it was getting close to the deadline and if I wanted to get my Eagle, I needed to re-prioritize some things.

I made adjustments and still stayed very involved in Scouts, I just made sure I refocused.

I am so glad I enjoyed the journey, as well as reaching the destination.

Mike Goodrich
Eagle Scout 1982
Asst. Scoutmaster