Eagle Certificate Still Shows Pres. Bush as Honorary Chair

[Billiken]

Yesterday my brother received his son's Eagle Scout certificate and "hardware".
My brother is the Committee Chair of the troop.

My nephew's board of review had been in late February and that's the date shown on the Eagle Certificate.

My brother noticed that the certificate still shows President Bush as the Honorary Chairman of the BSA.
Since the date was February 2009 (post-inauguration) shouldn't the certificate show Pres. Obama?
He sent a note to the Greater St. Louis Scout Exec asking about this.

Has President Obama declined the honorary chairman title?
or
Did somebody at national use an outdated certificate?

[wagionvigil]

Using up the old certificates.

There is a picture on scouting.org of The New President with scouting representatives in the Oval office

[biglou]

Yeppers, they will use up the old certificates. When I completed my Eagle Scout BOR, Ronald Reagan was POTUS and my Eagle Scout Certificate has his signature on it. However, when my older brother and I recieved our Eagle Scout badges, President Bush #42 was POTUS. We both got the standard letters of recognition from both the Reagan and Bush White House. I think that is cool.

[smtroop168]

Mine says Nixon. Wagion's says Coolidge.

[wagionvigil]

Mine says Nixon. Wagion's says Coolidge.

Actually LBJ

[jr56]

Mine has RMN.

[AquilaNegra2]

Fantastic! How do we make sure to get the old certificate? #1 just finished his project and is awaiting EBOR. He's already said he doesn't want the BHO one; would be a great surprise to him to obtain the other.

[wagionvigil]

You get what you get and BHO is the POTUS like it or Not.

[AquilaNegra2]

Just his personal preference. Frankly, he'd probably use one from BHO as a firestarter . Appreciate the info. Wonder if a sticky on it would produce the results he wants?

[Billiken]

My Eagle Certificate is signed by an Eagle Scout.

Gerald R. Ford

[Billiken]

RIDICULOUS

Below is the reply that my brother received from his District Exec:
Thanks for writing. It is my understanding that the National Supply Division (the BSA organization that provides all of our materials) uses all the ex-presidents Eagle certificates until they run out.
They will then switch to the new president.

Unfortunately, it's their policy to use all the old signatures and then switch to the new ones.

President Obama has agreed to sign the Eagle certificates. It's just a matter of time until his signature starts appearing.

The most-recognized and prestigious accomplishment any youth in our country can earn and the BSA Supply Division doesn't want to throw out certificates with incorrect data on them.
Wonder how much the party in Orlando is costing the organization (National Annual Meeting in May)?????

Wait until later this year or early 2010.
Ask for a replacement certificate.
If they want to charge you for it deduct the amount from your 2010 FOS donation.

[FrankJ]

They have missed a golden opportunity. They should just keep the old ones. Then they would have a supply of old presidents & the eagle could order the one with the President's signature they want.

[smtroop168]

Sell them on ebay. I've seen some with Hoover's signature go for big bucks.

[kwildman]

i think that regardless of politics the signature should be from the POTUS at the time the eagle was earned. It is supposed to be an acknowledgment of accomplishment and is not an endorsement.


I will treat your president with the same respect that you treated mine.

[AquilaNegra2]

They have missed a golden opportunity. They should just keep the old ones. Then they would have a supply of old presidents & the eagle could order the one with the President's signature they want.

Brilliant!!

You should submit this idea.

[FrankJ]

:lol: I will treat your president with the same respect that you treated mine.

Actually the president is the president (DUH?) Yours & mine really do not apply unless we are citizens of different counties. Which is not as unlikely as you might think. We used to have a scout that was a citizen of the UK.

[LSR]

National is making a HUGE mistake here. I voted for McCain and am about as far from a liberal as one can get (except, oddly enough, in Scouting where I'm slightly left of center-go figure) and I can't believe they are doing this. What they are doing borders on open disrespect to the President. It's foolish and sets a terrible example to the Scouts.

It also has the potential to backfire on the BSA-badly. I have a few Black Scouts in my Troop (as well as a few parents who are active in Democrat politics.) Our Council has a few Troops that are sponsored by Black churches. I mention Race here only in that some of the board members who live in predominately White areas of the country might not realize what a HUGE deal Obama is in the Black community. I'm pretty sure National has no idea, or they'd have retired the old certificates IMMEDIATELY. If my grandson were to receive an Eagle certificate signed by President Bush three months after he left office, I'd be a combination of amused and (quietly) grateful. I can assure you a Black Scout would be profoundly disappointed at best. If that young man was one of my Scouts, I'd be too. I'll be pleasantly surprised if a certificate signed by President Bush, several months into President Obama's term doesn't get us into the papers.

[wagionvigil]

Believe it or not this happens every four years

[WVBeaver05]

IMHO, politics does/should not enter into this. I believe that the certificate should be signed by the president at the time it is earned....period.

And, that National should be able to predict and manage the inventory to cover the needs without significant waste.

But, that's just me.

YiS

[AquilaNegra2]

#1 got his today (hooray!). He was thrilled to find that yes, indeed, it has Dubya's signature (not a facsimile, which thrilled him even more) on it. So I guess they're not out of certificates yet.