Maximum Time Between 18th BD and Eagle BOR?

[fritz1255]

A Scout who had his Eagle BOR scheduled for this week postponed it due to scheduling conflicts with the District Advancement Chair. I believe he turned 18 sometime in January (not sure - I can check the roster from the last Charter renewal). He completed his project and got the application in before his 18th BD, but is there a time limit between 18th BD and Eagle BOR? We obviously don't want him to not get his Eagle because of a technicality.

[Billiken]

IIRC, six months.

[PaulSWolf]

Here is the official information:

Scouts and Venturers who have completed all requirements prior to their 18th birthday may be reviewed within three months after that date with no explanation.

Boards of review conducted between three and six months after the candidate's 18th birthday must be preapproved by the local council. A statement by an adult explaining the reason for the delay must be attached to the Eagle Scout Rank Application when it is submitted to the Eagle Scout Service.

The Boy Scout Division at the national office must be contacted for procedures to follow if a board of review is to be conducted more than six months after a candidate's 18th birthday.

[smtroop168]

The EBORs that I've seen go past 6 months are generally due to the scout joining the military right after his 18th birthday and being in training or deployed.

[jr56]

True, it's all in the Advancement Policies and Procedures. It is quite frequent for EBOR to be held within a month or two of the 18th birthday due to scheduling conflicts and such.

[Bill Pitcher]

There have been MANY Eagle candidates running down the street, getting those final signatures, before turning 18!!! We've all seen it. As stated, 3 months after turning 18 for the EBoR. . . no problem, 3 to 6 months need an explination. After that, National Advancement Chairman's permission.

[PaulSWolf]

There have been MANY Eagle candidates running down the street, getting those final signatures, before turning 18!!! We've all seen it. As stated, 3 months after turning 18 for the EBoR. . . no problem, 3 to 6 months need an explination. After that, National Advancement Chairman's permission.

Actually, the signatures don't need to be before the 18th birthday (except those of MB Counselors). The Application form, and signatures on it, including those of the Scout, SM, and CC can be completed AFTER the birthday.

The top of the application form contains the following statement:

This application is to be completed after you have completed all requirements for the Eagle Scout rank....When you have completed this application, sign it and submit it to your unit leader

and later on the form:

CERTIFICATION BY APPLICANT. On my honor as a Scout/Venturer, all statements on this application are true and correct. All requirements were completed prior to my 18th birthday.
Signature of applicant, telephone number, and date

That implies that the date he signs the form is not necessarily before the birthday, only that all requirements had been completed by then.

Plus, there are separate places for the date of the SM Conference and the date of the SM's signature.

[Bill Pitcher]

Paul, are you saying then, that it is NOT required that the Eagle Candidate obtain the signatures of his SM and CC? If it is, then why isn't everything signed before his 18th. birthday? I know that the Advancement Guide has specific guidlines about the EBoR, but the signature thing ISN'T clear! In our council, we will continue to make sure all signatures are on the application before the candidates 18th.

[nolesrule]

The Eagle Application is itself not one of the 7 requirements for Eagle (the 7th being the EBoR and the only one not needed to be completed before 18th birthday). It's just paperwork. So why would the signatures need to be dated before the 18th birthday? Especially if, as pointed out above, the signature is to verify that the first 6 requirements were completed before then, which implies that it could be signed after that date.

If a Scout is running around for signatures on anything, it'd be for the approval of project completion on the project workbook. The Eagle app does require entering the date of the final signature on that requirement. And that requirement must be completed before 18th birthday.

[smtroop168]

The reality is that the SM signature usually occurs at the SMC which can be the night before 18. The CC signature is usually after the 18th birthday when it needs to be.

Of course we get into different scenarios if the SM refuses to do a SMC and/or sign the application.

[PaulSWolf]

Paul, are you saying then, that it is NOT required that the Eagle Candidate obtain the signatures of his SM and CC? If it is, then why isn't everything signed before his 18th. birthday? I know that the Advancement Guide has specific guidlines about the EBoR, but the signature thing ISN'T clear! In our council, we will continue to make sure all signatures are on the application before the candidates 18th.

Yes and No.

The SM and CC must ordinarily sign the application, but there is NO requirement that that be done before the 18th birthday.

And, of course, if an SM or CC refuses to sign, then the Scout can turn in the application and have that issue resolved at the EBoR.

The requirements that must be completed before the 18th birthday are:

1 Be active in your troop, team, crew, or ship for a period of at least 6 months after you have achieved the rank of Life Scout.
2 Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. ...
3 Earn a total of 21 merit badges
4 While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period of 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility ...
5 While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project ... (INCLUDING THE WORKBOOK AND ALL SIGNATURES IN THE WORKBOOK)
6 Take part in a Scoutmaster conference.

[RWSmith]

No offense Bill, but Paul is (as always) correct...

The fact that there is no 'stated' requirement that the date the SM or CC signed the Eagle Appl. must be prior to the candidate's 18th birthday, does not make the question unclear and does not mean National has not addressed it, either -- it just makes it what it is... a non-requirement.

[PaulSWolf]

Thanks, Bob. But "Almost" would be more accurate.

And, of course, getting the application signed and turned in before the birthday is desirable, just not mandatory. So long as the Council doesn't REQUIRE that the Scout turn it in, they're OK. But if they refuse an application after that date, they're adding to the requirements,and that, of course, is a big NO-NO!!

[RWSmith]

Recent posts regarding ESRA, Req. 6 - "Attach to this application".... were split off to a new thread.