Previous page: Earning the Eagle
Age
The youngest possible age to earn the Eagle rank is mostly undefined. A boy may start Boy Scouting if 10 years old and has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts. There are no rank requirements based on ages. The first three Boy Scout ranks do not have a time requirement, but they do require at least ten separate activities — including three campouts -- other than normal troop or patrol meetings. The final three ranks have a total time requirement of 16 months and the Eagle rank needs (via the Camping merit badge) 17 additional nights of camping. Commonly, a boy begins at age 11, and if the troop (or patrol) provides one campout or other additional activity every month, potentially a boy could complete his Eagle in 26 months. In a minimum situation, a scout could earn his Eagle in over 16 months to 20 months. Ideally, the boy will have earned his First Class within the first year and at least one rank per year afterward.
Some Scoutmasters say that boys should not earn their Eagle before a certain age, such as 14, 15, or even 16 years old — and may even discourage quick young advancement. (But they should not create their own criteria to hold boys back.) The opposite argument is that boys may lose interest or needed time after 15 or 16 years old — and some Scoutmasters believe 14 is a good age when to complete the Eagle. It is likely that a boy completing requirements at 16 or 17 years old may have significantly different learning experiences than a 12 or 13 year old. Some say that older boys gain and understand more, while younger boys may have had their work wrongly done by zealous parents or leaders.
The project and all Eagle requirements must be completed before the boy turns 18, except the Board of Review may be shortly after.
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