Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by over 2.5 million youth.
Advancement and recognition in the Boy Scouts of America is a tradition dating from the inception of the Scouting movement. A fundamental purpose of advancement is the self-confidence a young man or woman acquires from his participation in Scouting. Advancement is one of the methods used in the "Aims and Methods of Scouting"– character development, citizenship training and personal fitness.
A variety of religious emblems programs are used by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to encourage youth to learn about their faith and to recognize adults who provide significant service to youth in a religious environment. These religious programs are created, administered and awarded by the various religious groups, not the BSA, but each program must be recognized by the BSA.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) use uniforms and insignia to give a Scout visibility and create a level of identity within both the unit and the community. The uniform is used to promote equality while showing individual achievement. While all uniforms are similar in basic design, they do vary in color and detail to identify the different membership divisions of Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA and Venturing. Many people collect BSA insignia such as camporee and jamboree emblems, council shoulder strips and historical badges.
The history of merit badges in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has been tracked by categorizing them into a series of merit badge types. In addition to the Boy Scouts of America, many other Scouting and Scouting-like organizations around the world, such as Pathfinders, Baden-Powell Scouts and Royal Rangers, issue merit badges or their equivalent; though they are sometimes called honors or proficiency badges. Other organizations, such as fire brigades, issue badges or awards that they refer to as merit badges, but that is in some respects different from the badges awarded by the BSA.
William Hillcourt, known within the Scouting movement as "Green Bar Bill", was an influential leader in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization from 1927 to 1992. Hillcourt was a prolific writer and teacher in the areas of woodcraft, troop and patrol structure, and training; his written works include three editions of the BSA's official Boy Scout Handbook, with over 12.6 million copies printed, other Scouting-related books and numerous magazine articles. Hillcourt developed and promoted the American adaptation of the Wood Badge adult Scout leader training program.
Scouts BSA is the flagship program and membership level of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for boys and girls between the ages of typically 11 and 17. It provides youth training in character, citizenship, and mental and personal fitness. Scouts are expected to develop personal religious values, learn the principles of American heritage and government, and acquire skills to become successful adults.
Richards Marion "Doc" Miller is a dentist and one of the founders of the Venturing program of the Boy Scouts of America. Miller is the recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and Silver Buffalo Award
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was inspired by and modeled on The Boy Scouts Association, established by Robert Baden-Powell in Britain in 1908. In the early 1900s, several youth organizations were active, and many became part of the BSA.
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA) is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It is awarded to an Eagle Scout who has achieved extraordinary national-level recognition, fame, or eminence within their profession and/or service to the nation and has a strong record of voluntary service to their community. Stringent criteria begins with a minimum of 25 years from the official record date the Eagle Scout rank was earned, a nomination process, selection committee review, and approval by the National Eagle Scout Association. It is one of only two BSA awards presented to adults dependent upon the recipient's having been awarded Eagle Scout as a youth; the other is the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA). Recipients of the DESA are known as Distinguished Eagle Scouts.
The advancement program for Scouts participating in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America is symbolized by the earning of seven ranks. The advancement program is often considered to be divided into two phases. The first phase from joining to First Class is designed to teach the scout Scoutcraft skills, how to participate in a group and to learn self-reliance. The Scout badge is awarded when the Scout demonstrates a rudimentary knowledge of the Scouting ideals and program. Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class have progressively harder requirements in the areas of Scoutcraft, physical fitness, citizenship, personal growth and Scout Spirit.
Square knot insignia are embroidered cloth patches that represent awards of the Scout associations throughout the world.
The Eagle Scout Service Project, or simply Eagle Project, is the opportunity for a Scout, or qualified Venturer or Sea Scout in the Boy Scouts of America (B.S.A.) to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of their community. This is the culmination of the Scout's leadership training, and it requires a significant effort on his or her part. The project must benefit an organization other than the B.S.A., and it cannot be performed for an individual or a business or be commercial in nature. Completing an Eagle Project is a requirement in order for Scouts to attain the Eagle Scout rank.
The BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award Program is a series of awards presented by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for service in conservation and ecology. Created by William Temple Hornaday as the Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund Medal in 1915, the program is designed to encourage learning about natural resource conservation and the environment, teach sound stewardship of the natural resources and the environment, and recognize those who are outstanding in this field. After Hornaday's death in 1937, the program was renamed in his honor to the William T. Hornaday Awards in 1938 and offically became a BSA award program. In October 2020, after a review of Hornaday's life, the BSA changed the name of and significantly modified the program, stating that some of Hornaday's beliefs went "against the BSA’s values," and determined that "the conservation award should no longer bear his name in order to uphold our commitment against racism and discrimination."
Edward Leslie Rowan is a retired psychiatrist, sex therapist, active author, and Scouting leader from Exeter, New Hampshire. He has been associated with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for over 50 years and is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA) from the BSA in 1992.
The NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It is awarded to an Eagle Scout by the National Eagle Scout Association for distinguished service to his profession and community upon the recommendation of his local BSA council NESA committee, Scout executive and council president.
Thomas D. Allen served as the Secretary of the United States Fund for International Scouting (USFIS) within the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation, and as a member of the International Committee and the National Executive Board of the BSA, as well as a member of the World Scout Programme Committee. He was also appointed to the National Committee involved in putting out the 1979 Scout Handbook after the attempt at rebranding scouting in the 1970s, which he described as "a disaster." He served as the Scoutmaster of Troop #10 of the Pathway to Adventure Council in Illinois from October 1953 to the Summer of 1973, and was an Assistant Scoutmaster both before and after.
In the Boy Scouts of America, a Scout leader refers to the trained leaders of a Scout unit. Adult leaders are generally referred to as "Scouters," and the youth leaders are referred to by their position within a unit. In all Scouting units above the Cub Scout pack and units serving adolescent Scouts, leadership of the unit comprises both adult leaders (Scouters) and youth leaders (Scouts). This is a key part of the Aims and Methods of Scouting. In order to learn leadership, the youth must actually serve in leadership roles.
