Are you the proud parent of an Eagle Scout? Well, congratulations! It’s a long haul both for the Boy Scout and his family, and finally getting Boy Scouting’s highest award is a major accomplishment indeed.
Your Scout has earned all the merit badges, fulfilled all the service requirements and done his Eagle project. He’s been to his Board of Review and been pronounced an Eagle Scout. But it’s not quite over yet.
Most new Eagle Scouts and their families choose to celebrate this very special achievement by hosting an Eagle Court of Honor and reception. This can be as simple or as elaborate as the family sees fit.
I recently planned an Eagle Court of Honor for my son, who attained his rank on Oct. 16, 2007. It took a bit of work and coordination, plus vital help from friends and family members.
At the Court of Honor, a ceremony is conducted before family, friends and community members, in which the Eagle Scout is officially introduced in his new status, and he is able to thank and honor the people who helped him achieve his goal.
My son’s troop, Troop 504 in Aromas, Calif., has traditionally made a big deal out of the Eagle Court of Honor ceremony. I understand in some troops that the ceremony is not that long or involved, and sometimes several Eagle Scouts are inducted at the same time.
In our troop, typically each Eagle Scout has had his own Court of Honor, with the ceremony lasting about an hour and the reception afterward lasting between one and two hours.
I can’t speak for how other troops organize their Eagle Courts, but I can tell you how Troop 504 does theirs. It’s usually a very nice afternoon for all concerned.
Often families will take between two and three months to plan the Court of Honor. This allows time for a venue to be booked, invitations to be sent, and a program to be organized. You may want to order “The Eagle Court of Honor Book,” which is advertised as the complete guide to planning Scouting ceremonies. (It’s available at www.eaglebook.com.)
I have to confess, I didn’t use this book, so I can’t recommend it one way or the other. You can also search for information online or get advice from local Scouters.
Here are some considerations in planning your son’s Eagle Court of Honor:
Letters of commendation (two months prior to Court of Honor): If your Scout would like to have letters of commendation from government officials and other public leaders, requests should be made as soon as possible. This is done by sending request letters via U.S. mail. You can get letters of commendation from the White House, former U.S. presidents, current senators and other representatives. You can find lists with addresses at http://usscouts.org/eagle/eaglecongrats.asp and www.eaglescout.org/finale/coh/invite.html. A sample request letter may be found at www.eaglescout.org/finale/coh/invite.html.
These letters can be displayed at the Eagle Court of Honor. A good display method is to insert them into picture frames and display them on a table so they can be easily seen. They can also be displayed in plastic 8-1/2×11 protective sheets. Either way, the letters can be handled without any worry that they will be torn or stained. After the ceremony, the letters can be saved in an album.
Booking a venue (at least one month before Court of Honor): Where you choose to hold the ceremony will depend on how many people you think will attend as well as what your budget is. Some Scout families have the Court of Honor in their homes. However, if you expect a large crowd, you may want to book a grange hall, church facility or community center.
Invitations (one month before): Official Eagle Scout Court of Honor invitations are available at your local Scout store or online at www.scoutstuff.org. Some people design and make their own, often including the Eagle Scout’s picture on the invitation. Your Scout store may be able to show you examples of what other families have done.
What kind of reception (two to three weeks before): Again, it’s a matter of budget and personal preference. Some families simply provide cake and punch afterward. Others have a buffet with finger food. Some go all out and host a sit-down lunch or barbecue. However, if you do have a substantial meal, you will have to make sure there are tables and chairs for seating. You will also need table coverings and perhaps some kind of decor for the tables. In addition, don’t forget beverage cups, plates, utensils and napkins.
Decorations (one to two weeks before): Red, white and blue is traditional at Eagle Scout events. Items like tablecloths and and balloons with the Eagle symbol are available at Scout stores. However, any red, white and blue items will do. Helium-filled balloons are popular, and crepe paper in the three colors can be used to decorate tables, benches or podiums.
At my son’s Eagle Scout ceremony, we cut small boughs from pine trees and holly bushes and arranged them in the center of the tables. This was a nice alternative to floral arrangements.
Memorabilia (one to two weeks before): Our troop is very big on displaying all kinds of items from the Eagle Scout’s past, including any kind of badges, patches or awards he has earned, Cub Scout craft items, Cub Scout shirts, patches and belts, and items from activities such as the Pinewood Derby.
I realized a few years ago that my son probably was going to get his Eagle, and had deliberately started saving items that I knew might have a place in his display. I ended up with quite a bit of stuff. I pinned all his badges, patches and other two-dimensional items to a large bulletin board, so they could easily be seen. I also displayed his Boy Scout and Cub Scout books, a letter he’d written from Boy Scout camp one year, and a photo album with pictures from past Scouting activities.
In addition, I printed out photos from his Eagle project and pasted them to two large pieces of poster board, with text explaining each step of the process. That way, people got to see what exactly he had done. (His project was landscaping the front of the parking lot at our local elementary school.)
Choosing a program (one to two weeks prior): The Scout should work with a Scoutmaster or other adult leader to decide on the program. Again, this can be as simple or elaborate as everyone wants it to be.
My son chose a variety of readings for his program about what it means to be an Eagle Scout, and asked various members of his troop to participate. Readings are readily available at many Scout Web sites; some of the best ones are at http://usscouts.org/macscouter/Eagle/EagleBook_Scripts.asp and www.eaglescout.org/finale/coh/coh.html.
Like all Scouting events, the Court of Honor opened with a flag ceremony. After an introduction by an assistant Scoutmaster, there were inspirational readings and a candle lighting ceremony in which some of the Scouts talked about what the different ranks of Scouting meant.
We also included an Eagles’ Nest, in which audience members who were Eagle Scouts were invited to introduce themselves, and then were escorted to a special seating area. At the end of the ceremony, audience members were invited to stand up and tell stories about my son, recalling a variety of Scouting memories.
The Scoutmaster introduced my son as the troop’s newest Eagle Scout. In turn, my son honored his father and I and his brother with special pins for Eagle Scout family members, and also gave pins to adult leaders who had helped him on his way.
There are many other options for Eagle Courts of Honor; some suggestions may be found at http://usscouts.org/macscouter/Eagle/EagleBook.asp.
However, you probably don’t want your ceremony to run over an hour. Also, be sure to schedule a quick practice session with everyone involved. This can be done an hour before the ceremony starts.
Helpers (one month to one week prior): Make sure you have a least one or two trusted friends to help with setup and takedown. In our troop, the Scouts also assist with this. Two good friends and my parents helped with the food, decorations and other considerations. I could not have done it without them.
In the end, we got many compliments about my son’s Court of Honor, and everyone had a good time. What more can you ask for?
