Member-only story
Eagle Scout Rank
My kid started Cub Scouts in the first grade.
When he was just starting out, he declared that he was going to be an Eagle Scout, meaning that he would achieve the highest rank in Boy Scouts, the rank of Eagle. He kept saying that until he was in the 5th grade and in his last year of Cub Scouts.
The Scoutmaster of one of the local Boy Scout troops came to talk with the boys about Boy Scouts during their last year of Cub Scouts. After that meeting, my son told us that he didn’t want to be a Boy Scout. We asked him why, and he said that he wanted to do other things instead. That was a fair stance, so we told him that he could make that choice; however, since one of the requirements for him to achieve his last rank in Cub Scouts was to visit different Boy Scout troops to see which one he would like to join, he needed to keep an open mind and not make his final decision until after the troop visits. He agreed.
Around this same time, we received an invitation from a friend of mine that I used to work with. Her son had achieved the rank of Eagle and was having his Eagle Court of Honor. According to the Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Courts of Honor are
“fully developed celebrations recognizing Scouts who have attained Scouting’s highest rank. They often feature a variety of very special ceremonies commensurate with the high honor being bestowed…
