Is There Life After Earning Eagle Scout?
The Eagle Scout Award isn’t the finish line, but it might feel that way. What else can you do after Eagle? Scouting offers plenty of ways to stay active in your unit, help others along their Scouting trail and earn some really cool awards.
KEEP LEADING
Ever since Jacob Lowrie, 15, of Troop 336 in Fort Worth, Texas, earned the Eagle award, his main focus has been on helping other Scouts advance, including his younger brother, Mason.
Younger Scouts will naturally look to you as an Eagle to lead the way for them. Share your expertise and show them how to enjoy everything Scouting has to offer.
“I had a lot of help; I want to make sure the Scouts in the troop receive the same support I had,” Jacob says. The leadership and responsibility you’ve gained translates to serving your school, church and community, too. Jacob is a leader at his school’s FFA chapter, theater department and junior varsity band.
“Scouting helped me to work with others and have the vision to get something done as a team,” Jacob says.
KEEP SERVING
The Eagle Scout service project involves many hours to plan and carry out. It can be a monumental challenge to complete, but it can be rewarding to see your hard work benefit others — especially if that work affects future generations.
That rewarding feeling is what Ehren Braun, now 21, kept experiencing even after earning Eagle. Ehren, who was part of Troop 132 in Crystal Lake, Ill., got more involved in the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s honor society. Through OA treks, he visited Philmont Scout Ranch, Sea Base and Northern Tier, serving at each national high-adventure base. He also served as an OA trek guide at Summit Bechtel Reserve for the 2017 National Jamboree. While serving at Philmont, he was given the opportunity to work there for the summer.
“I look at life like you have one shot,” Ehren says. “I don’t want to look back and regret not doing something.”
So he took the job improving trails for hikers and teaching Scouts about conservation. He helped construct a trail to Window Rock, which thousands of Scouts from across the country can enjoy for many years to come.
KEEP LEARNING
There are more than 135 merit badges, and Ryan Hosking earned them all. The 18-year-old Eagle Scout from Troop 444 in Menifee, Calif., didn’t stop at the 21 Eagle-required badges. He didn’t stop at the 80 he had earned by the time he completed his Eagle board of review. He challenged himself to get them all.
“I learned so much by sticking with the program even after earning Eagle,” Ryan says. “It helped me figure out what career possibilities I liked and what I didn’t.”
Aviation, Bird Study, Coin Collecting, Photography, Welding — these can be hobbies and careers. You might find a lifelong passion by working on a merit badge. Take a chance and try something new.
By earning more than the required merit badges, you can receive Eagle Palms, which are bronze, gold and silver. You can pin them to your Eagle Scout medal ribbon or on the Eagle Scout rank emblem.
KEEP EXPLORING
Isaac D. Melvin with Troop 635 of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, visited the BSA’s high-adventure bases, hiking 73 miles at Philmont, paddling 168 miles at Northern Tier, working on a service project at a historic fort at Sea Base and attending the National Jamboree at the Summit.
Isaac, now 19, loves camping and being in nature. There’s a special award for that, too. He completed the requirements for the National Outdoor Awards, which inspire Scouts to camp, hike, swim, ride, conserve and embark on other adventures. He also earned a Hornaday badge by earning merit badges and leading a conservation project.
“Scouting is a broad program,” Isaac says. “There’s opportunities for you to do anything you want. If you’re willing to put in a little bit of work, Scouting will reward you.”
You can check out the BSA’s Exploring program, which delves into possible careers like law enforcement, health care and aviation. You can join a Venturing crew and plan awesome high-adventure outings with your friends. Or you can go on aquatic adventures with a Sea Scouts ship. All of these programs allow you to be in Scouting until you’re 20 or 21 years old.
“Scouting has something for anybody and everybody,” Isaac says. “I never felt like I outgrew the program. It gives you the opportunity to grow as a person and find out what your limits are.”
Of course there is life after Eagle. Why not get involved in Sea Scouting or Venturing? No need to leave your troop. Just check out the high adventure opportunities that Sea Scouts and Venturers enjoy.
There are also lots of opportunities to join up with scouts from other countries, like going to World Jamboree or international camporees and jamborees around the world. You can even be camp staff in another country. And most people don’t know that the BSA has Seabase locations in the US Virgin Islands.
Is there life after earning the rank of Eagle Scout? YES THERE IS……GIRL FRIENDS, DRIVER’S EDUCATION IN LEARNING TO DRIVE AN AUTOMOBILE, UNDERSTANDING FUTURE FATHERS-IN-LAW and UNDERSTANDING FUTURE MOTHERS-IN-LAW instead of Understanding Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters and Senior Patrol Leaders and Patrol Leaders…..PUBLIC SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL PROM NIGHTS…..There is a lot of life after earning the rank of Eagle Scout……Using the knowledge of either one or several merit badges to pursue both a vocation and career to produce a household income to have new future Eagle Scouts of a generation that excels the present generation and past generations of Eagle Scouts into the future…….Find an Eagle Scout whose handbook had black and white photographs to identify the autumn foliage of trees. Find an Eagle Scout whose generation never new Smart Telephones that had global positioning systems…..Find an Eagle Scout whose uniform was not machine washable material and who earned the Communications Merit Badge before the telephone company had telephone area codes and telephone exchanges…….There is a lot of life after earning the rank of Eagle Scout.
I just found this website, I remember getting the actual printed Boys Life back in the day (2000). Scouting was the best years, after I got my Eagle I was 15 and most of the guys my age already filtered out of the troop, sadly I stopped about 16.
But, I wish Scouting would reach out to Eagle Scout adults and ask us to volunteer with a local troop or something. We need to show the youngsters that Scouting is great even after the “boxes are checked”.
My son earned Eagle at 14. While some people poo-pooed and were, frankly, almost angry that he (and several boys in our tiny start-up troop) earned it so young, I’m proud to say that three years later he is still incredibly active in his troop. He has served as a Den Chief for 5 years, encouraging new Scouts to stay in the program. He has served as a camp counselor, and is going to his third high adventure camp. Although earning Eagle does involve some teamwork, it is still a largely individual achievement and goal. After becoming Eagle, a Scout can really focus on giving back to the program without “checking boxes” or beating deadlines, and look outward.
My son is a 12 year old star, while at scout camp
He said his goal was to get Eagle at 14! His councilor how was 17 said “you want to be done at 14?” My son replied “No, I want my Eagle at 14! I want all the Palms and merit badges too!”
Join Venturing / Exploring /Sea Scouts
As an Eagle Scout, mentor younger scouts, earn Palms for your Eagle by earning more merit badges, if you have not already, earn the appropriate religious award. Show leadership in your church and school. Organize a district or council wide “Gathering of Eagles” (past and present), Become active in your OA Chapter/Lodge. There is plenty for you to donow that you have become a part of the top 2% of Scouts