Here’s a question I saw today on Linked-In: For those familiar with Scouting and the rank of Eagle Scout: What is your opinion of its value to a young man’s future…?
My answer: Some of the best candidates I have ever worked with were Eagle Scouts. Last year, I placed a 34-year old Harvard MBA with a client as their new President. During the interview process I asked him "Of what accomplishment are you most proud?" I expected him to say "I was valedictorian of my class at Brigham Young University …" or "I was ranked # 4 in my class at Harvard Business School …" or "I was was one of sixty (out of 58,000) employees selected to attend my company’s global leadership development program."
But his immediate response was "I am an Eagle Scout."
Scouting rocks, and any young man who makes it through the five-year gauntlet of leadership activities and community projects to become an Eagle is highly achievement oriented. And that’s what my executive search clients pay me to source for them. There are 28 million Scouts worldwide, and less than 1% make it to Eagle. Becoming an Eagle is no accident. It takes real planning and commitment. And it takes guts.
Parents: If your son wants to pursue Scouting, don’t just let him — encourage him. And candidates: If you are an Eagle Scout, make sure it ends up on your resume. It’s one of the terms I look for on a resume to tell me whether a candidate has "the right stuff."
Harry, would you say the same thing about anyone who has served their 4-6 year commitment in the military? Would you, as a recruiter prefer one over the other?
I know there are a lot of employers who LOVE military folks because of the rigor, training and mental toughness they bring to the job.
I like Paul’s question about the military and I would say that the Eagle Scout is more special because it is not mandatory once you sign up that you have to continue on the path as you do with military service plus it show that this person was committed to this at an age when young people generally cannot stay focused for more than five minutes.
Also being a prior service man myself I know you can get buy for 4 to 6 years in the military but you can’t get buy and become an eagle scout.
But having either would show me that this person has been through some metal toughness training that most people will not see.
Thanks for the reminder, Harry. Those who make Eagle Scout have an incredible amount of commitment for a teenage boy. It takes a lot of work to earn each merit badge (they take hours and hours) plus all the community service you mention as well as leadership in a troop. That attention to detail and perseverance make up some of the right ingredients for a fine executive.
Check out this great blog I saw recently at ReturnCustomer on how to run your business like an Eagle Scout: http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/08/how-to-run-your-business-like-an-eagle-scout/
A friend of the family who is an HR VP at a huge, multi-national company, and has been in that industry for 20+ years, used to say that being an Eagle Scout would get someone hired over a similar candidate who was not.
Harry, as an Eagle Scout, I know what it takes to earn the rank. I’ve never flaunted it, and it was never on my resume. But almost anytime I mention I’m an Eagle if it comes up in conversation, it draws words of admiration.
If I had two job candidates of equal qualifications, the Eagle rank might be the tie-breaker. Similarly with military service.
I’m not sure how much the Eagle rank means to yoing people today, though. I know Scouting has taken a major hit over thge last 20 years, as kids have so many other activities including computers, and the movement has struggled to maintain relevancy.
That’s a shame, since I remember how much I got from Scouting in terms of teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and so much more.
Thanks one and all for the thoughtful comments.
1.) Military service is very admirable, and it certainly matters to me. Not because I have been in the military, but military people tend to have a “can-do” attitude and seem to know how to get a lot done with limited resources. At least that’s been my experience.
2.) “Eagle Scout” on a resume is shorthand for “virtue.” Eagle Scouts are solemnly sworn to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. As a marketing recruiter, it can be difficult for me to ask someone outright about these character traits. But if the words “Eagle Scout” appear on a resume, then I can be confident that the candidate is a straight-shooter. It certainly doesn’t knockout non-Eagles, nor does it automatically green light Eagles. But it is a sort of “Good Housekeeping” seal for the person’s character.
3. I am no paragon of virtue, and I am hardly the voice of Scouting. Indeed, I have more flaws and idiosyncrasies than 95% of the candidates I interview.
However, a few years ago my six year old son asked me if he could join Scouts. I cringed at the thought of my running around in a nerdy BSA outfit.
But then I researched what Scouts stands for and came to the conclusion that our secular society forces boys (and girls!!) to grow up too soon. And I thought to myself “If I don’t get off of my couch and teach my boy what it means to be a man, Snoop Dogg and MTV will do it for me.”
So we joined BSA, and it has been a wonderful experience. We actually slept in a cave last year — and my son and I have created many wonderful, productive, happy memories together.
Great to see this spoken about here. No one will ever forget President Ford in the scout ad, wearing his BSA uniform! That picture tells the whole story!
Yes and President Ford was the only President every to be an Eagle Scout. It certainly was an indicator of his personality and ethics as he represented himself with that code of conduct (trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent) until his death last month.
Kind of refreshing to read that there are still people in this world that appreciate those values!
I am a 21 year old Eagle Scout, going to school for Mechanical Engineering. I live outside Detroit and jobs are hard to come by right now, especially in my field. I was just wondering if any of you had any suggestions on how to properly put Eagle Scout on my resume. I’m trying hard to get some sort of internship or even a job offer since I will be graduating by the end of the year. Also, working midnights is getting old. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
My son is a 1st year Webelos in Cub Scouts. My husband is an Eagle Scout. Our son specifically joined Scouts to be an Eagle just like his Daddy and asks how much longer it will be. We tell him 7 to 8 years and he says that’s o.k. he can wait. The Eagle rank has brought much value not only to my husband’s life but to a little boy who values his Daddy and wants to grow up and be just like him and thinks its worth the wait.
First let me say I think scouting is one of the best activities for young men. but I’d like to pose a question here regarding what I consider to be the “dumbing down” of the Eagle Award. When I was a scout (20-25 years ago) few boys attained Eagle. As a high school teacher I have known many Eagle scouts over the years. some I have had sincere reservations about their character. One had even been arrested and charged with crimes just a year before his Eagle Award. My son is a scout and we discussed early on the idea of attaining Eagle. He made it clear that he was interested in attaining Eagle because he was very interested in learning from earning the variety of merit badges required. I considered this an extremely healthy attitude for an 11 year old and supported him saying he was in it for the experience of the path rather than the destination. I see merit badges (especially at summer camps) regularly earned with less and less time and/or work. I sit on boards of review for rank advancement and when posed with the quesiton of why a scout is advancing the answer is consistently “because I want to earn Eagle to help me get into a good college! Thoughts?
First things first: I am an Eagle Scout (earned mine in 1964) and , now, so is my son (earned his in 2006). After a 25 year “retirement” from Scouting, I got re-involved when he joined Cub Scouts.
There is no question that the Eagle is a “door opener.” Different folks may view it for different values : perseverance, integrity, leadership, skills, or all of the above. However, it is the reputation of the Eagles – once they get the chance to show what they are made of – that gives it a lasting value. When we hold an Eagle Court of Honor (the formal ceremony where the badge and medal are presented), one of the pieces of the ceremony is the reminder that the Eagle is a “marked man;” that, going forward, people will now expect more of him because of his rank.
The great majority of the Eagles that I know or have known live up to that challenge. Even some boys that I had some initial “doubts” about have “grown into” the responsibility.
Thus, while some boys start out wanting to attain Eagle because of some perceived advantage, the rank changes them, by the time they reach Eagle, or shortly thereafter, they get that Eagle attitude that stays with them the rest of their life.
I too am an Eagle Scout, and although I have never received special placement in education or employment due to my rank the principles built into and behind the rank show through. I have been with my company for 18 years, starting out at the lowest of positions. I have now worked through many different positions in the company and am currently in middle management. Far more of my employees give up after a few months or years than are willing to stay through the storms and the bottom of the heap jobs that are required.
As both a Cub Master and Scout Master I can tell you that scouting is still relevant. The merit badges that are required are on track for building young boys into men for the good of our future. Some merit badges do come easy, but most are intense and far from easy. The badges that are named as required for the rank of Eagle are among the toughest and require extensive work and study.
I am also a veterin of the US Army, and although I am proud to have served my country… I feel far more accomplishment in earning the rank of Eagle than my entire 7 years of military service.
It takes a special type of person to be a Boy Scout. To stand up and take the peer pressure of being a scout instead of the school jock or Joe cool gang banger is not easy! I have respect for any boy who earns his First Class rank, as this marks the point of the foundation being set for him to build the structure required to earn his Eagle award. It is within this foundation where a boy decides how far he will go and what he can accomplish in scouts and beyond.
If you have a son who shows even a slight interest in scouts, get him to a meeting, stand with him, and encourage him with all you have. It is worth every moment of time, money and energy you could ever invest.
God Bless,
I am not an Eagle Scout but was in the Scouts. I have to say we did some cool and, at times, challenging things.
Every month there was some sort of outdoor activity: backpacking, skiing, spelunking (caving), etc.
I remember crawling through a cave, going around something called “the figure eight”, and seeing bats up close with my head lamp.
Later in our spelunking adventure someone asked the adult Scout leaders (as they poured over maps of the cave network) if we were lost? Not lost, replied the Scout leader, we are temporarily dis-oriented. I loved that cool, calm response.
I did lose interest in Scouting but have always admired those who stayed with it to become Eagle Scouts. It is my impression that it takes until about your Senior year in high school to achieve Eagle status. You must do a fairly major project, hands on, to finally be awarded your Eagle.
I think people should address Chris’s question above. He wants to know how to properly present his Eagle achievement on his resume.
Chris, does your resume have an “accomplishments” section? That might be the place.
I have been both a job seeker and now I help hire for our company. And I can tell you hiring is very stressful. You want to make sure you are getting a good, reliable person who can get along with others, etc. Your Eagle might make the difference in getting you in for an interview. You are likely a more mature than average 21 year old student.
I am an eagle scout, and quite proud of it. I’m also now a scoutmaster, and proud to say that I encourage as many youth as possible through the trail to earning their Eagle rank. While the rank is demanding, and can require rather rigorous personal intent; I think that some of the above posters are corrent in their assesment that it isn’t quite as tough as it was before. Perhaps it’s due to the increased structure of the program as a whole, with more resources and training making leaders more involved and proactive in pushing youth when a more proactive youth led approach might be better in the long run. That being said, getting 21 merit badges, and serving as a leader for 1.3 years (the minimum) and racking up at least 20 or so service hours is tough, but it isn’t inordinantly difficult. Many of the youth in our troop progress from no rank to first class in the first year, (by their twelfth birthday), and then earn each of the subsequent ranks in the minimum alloted time (4 months to star, 6 months to life, 6 months to eagle), and can earn eagle right around their 14th birthday.
I used to be opposed to this rapid progression, thinking instead that a scout should pace their progress to last them until they neared the age of 18, when the cutoff for advancement occurs. But as I’ve grown more familiar with the varisty program (a high-adventure and/or sports oriented program, geared towards older scouts 14-18), and the venturing program (a high-level deep approach to personalized scout progress in some great areas of emphasis), I realize that Eagle scout is more akin to graduating from college. The varisty program is the natural progression, as would be a masters degree; and the Venturing program is a crowning achievement, much like a PhD. I’ve only met a few scouts who have earned the Silver Medal (the eagle scout of the Venturing Program) and they were amazing individuals. We now encourage our youth to progress through eagle quickly, and ‘graduate’ into the programs that give them a more diversified and deep experience than simply earning eagle.
But, at the end of the day, any achievement in scouting is noteworthy. I am proud to be an eagle scout, but attribute much of it to leaders who realized it was important when I did not. I put it on every resume I’d ever made, proudly, and in bold letters. And now I give back and push the youth as much as I can to do the same. Advancement is only one of the many ways in which scouting improves the life of the kids who participate in it, but all of them are better for it’s influence, however limited.
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All good posts: am a 2nd generation Eagle, current Scoutmaster and soon to be father of an Eagle (just his project to go!). It has been on every resume I’ve had, even during a self-employed consulting stint. I truly don’t know if it benefitted me in any way by itself, other than it has made me a better man, father, and husband, which makes me a better employee, manager, and boss. Any Scouting I see mentioned on a resume is a plus to me when I’m hiring, even if the young man didn’t make it to Eagle. I personally list it under my education header.
As I say to my Eagles during their last conference with me, we just don’t flip the switch when you finish your paperwork and *poof!* your an Eagle. You’ve been becoming an Eagle since the first day you put on your Scout uniform. And when we pin the ribbon on your chest, your journey isn’t over. In fact, the real ethical and moral challenges of adulthood that will be thrown at you every day in your adult life will show to yourself and others that you are an Eagle Scout and what that really means. “You will be looked upon a little more conspicuously.”
Some parents push their sons to get it for resume building, no doubt. I’ve heard some Scouts say they are only doing it just for their mother/father. So be it, they’re still doing it and may just pick up a few lessons along the way, at least more than they may have otherwise staying at home playing video games. I’ve known some pretty rotten guys that were Eagles, at times I’ve been a rotten guy. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect. If you think it’s easier than it was 20 or 30 years ago, I caution you not to be looking through rose colored glasses. Make sure your committees are adequately trained so that it isn’t a cakewalk. Make sure your merit badge counselors aren’t giving the merit badges away. I’ve heard of summer camps that let kids take 5 and 6 merit badges in a week– crap, only a few years of that and you have handed the kid his Eagle. Don’t take your troop to that kind of a summer camp. If you think it’s too easy then do something about it.
As someone that earned his Eagle at 14, I will challenge anyone to ever convince me a 14 year old is mature enough to have earned it, I certainly wasn’t. It is a journey, not a race. Luckily I stayed in Scouts through my teen years but wasn’t as active as I should’ve been at a time in my life when I needed Scouting to keep me on the straight and narrow and at a time when my troop needed my leadership (“To help other people at all times”). I was onto a next set of challenges, of the two ‘fumes’: gas fumes and perfumes.
The Eagle Scout isn’t the magic pill either, it’s just one more piece of the puzzle that we hope makes our sons better men than we are.
I recieved TWO extra stripes as enlisted to the United States Air Force for my eagle.
Eagles soar above the ranks.
http://www.scoutchief.com
My 15 yr old, Bill, is a Life Scout and SPL of Troop 44 in Brooklyn, CT. (He made Life at 14). He is VERY active in his Troop and wants to achieve his Eagle by 16. This all started out because his father only made Tenderfoot, but the closeness that Scouts has brought between the three of us is immeasurable. His father and I are on the committees for the Troop and now Sea Scout Ship 584 out of Groton, CT. He wants to remain active in the Troop and Ship even after attaining Eagle and has aspirations toward either the Coast Guard or Merchant Marine Academy. Bill initiated the contact with Ship 584, (when the former Scoutmaster didn’t) and has impressed the adults in the Troop and Ship alike. He is heading up the Table at the local Middle School’s Open House tonight. He is as proud of making Life at 14 as we are proud of him for sticking with it. He still makes time for homework and friends and some computer time, but always in the back of his mind is the question: “how can I make my Troop better, bigger and successful?” Our Troop Committee Chairman has been known to say that Bill is the “Poster Boy” for Scouting, he may not get national recognition for truly living the Scout oath, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stop living it. We are all very proud of Bill.
I want to respond to Rons comment about “dumbing down” of the Eagle Award. I only made it to Life 35 years ago. My son is now 14, Life, finishing up a year as Senior Patrol Leader, and is 3 merit badges and his project away from Eagle. Eagle isn’t any easier now than it was in the past. The difference is the focus in many Troops on advancement. We do a much better job of guiding and mentoring Scouts. In our Troop, we have several active Assistant Scoutmasters to conduct Scoutmaster Conferences and enough parent willing to sit on boards of review so once a Scout completes his requirements for a rank, he only has to wait a week or so to advance instead of several months. We also counsel Scouts to take enough Eagle required merit badges at summer camp so Eagle is realistically attainable.
Advise please. I’m a frustrated mother of a First Class Boy Scout who refuse to advance any further. He has numerous incomplete merit badges (some he has to start all over, like Personal Fitness, etc). He is 15 years old and his older brother has struggled but is almost finished with completing the requirements of Eagle Scout rank. We know the value of being an Eagle Scout and we would like our younger son to realize that we are pushing him because we know the benefits it will afford him in adulthood. He does not say why he doesn’t want to pursue it besides that he does not like to be around younger boys. He is 6′2″ and all his friends left scouting. Our son, is the type who will not do more than what he is asked to do. His teachers would say he has potential but does not use it (his grades are above average). He’s active in other sports, likes music and watching military history documentaries. Will appreciate any advise.
I agree that eagle scout rank is an achievment. Although I would not agree that every eagle scout has integrity and morals in the sense that we idealize. Not all go by the oath, much like many do not commit to the national pledge. It can be one that is repeated (the oath), a habitual notion although the values and core concepts are not obtained.
As to where to place the information that you’re an Eagle Scout, at the end of most resume’s most people will place personal affiliations that they have or current personal projects related to the job or status on job certifications. I believe that is the correct place to state your an Eagle Scout. A good unpretentious way to do this is join the National Eagle Scout Association. Then in the resume state you are a current member of the National Eagle Scout Association.
I am an Eagle Scout and always will be. The morals I learned in Scouting has contributed greatly to my current philosophy of life. I will always be an Eagle Scout and thank God I was blessed with receiving this honor.
Patrick Bracken
Eagle Scout 1967
Kansas/Kanza District
Pony Express Council
Troop 111
Hiawatha, Kansas
I am an Eagle Scout and I remember who my heroes were when I was a kid, all of the US astronauts.
Thirty Nine of the 312 pilots and engineers have been Eagle scouts, 207 have been involved in scouting. Great link:
http://www.usscouts.org/eagle/eagleastronauts.asp
Jeff T1527, Springfield, VA
Comment on putting Eagle on a resume. As an employer, yes, being an Eagle can be easily a tiebreaker, perhaps more. If someone is 22+ then I would want to know what have you done AS AN EAGLE since you received it.
Volunteering for a troop, council, etc is a good way to list BSA volunteering on the resume which then can segway into questions and “I am an Eagle” could be mentioned. Someone who just lists an Eagle on a resume, without suitable other traits to show how he was an Eagle would be a red flag to me, ie a “paper Eagle”. Listing a LIFETIME member of NESA would show a commitment to one’s oath.
As far as the Eagle accomplishment being watered down versus prior generations. I have heard and understand all the concerns having helped 15 young men achieve Eagle in the past 3 years. I don’t buy it. Yes, a couple squeak by but most do not. Also, even if Eagle was harder to get in the ’50s and ’60s it was a different time back then. The whole nation was “God and Country” so going down the path to Eagle was mainstream – not the case today. It is still an accomplishment today as it was then.
Military service is honorable, and critically important to our Nation.
Please show me a 14yr-old Marine?
We can’t wait until they’re 18.
We’re losing them to Hollywood, drugs, alcohol, and gangs at age 8!
As a parent and a Scout leader, we’re helping prepare the next generation of leaders. Military, civilian, and corporate.
And let us not forget that young women (age 14yrs or older) can become Venture Scouts. I personally encourage every one I can.
Scouting (Girl Scout and Boy Scout) is not just to keep “kids busy”, it is an organized, structured, incredibly researched and thought out, program of leadership development.
Are we, as parents, getting that anywhere else? That starts with 1st graders? And helps train us, parents, to do better as well?
We need more of our young people to stand up and become the next generation of moral, ethical leaders of tomorrow.
If we don’t… how many Enrons… how many Gulf disasters… how many “financial meltdowns” will we have to endure before we figure out that it’s up to us.
It doesn’t “Take a village” it takes a family. And programs like the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts helps us as parents get it done, and get it done right.
Regards
kj
I also rate one of my life’s greatest achievements as earning the rank of Eagle in 1968, which was completed at 14 and awarded at 15. I also rate my service as a United States Marine, achieving the rank of Sgt at 19 to inseparable.
While not all military personnel were Eagle Scouts, a vast majority of Eagle Scouts served in the armed forces.
As a point of info. I had the honor of knowing Mitchell Paige who was awarded the Medal of Honor during the invasion of Guadalcanal. Prior to his passing, he was awarded a delayed Eagle Scout award because the war broke out before his paperwork was processed. As related to me, the rank of Eagle meant as much to him as the MOH.
The Scouting program is a great character and patriotic organization which has been hit some pretty heavy blows over the past few years and continues on.