Eagle Scout Requirements

A Comparison of the BSA's Eagle Requirements since 1911

Eagle Scout is just about the most significant accomplishment a boy can do while he is a boy. The honor has become prestigious because of the example past Eagles have set in adult life.

Here are the requirements for the BSA's highest rank since its creation in 1911. By my count, there have been about 11 different sets of requirements, though changes were often minimal. I have also indicated the theoretical minimum time it would take to earn Eagle based on the requirements for all ranks. A boy could begin his advancement toward Eagle when he became a Scout (age 12 until 1949, age 11 until 1972, about age 10-1/2 since). Until 1952, adults could also earn Eagle; since then the opportunity to earn the award stops at age 18.

Of the original 1911 requirements, an Eagle Scout in 2000 will still have to earn First Class, still have to earn a total of 21 merit badges, and still have to earn First Aid merit badge and Personal Health (now called Personal Fitness) merit badge. Lifesaving is now optional, and Athletics and Public Health are no longer required.

1910

The BSA comes into existence. For the first few months, the highest rank is First Class.

1911 Eagle Requirements

The BSA adds three higher ranks for earning merit badges beyond First Class: Life, Star, and Eagle (Star was switched before Life in 1922 because the five points of the Star could symbolize the five merit badges required for the rank).

• Earn First Class
• Earn any 21 merit badges
• By implication (but not so stated), the five required badges for Life would be earned by an Eagle:
  First Aid
  Athletics
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health

Could possibly be earned while still age 12 (only built-in time limit is a 1-month minimum time from Tenderfoot to Second Class)
No maximum time limit or age

1914 Eagle Requirements

[increased the required list to 11 badges by adding 6 badges to the 5 formerly required for Life]

• Earn First Class
• Earn 21 merit badges, including the following 11:
  First Aid
  Physical Development
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health
  Cooking
  Camping
  Bird Study
  Pathfinding
  Pioneering
  Athletics

Could possibly be earned while still age 12 (only built-in time limit is a 1-month minimum time from Tenderfoot to Second Class)
No maximum time limit or age

1916 Eagle Requirements

[made Physical Development optional along with Athletics; added Civics]

• Earn First Class
• Earn 21 merit badges, including the following 11:
  First Aid
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health
  Cooking
  Camping
  Civics
  Bird Study
  Pathfinding
  Pioneering
  Athletics OR Physical Development

Could possibly be earned while still age 12 (built-in time limits add up to 3 months: 1 month minimum time from Tenderfoot to Second Class, plus 2 months from Second Class to First Class)
No maximum time limit or age

1927 Eagle Requirements

[required 1 year active service as First Class Scout]

• Be active as a First Class Scout for at least 1 year
• Earn 21 merit badges, including the following 12:
  First Aid
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health
  Cooking
  Camping
  Civics
  Bird Study
  Pathfinding
  Pioneering
  Athletics OR Physical Development
  (Swimming–not listed, but required for Lifesaving)

Could possibly be earned while age 13 (built-in time limits add up to 15 months: 1 month minimum time from Tenderfoot to Second Class, 2 months from Second Class to First Class, plus 1 year from First Class to Eagle)
No maximum time limit or age

1936 Eagle Requirements

[for the first time, required earning Star and Life ranks; added Safety]

• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• Earn 21 merit badges, including the following 13:
  First Aid
  Lifesaving
  Personal Health
  Public Health
  Cooking
  Camping
  Civics
  Bird Study
  Pathfinding
  Safety
  Pioneering
  Athletics OR Physical Development
  (Swimming–not listed, but required for Lifesaving)

Could possibly be earned while age 13 (built-in time limits add up to 15 months: 1 month minimum time from Tenderfoot to Second Class, 2 months from Second Class to First Class, 3 months to Star, 3 months to Life, and 6 months to Eagle)
No maximum time limit or age until 1952 when age 18 became the upper limit

1958 Eagle Requirements

[now it gets complicated—a maze of merit badge options adding up to 16 required badges (from a list of 65 badge choices!) and 5 other badges; plus the first requirement to provide leadership and give service]

• Do your best to live up to the Scout Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan
• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• While a Life Scout, work actively as a leader in meetings, outdoor activities, and service projects of your unit
• While a Life Scout, do your best to help in your home, school, church, and community
• While a Life Scout, take care of things that belong to you and respect the property of others
• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  1 badge from the CONSERVATION group (Forestry, Soil and Water Conservation, Wildlife Management)
  3 badges from the CITIZENSHIP group (Citizenship in the Home, Cit. in the Community, Cit. in the Nation, World Brotherhood)
  Camping
  Cooking
  Swimming
  Lifesaving
  Nature
  Personal Fitness
  Public Health
  Safety
  Firemanship
  First Aid
  1 badge from the OUTDOOR SPORTS group (Archery, Athletics, Cycling, Fishing, Hiking, Horsemanship, Marksmanship, Skiing)
  1 badge from any of the following groups: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, PLANT CULTIVATION, COMMUNICATION, TRANSPORTATION, BUILDING (40 badges to choose from)

Could possibly be earned while age 12 (time limits to First Class dropped; built-in time limits add up to 12 months: 3 months to Star, 3 months to Life, and 6 months to Eagle)
Maximum time limit—7 years (age 18)

1965 Eagle Requirements

[eliminates the complex merit badge list and returns to a simple list of 11 required badges; requires specific leadership and a community service project]

• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  Camping
  Cooking
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Nature
  Soil and Water Conservation
  Personal Fitness
  First Aid
  Swimming
  Lifesaving
  Safety
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months as a troop warrant officer [patrol leader, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, junior assistant scoutmaster, instructor, scribe, quartermaster, librarian, den chief]
• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and carry out a service project helpful to your church or synagogue, school, or community
• Take part in a Scoutmaster Conference (includes living up to Scout Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan)

Could possibly be earned while age 12 (built-in time limits add up to 14 months: 1 month minimum time from Tenderfoot to Second Class, 1 month from Second Class to First Class, 3 months to Star, 3 months to Life, and 6 months to Eagle)
Maximum time limit—7 years (age 18)

1970 Eagle Requirements

[alphabetized the required list of badges; Conservation of Natural Resources replaces Soil and Water Conservation]

• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  Camping
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Conservation of Natural Resources
  Cooking
  First Aid
  Lifesaving
  Nature
  Personal Fitness
  Safety
  Swimming
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months as a troop warrant officer [patrol leader, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, junior assistant scoutmaster, instructor, scribe, quartermaster, librarian, den chief]
• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and carry out a service project helpful to your church or synagogue, school, or community
• Take part in a Scoutmaster Conference (includes living up to Scout Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan)

Could possibly be earned while age 12 (built-in time limits add up to 15 months: 1 month minimum time from Tenderfoot to Second Class, 2 months from Second Class to First Class, 3 months to Star, 3 months to Life, and 6 months to Eagle)
Maximum time limit—7 years (age 18)

1972 Eagle Requirements

[increased total badges required to 24, reflecting the new requirement to earn 5 merit badges for First Class; dropped Camping, Cooking, Nature; renamed/updated Conservation of Natural Resources as Environmental Science; added Citizenship in the World (formerly World Brotherhood), Communications, Personal Management (formerly Personal Finance), and optional Emergency Preparedness and Sports; made Swimming, Lifesaving, and Personal Fitness optional; for the first time, permitted a boy to earn Eagle Scout without knowing how to swim and without having any particular outdoor or camping experience; no longer refers to troop offices as "leadership", but simply as "position"]

• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• Show Scout spirit
• Earn 24 merit badges, including:
  First Aid
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Citizenship in the World
  Communications
  Safety
  Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
  Environmental Science
  Personal Management
  Personal Fitness OR Swimming OR Sports
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months in one of the following positions [patrol leader, junior assistant scoutmaster, scribe, den chief, quartermaster, librarian, member of the leadership corps, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, or instructor]
• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and carry out a service project helpful to your religious institution, school, or town
• Take part in a Personal Growth Agreement Conference (Scoutmaster Conference)

Could possibly be earned while not quite 13 (built-in time limits add up to 24 months: 2 months minimum time from joining until Tenderfoot, 3 months from Tenderfoot to Second Class, 3 months from Second Class to First Class, 4 months to Star, 6 months to Life, and 6 months to Eagle)
Maximum time limit--up to 7-1/2 years (age 18)

1978 Eagle Requirements

[reduced the Eagle total back to 21 merit badges; restored Camping to the required list]

• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• Show Scout spirit
• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  First Aid
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Citizenship in the World
  Communications
  Safety
  Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
  Environmental Science
  Personal Management
  Personal Fitness OR Swimming OR Sports
  Camping
  Family Life (added later)
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months in one or more of the following positions (later called positions of responsibility) [patrol leader, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, den chief, scribe, librarian, quartermaster, member of the leadership corps, junior assistant scoutmaster, instructor (later added chaplain aide and troop guide, and dropped leadership corps)]
• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community
• Take part in a Personal Growth Agreement Conference (renamed back to Scoutmaster Conference in the early 1980s)

Could possibly be earned while not quite 12 (built-in time limits add up to 22 months: 2 months minimum time from joining until Tenderfoot, 2 months from Tenderfoot to Second Class, 2 months from Second Class to First Class, 4 months to Star, 6 months to Life, and 6 months to Eagle)
[In 1989, the time limits to First Class were removed, but earning First Class requires attending 3 overnight campouts plus 7 other activities, effectively setting about a 3-month minimum requirement to reach First Class]
Maximum time limit—up to 7-1/2 years (age 18)

1999 Eagle Requirements

[made Personal Fitness mandatory for the first time since 1972; dropped Safety and Sports as Eagle badges; added Hiking and Cycling as optional Eagle badges]

• Be active as a Life Scout for at least 6 months
• Show Scout spirit
• Earn 21 merit badges, including:
  First Aid
  Citizenship in the Community
  Citizenship in the Nation
  Citizenship in the World
  Communications
  Personal Fitness
  Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
  Environmental Science
  Personal Management
  Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling
  Camping
  Family Life
• While a Life Scout, serve actively for 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility [assistant senior patrol leader, chaplain aide, den chief, instructor, junior assistant scoutmaster, librarian, patrol leader, quartermaster, scribe, senior patrol leader, troop guide]
• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community
• Take part in a Scoutmaster Conference

Could possibly be earned while not quite 12 (built-in time limits add up to about 19 months: approximately 3 months minimum to First Class because of the 3 campout/7 activity requirement, plus 4 months to Star, 6 months to Life, and 6 months to Eagle)
Maximum time limit—up to 7-1/2 years (age 18)