Eagle Recommendation Letters

Requirement 2 on the EAGLE SCOUT RANK APPLICATION states: “Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your daily life. List the names of individuals who know you personally and would be willing to provide a recommendation on your behalf.”

*  Candidate’s responsibility To fulfill this requirement, our council requires an Eagle candidate to:

– Identify six people (five if not employed) who agree to recommend him, and record their contact information on the rank application.

– Request each of your references to supply the letter directly to the council office. See “Requesting Letters of Recommendation”, below, for the acceptable methods of obtaining letters.

– When should you request letters?

* Be proactive: Don’t wait until your packet is turned in to do so.

* Be realistic: Some Scouts request letters when (or before) they prepare their proposal and sometimes take many months, a year, or more before completing the Eagle process. Don’t request your letters too early. A Board of Review wants to see current letters, not ones from a year ago. Thus, your proposal should be completed before requesting letters of reference.  This will ensure that the your references are not out-of-date.

*  Clarification regarding specific letters:

– Parents/guardians: one or both parents/guardian(s)

– Religious: If the candidate regularly attends a church or other religious gathering, someone from this group should write this letter. If there is no formal religious affiliation, parent/guardian should write this letter, explaining how the candidate fulfills his duty to God in his daily life.

– Educational: most often a teacher or other school personnel

– Employer: Required only if the candidate is currently employed. Candidates may also ask summer or other seasonal employers for an employer recommendation.

– Two other references: anyone who meets the criteria for references above

*  Additional letters beyond the five or six required are permitted, and will be forwarded to the board of review; however, they may not be substituted for any of the six required.