How active is "Active in the Troop"?

The Eagle Scout rank requires the Scout to (among other requirements):

Troop 149 believes that as a Scout advances into higher ranks, the nature of their contribution to the Troop should change accordingly. During Boards of Review (BORs), we ask Scouts at the rank of Star, Life and Eagle to discuss how they are “giving back” to the troop, and how they plan to do so in the future.vIt’s important for older Scouts to be available to the younger Scouts, not just to serve as a role model, but also to provide instruction and guidance as the younger Scouts learn their scouting skills and pursue their own advancement.

We also acknowledge that many Scouts have other interests such as sports and other extracurricular activities that compete for their time and attention even as they move through the upper ranks of the Boy Scout program. So we’re open to creative ways for Scouts to meet this requirement if they’re unable to attend the majority of Monday night meetings and/or weekend campouts. For example, Scouts might provide “off-hours” mentoring behind the scenes for younger Scouts who are developing their skills, or help to coordinate upcoming meetings via emails and phone calls with fellow Scouts, etc.

At a minimum, however, the Scout must attend the majority of Troop Meetings, at least three regular Troop campouts and participate in at least two troop-related service projects during the time period that they are "active in the troop" for advancement purposes.

Here’s how Troop 149 will ensure that this “active in troop” requirement is met:

  1. During each Life rank Scoutmaster conference and BOR, we will discuss with Scouts their plans to be active in the coming months. We will ask the Scout to be specific about which six months they plan to be active, and what their participation will be (e.g., attending the majority of Monday night troop meetings, weekend campouts, service projects, or serving in some other capacity that still makes them available to the other Scouts in the troop.)  If the Scout is not ready to commit to a specific period, we will make a point to check in with that Scout at regular intervals to remind them of this requirement.
  2. For Scouts who do commit to a specific period, the BOR chairperson and scoutmaster will work out a schedule of recurring check-ins to make sure the Scout is fulfilling the promised amount of active participation, and will notify the Scout whether they are on track or falling short.
  3. Note that merely being elected or appointed to an official role – such as Patrol Leader, quartermaster, etc. – is not enough.  The Scout must actually DO the job for which they were chosen, and the Scoutmaster and Eagle BOR will be the judge of whether the Scout meets that requirement, with the Scoutmaster giving the scout feedback along the way if needed.
  4. Also note that the six months do not need to be consecutive. Some Scouts earn the Life rank as early as 7th grade, and have plenty of time to fulfill this requirement.  So as long as a Scout lets us know when and how they plan to fulfill this requirement, it can be achieved in smaller increments.

Note that being “active in your troop” also is part of the lower rank requirements, and BOR panelists will discuss this as appropriate with Scouts as they move up the ranks. However, we want to make sure that Eagle candidates make a specific commitment, to ensure that this requirement doesn’t conflict with looming deadlines (such as the Scout’s 18th birthday, college application deadlines, etc.).

If you have questions or comments about this requirement and how it’s handled in Troop 149, feel free to contact the Troop Committee Chair, Advancement Lead, or Scoutmaster.