About This Program
The journey to becoming an Eagle Scout, the pinnacle of achievement for youth in the Scouting America program, is often compared to a campfire. The kindling is lit which generates a hot flame consuming the wood. As the fire grows, embers and sparks began climbing with the hot air to eventually rise above the flames into the clear air.
These sparks represent the Scouts who earned their Eagle Scout while the base of the campfire is where most of the other Scouts remain.
The Last Mile on the Trail to Eagle
While Scouting America is acknowledged as a world-class program for youth development, less than 4% of its youth participants nationwide successfully complete the requirements for Eagle Scout. In Capitol Area Council, it is estimated that roughly 600 registered Scouts every year will reach their 18th birthday before completing their Eagle requirements.
While there are many reasons why a Scout might "age out" before finishing their Eagle, a frequently observed challenge is that as the Scout grew older they became less active in their Troop due to other activities competing for their time. The conventional wisdom often discussed among Scoutmasters is that if your scout isn't well on their path to Eagle by their 16th birthday, they are unlikely to succeed due to these time conflicts. For example,
-
Getting their Driver's License
-
Social/Romantic Dating
-
Having a Job
-
College Preparation
-
High School Sports / Band Participation
The purpose of the Eagle Academy is to provide a special opportunity for those older Scouts to finish the one or two Eagle Required Merit Badges they're missing and make a serious & determined effort to define and plan their Eagle Project.