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This is one plan for a court of honor we’ve used in my troop for many years based on a few simple rules of thumb;
Brief, formal, yet meaningful – Depending on the number of awards and presentations this court of honor should take no more than 45 minutes from beginning to end. Most of our ceremonies last between 30-45 minutes. This seems to be just about the right length of time.
Scout Led – With a couple of exceptions Scouts do all the presenting and talking.
Predictable – It’s been my experience that Scouts appreciate the predictability of a set ceremony. As they progress they have an expectation of what will happen and there’s consistent recognition for each achievement.
In the script you can download below you’ll find an Eagle presentation that we use at Eagle Courts of honor. Different traditions and practices are neither right or wrong when it comes to Eagle presentations. Some present the Eagle at separate courts of honor, others include the troop in the court of honor.
Eagle rank is the only rank that must be certified and approved by the National Council before it is presented formally, and the recognition should be commensurate with the honor of the achievement. The Scoutmaster’s Handbook instructs us to formally present the Eagle rank in a ceremony separate from the “normal” troop court of honor.
Nowhere are we prohibited from presenting other ranks or recognitions during an Eagle court of honor.
Our long practice has been to hold up to two Eagle courts of honor each year (Spring and Fall) these are still troop courts of honor expanded slightly to include the Eagle presentation, and we may present multiple Eagles at one ceremony. The only difference is the Eagle court of honor is usually scheduled for a Sunday afternoon, there are refreshments, and a printed program.
Setting and Equipment.
We have a candle stand (pictured above), a table drape we use for holding the awards, and a candle holder for the table that is lit in opening the court of honor (pictured with the candle stand).
Court of Honor Script PDF file (download below)
Court of Honor Candle Stand PDF file (download below)
The Boy Scout Insignia Card Set we use on our candle stand and the Table Drape are available from national supply.
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Get the Candle Stand PDF |
| Get the Court of Honor Script PDF |
