Eagle Court of Honor

Scout Ken Ryan was scoutmaster of Troop 12 for thirty years and decided to retire the year I became Scoutmaster. Ken visited a troop meeting once or twice a year and maintained his registration with the troop until he died a couple of years ago. When invited to attend our Eagle Court of Honor Ken demurred.

I pressed him on it and he said: “When I was a boy and got my Eagle (that would have been in the nineteen thirties) I went to a troop meeting, my Scoutmaster handed be the badge and shook my hand.. ” At this point Ken raised both hands as if in benediction and concluded with; “… that was it.”

I think Ken’s sense of decorum and respect for the award was offended by overblown presentations that obscure its simple meaning. The web is replete with advice and programs for elaborate Courts of Honor for Eagles, someone even wrote a book on the subject. From what I can tell there are no official rules and regulations concerning what can and can’t be done at a Court of Honor.

Courts of Honor can be tiresomely long, sappy and just plain awful. Well intentioned adults are usually the reason why.

Understand that I value the achievement of Eagle; I just don’t see why that moment should be overloaded with pomp and circumstance like a coronation. A simple, meaningful presentation is more poignant than a elaborate pageant of florid theatrics.

Associated articles at ScoutmasterCG; Courts of Honor