State Department, under Eagle Scout Tillerson, to hand-sign Eagle letters

Rex Tillerson will be extremely busy traveling the world as secretary of state. But he’ll still take time to recognize his fellow Eagle Scouts.

The U.S. Department of State, under the leadership of Distinguished Eagle Scout Tillerson, announced it will continue the department’s long-standing tradition of sending congratulatory letters to Eagle Scouts.

It’s unknown whether previous secretaries of state hand-signed their letters. But the Tillerson State Department, in a blog post last week, emphasized that letters from Tillerson will be personally signed by the secretary himself.

Girl Scouts who achieve the Gold Award, which is that program’s highest honor, also can request letters.

“The State Department is honored to have the opportunity to recognize and honor Boy and Girl Scouts who are going the extra mile to demonstrate values that serve as important pillars of global citizenry,” the department wrote.

A long-standing tradition

In 2016, the State Department sent more than 4,000 letters to Eagle Scouts and Gold Award recipients on behalf of former Secretary of State John Kerry.

Former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell also sent letters to these high-achievers.

The letters from Tillerson to new Eagle Scouts will have added significance because Tillerson himself is an Eagle Scout. He knows firsthand that Eagle Scouts go on to become high-ranking businessmen and world leaders.

To request a letter for a new Eagle Scout, use the address below. I recommend allowing as much time as possible.

Hon. Rex Tillerson
Secretary of State
2201 C St., NW
Washington, DC 20520

By the way, if you receive a letter from Tillerson, please email me a copy. I’d love to see it.

Letter from former Secretary of State John Kerry

 

Letters from world leaders and celebrities

Politicians, astronauts, celebrities and other recognizable figures have been sending hand-signed letters to new Eagle Scouts for more than 100 years.

The very first congratulatory letter was sent in 1912 when the first Eagle Scout, Arthur R. Eldred, received a note from James E. West, the first Chief Scout Executive.

For general advice on requesting congratulatory letters, see this post.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.