Here’s an Eagle Scout congratulatory letter request template to use or adapt

Here’s something that unites a select group of sports stars, celebrities, authors, politicians, astronauts and hundreds of others whose names are known to Scouts across the country.

They have all sent hand-signed letters congratulating newly minted Eagle Scouts on earning the BSA’s top honor.

Parents, guardians and Scouters have been contacting famous people for decades to inform them of their Scout’s accomplishment.

This is often intentionally done without the Scout’s knowledge so they can be surprised with these letters at their court of honor. By sending a letter to a dignitary, these adults are creating potential memories for their Eagle Scout that will last for generations.

The question of whom to contact is a highly personal one. The key is to identify individuals who might mean something to your Eagle Scout — either today or in the future. This excellent resource from the U.S. Scouting Service Project has some names (and addresses) to get you started. (In addition to reviewing the names, be sure to consult the list at the end, which includes people who have specifically asked not to be contacted.)

But coming up with a list of names and addresses is one thing. Knowing what to say when you contact those individuals is another. That’s why we’ve created a template that should help you get started as you write those letters.

There has been some debate — on this blog and elsewhere — about whether the letter should be crafted as an invitation to the court of honor or simply as a request for a congratulatory letter.

We’ve heard stories about letters with invitations leading to a famous person showing up at a court of honor; rumor is that MacGyver actor Richard Dean Anderson showed up at one. So that’s an argument for including time, date and place in yours.

But that extra info makes the letter longer. When it comes to writing to a famous person, less is more. If they see a wall of text, they might be less inclined to read. And if their eyes skip right to the time and place for an event several states away, they might send it to the recycling bin immediately.

So as for exactly what to include, we’ll leave that decision up to you.

Either way, we recommend including some sort of “soft ask” in the letter. If you don’t ask for a letter, the person is less likely to send one.

The template below should get you started.

Eagle Scout congratulatory letter request template

You can download the Word document here or use the text below. No attribution or credit is necessary.

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Scouts BSA Troop [Number], [Council Name]
On Behalf of Eagle Scout [First name Last name]
[Address Line 1]
[Address Line 2]
[City, State ZIP]

[Dignitary Name]
[Address Line 1]
[Address Line 2]
[City, State ZIP]

Dear [Honorific, such as Mr. or Mrs.] [Last Name],

I write to share the good news that [First name Last name] has earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America.

The multiyear journey to the Eagle Scout Award is one of the most involved and transformative experiences a young person can have. They try new things through the merit badge program, develop confidence in the outdoors, practice leadership tactics, and plan, develop and give leadership to a service project that benefits their community.

For [First name’s] Eagle Scout service project, [personal pronoun, such as he or she] [describe Eagle project here in one sentence].

But the Scouting experience goes far deeper than one big project. [First name] also learned [describe a key lesson learned and how the Eagle Scout will apply that to other parts of their life — both in high school and beyond].

In addition to passing along word of [First name’s] hard-earned accomplishment, I’d like to formally invite you to the Eagle Scout court of honor at which [First name] will receive [possessive pronoun, such as her or his] Eagle badge and medal.

The court of honor will be held at [time] on [date] at [location with full address]. [First name] and Troop [number] would be honored by your presence.

If you are unable to attend, may I humbly request that you send a brief letter of congratulations? As a special surprise for [First name], we are preparing a collection of these letters to display at the event and present to [First name]. I know [personal pronoun, such as he or she] would be honored and delighted to see your comments included.

Thank you for your time in reviewing this letter — and for all you do to support and uplift our youth.

Sincerely,

[First name Last name]
[Scouting Title], [Troop number]