Recognizing Eagle Palms

A reader recently wrote to me with this question about recognizing Eagle palms:

My son is about to get his 17th Palm before he turns 18. Is there some type of ceremony to recognized this similar to the Eagle COH?

First of all, I would like to congratulate your son on his achievements. Eagle Scouts who earn palms should be recognized at their regular troop Courts of Honor.

When our troop has a Scout who nearing his 18th birthday, we also give him the option of being honored for his “career accomplishments” at the last troop Court of Honor which will occur before his birthday. He can have some of the highlights of his Scouting experience listed in the program, can make a display of his memorabilia, etc. We get some input from the Scout about what he would like to do and advise him of how to put it together. It only takes a few minutes of the program time and helps the younger Scouts see all of the adventure that awaits them. This sort of presentation also reinforces the idea that Scouts are encouraged to remain active members of the troop after they become Eagle Scouts.

Note, that this is always the choice of the Scout. Some Scouts want this sort of presentation, while others prefer to quietly age out. We always present this option to them, but in the end it is their decision.

Perhaps your son could request something similar at an upcoming Court of Honor. He might even start a new troop tradition.

If you want to give a gift along with the eagle palms recognition, Legacy of Honor is a wonderful book which highlights the contributions of Eagle Scouts over the years.