NCSSAR

Eagle Scout

NC SAR Eagle Scout Recognition and Scholarship Program

For many years the SAR has recognized the many common bonds of purpose and principles shared by the SAR and the Boy Scouts of America.

Scouts achieving the rank of Eagle Scout have demonstrated their belief in these common principles. For this reason, the SAR believes that Eagle Scouts are deserving of special recognition for their dedication and accomplishment.

There are two elements to this recognition. First, there is a recognition of all new Eagle Scouts. This does not depend on any later decision by the new Eagle Scout about whether to compete for the scholarships available, or not. It merely requires someone in the scout troop adult leadership to send a request for the SAR Eagle Scout Recognition Certificate.

Requests for SAR Eagle Scout Recognition Certificates from scout troops in North Carolina should be sent via e-mail to:

The following info must be included in the request (preferably in a list format, in the same order as below – to facilitate processing):

The SAR Eagle Scout Award.
The SAR Eagle Scout Award.
  1. Eagle Scout’s name as it should appear on the certificate
  2. Date of the Court of Honor (if known)
  3. BSA Council & District
  4. Troop Number
  5. Troop Location (city & county)
  6. Sponsoring Organization
  7. Adult Leader Position in the Troop of the person making the request
  8. To whom, & the address, the certificate should be mailed
  9. Local NC SAR chapter (if known)

We will try to get the certificate to the troop in time for the Court of Honor, but there may be times when we are unable to make this timely response. In any event, a Recognition Certificate will be sent to the new Eagle Scout as soon as possible.

Note: The above info on requesting a SAR Recognition Certificate is only for those scouts, & Scout Troops, that are located in the state of North Carolina. Those that are located in other states should contact the Eagle Scout Chairman for the SAR state society in their own state.

The second element in our Eagle Scout Recognition Program is the competition for scholarships. This portion of the program requires additional work from the new Eagle Scout.

National SAR Scholarship Competition.

Nationally there are three SAR organizational levels at which a new Eagle Scout might compete for additional recognition and/or monetary awards. Entrants need to complete only one application — the one for the chapter competition. If it is a chapter winner, it is then submitted by the chapter for the state competition; and, if it is a winner again, it is then submitted by the state for the national competition.

  1. Many local chapters of the SAR present certificates, medals and in some cases, cash awards, to the winners of competition within a chapter territory or a local Boy Scout Council area. In NC SAR, some chapters are too small, or too new, to offer any cash awards. Contact your local chapter for what is available and when their local competition is held, if they have one. To find your local NCSSAR chapter click here. [Note: Only one entry application is allowed for each Eagle Scout. Submitting more than one entry application (for example, to more than one chapter) will result in the applicant being disqualified for any chapter/state/National competition for the current year. An applicant may apply to the chapter in the state in your area of responsibility for JROTC medals, but only one chapter. Application must be through a state chapter. NC SAR no longer accepts an application directly to the state chairman. Only chapter winners are eligible for the state competition.]
  2. Each State, and the District of Columbia, selects a winner, from among the chapter winners, who receives a handsome Eagle Trophy. Many states present a cash award as well. Currently, the NC SAR state winner receives a $750 award, in addition to the trophy.  Second place winner receives a $250 award and third place winner receives a $100 award..
  3. State winners’ applications are submitted, by the state SAR, to the SAR National Eagle Scout Committee by the deadline 15 February, which meets in February or March of each year to judge state winner entries. From those state winners, the National Committee selects the top three National Scholarship winners.

The top National winner receives a $10,000 Scholarship award and is brought as a guest to the National SAR Congress, held in June or July each year, where the award is made and the Eagle presents his essay to the assembly.

The National first runner-up receives a $6,000 award, and the second runner-up $4,000, presented at State society meetings.

Our 2020 North Carolina SAR Eagle Scout Scholarship winner was Cameron Edwards, sponsored by the Raleigh Chapter.  Cameron is pictured below without our usual pagenty because the Covid-19 pandemic caused us to have the Annual Meeting as a zoom event.

Who may apply and deadlines for applications?

Any Eagle Scout is eligible to apply who is still registered actively in a Scout unit provided that the Eagle Scout does NOT reach the 19th birthday in the calendar year of application. Please read Temporary Transition Rules Extension on the Application Form.

An Eagle Scout may apply more than one year, but no individual may be awarded more total dollars than the $10,000 First Place award. For example, if an Eagle applies one year and receives the National runner-up award of $6,000, and has not reached the 19th birthday in the following calendar year, the Eagle may apply the second year, but if the Eagle was the First Place winner, the Eagle would receive only an additional $4,000.

This annual competition is conducted on a calendar year basis. The deadline for chapters to submit applications for the NC SAR state competition is the 31st of December each year.  The deadline for chapters to submit  may be set anytime prior to that date. You will have to check with the individual chapter for the date and usually it is December 1st.

Required Items for Application

  1. Completed Application Form, signed by you and your parents/guardian. Names may be typed if form is filed electronically.
  2. Download the Eagle Scout Application Form here.
  3. Download the Four Generation Ancestry Chart here.
  4. Download the Patriotic Theme Guideline Form here.
  5. Your original essay, not to exceed 500 words, written using the Patriotic Theme Guideline Form with footnotes and bibliography.

How to apply for the NC SAR Scholarship Program

Information can be obtained from the Eagle Scout Chairman in the NC SAR chapter in your BSA Council. To find your local North Carolina SAR chapter click here. If there is no Chapter Eagle Scout Chairman listed on the chapter website, e-mail the Chapter President with your questions about their Eagle Scout Recognition Program and their annual chapter scholarship competition.

For more information, please visit the SAR National Eagle Scout program web page.

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