The Light of the Eagle

Setting:	This Eagle court of honor follows a regular troop court of honor, so the flags are in place, and the mood has been set. The participants may be seated at a table in the front of the room or they may pop up from the audience at their particular points in the program.
MC:	Welcome now to that part of our court of honor where we are to recognize a candidate for the Eagle Award. The presentation of the Eagle Award is an important and serious matter. It is the climax and the goal for which this Scout has been working for many months. Honor guard, please escort before this court of honor, Eagle Candidate ____________________, so we may ensure that he has been prepared properly to receive this high honor. [The honor guard, composed of Eagle Scouts, will escort the Eagle candidate to the front of the room, near the American flag, leaving him facing the audience.] The Eagle Award is the culmination of the various efforts of many leaders of this Scout. It is an occasion for pride and joy and a time for serious contemplation. We realize that this is the highest rank in Scouting, and the most coveted of all awards in Scouting. It is the last major step in the advancement program. If we have not achieved our purpose in the building of character, in the training of leadership, in the practice of service, we probably never shall. It is, therefore, right and proper that this court has made a careful examination of the applicant. In order that you may understand the completeness of our examination, I shall ask several members of the troop committee to explain the various inquiries made regarding the candidate. Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. [first committee member name]
First Member:	The first consideration in the examination of this candidate was proficiency in the various crafts and skills prescribed in the requirements for the Eagle Award. The Eagle candidate presented a record of the various merit badges earned and these have been carefully checked. The candidate has been certified by the various merit badge counselors approved by the district committee and the court finds that the candidate has fully qualified for the required merit badges for the Eagle Award.
MC:	Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. [second committee member name]
Second Member:	Another consideration for the Eagle Award is leadership. This court has carefully reviewed the record of the candidate's leadership positions held in the troop, in school affairs, in the Eagle service project which the candidate planned and supervised and in his other activities. We find that the candidate has demonstrated his capacity and his willingness to exert his leadership ability in activities that are constructive and worthwhile in this community. We believe that he is qualified to receive the Eagle Award.
MC:	Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. [third committee member name]
Third Member:	Last, but certainly not least, is the Scout's character. We have interviewed teachers, his pastor, his parents, his neighbors, and many others regarding the candidate. It is the finding of the court that this candidate is endeavoring to put into practice in his daily life, the principles of the Scout Oath and Law. We believe he will continue these habits after receiving the Eagle Award.
MC:	In light of these various inquiries, this court finds the candidate qualified for the Eagle Award. However, if anyone knows any reason why this Scout should not be awarded the rank of Eagle, let him speak.
Eagle Scout:	[He comes forward from the audience.] Gentlemen of the court, I represent all those Scouts who have received the Eagle Award in the __________ District. We do not object to the awarding of the Eagle badge, but we do believe that the candidate should understand that the Eagle rank is a responsibility as well as an honor. We respectfully ask that he be informed of these responsibilities of an Eagle Scout before the badge is awarded.
MC:	The court concurs in your feeling. Please state these responsibilities for the candidate.
Setting Change:	[The lights are dimmed or go out. Then an old-timer Eagle steps to the front and speaks. Or, more dramatically, plant the next voice - or four voices - in corners of the room or behind drapes or in the wings of the stage or elsewhere.]
Voice of Eagle 1:	The first responsibility of an Eagle Scout is to live with honor. An Eagle's honor is sacred. Honor is the foundation of all character. Character is what one really is down deep inside, not what someone thinks one is. An Eagle will so live that he reflects upon his home, his church, his school, his friends, and upon himself. [The white portion of the ribbon on the Eagle light box is illuminated.] May the white of your badge remind you to live with honor.
Voice of Eagle 2:	The second obligation of an Eagle Scout is loyalty. Without loyalty, all character lacks direction. An Eagle is loyal to his ideals. To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night into day, thou cannot then be false to any man. Neither pain nor profit, pride nor personal loss shall swerve him in his loyalty. [The blue portion of the ribbon on the Eagle light box is illuminated.] May the blue of your badge remind you to always be loyal.
Voice of Eagle 3:	The third obligation of an Eagle Scout is courage. Courage gives all character force and strength. Trusting in God and with faith in his fellowman, he faces each day unafraid and seeks his share of the world's work to do. The red portion of the ribbon on the Eagle light box is illuminated.] May the red of your badge remind you always of courage.
Voice of Eagle 4:	The final obligation of an Eagle Scout is service. He extends a helping hand to those who still toil up the Scouting trail he has just completed, just as others helped him in his achievement of the Eagle rank. The habit of the daily Good Turn must take on new meaning and blossom forth in a life of service. He protects and defends the weak and helpless. He aids and comforts the unfortunate and the oppressed. He upholds the rights of others while demanding his own. His code of action is based upon the belief that real leadership must be founded upon real service. [The rest of the Eagle light box is illuminated: the scroll and the Eagle.] May the motto "Be Prepared" always remind you that, as an Eagle, you are among the best prepared to be of service to others. May the eagle suspended from the ribbon always remind you to perform that service when the opportunity presents itself.
Eagle Scout:	[The same Eagle Scout that raised the issue of responsibilities.] Gentlemen of the court, if this candidate is willing-yes, eager-to accept the responsibilities of the badge as well as its honor, we cordially welcome him into the ranks of Eagle Scouts around the world.
MC:	Eagle Candidate ____________________, are you willing to accept these responsibilities?
Candidate:	Yes, I am.
MC:	By the authority vested in this court of honor by the National Council, Boy Scouts of America, and by recommendation of the various persons who have investigated your credentials, your leadership practice and your character, this court hereby awards the rank of Eagle Scout to ____________________. The charge to this worthy Eagle will be given by Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. [name of speaker].
Speaker:	[Delivery of Eagle charge.]
Note:	From here on, the ceremony takes the form of that shown in the Eagle presentation ceremony: "History of the Eagle and Man," with the exception that the charge comes before the recognition of the Eagle's parents and subsequent presentation of the badge.