I decided to ask my husband, who is a former Scoutmaster, for one piece of advice that he would give to parents that have a new Boy Scout in their family. He told me to tell you to go and buy the “Boy Scout Requirements” book that is available at a Boy Scout distribution center. He said this book was great, because it allows you to see the requirements that are needed to complete each merit badge. This is a wonderful tool to help parents help their boys to achieve Eagle.
Many times your Boy Scout may have partially completed a merit badge by completing a class at school, or by attending another type of activity. This book will allow you to see the additional steps needed to obtain the merit badge. Then it is simply a matter of completing the steps and contacting the merit badge counselor who oversees that particular merit badge. One example is if your son has taken an art class at school. Then there are only a few additional steps required to complete the merit badge.
You should sit down with the requirement book, and the Duty to God pamphlet, and plan out activities that you can do as a family to complete the requirements. This could include places that you visit for family vacation, or hikes that you take on a Saturday as a family. The key to achieving an Eagle is careful planning, and record keeping. It is important to be aware of what your boys are doing at Scouts each week, and making sure that they follow through on the additional requirements that they need to do at home.
My husband found that the boys whose parents were involved (knowing what badges they were working on, and knowing what the boys needed to complete next) were the boys that achieved Eagle Scout. It really is a lot of work, and can involve the whole family, even though the Boy Scout is doing the work. The benefits of achieving Eagle are worth the extra effort that it takes.