Each year, about 6% of eligible Scouts become Eagle Scouts. Zoom out to consider the entire population of Scout-age youth in the United States, and that percentage drops to about 0.3%.
So yes, becoming an Eagle Scout is extremely rare. (When you look at the award’s challenging requirements, it’s easy to see why.)
But what are the odds that a single Scouts BSA patrol would have two young men with the same name and same birthdate earn the Eagle Scout Award on the exact same day?
That unlikely scenario played out earlier this year in Troop 120 of Mill Creek, Wash., part of the BSA’s Mount Baker Council.
On Feb. 6, 2020, Life Scouts Andrew Buchanan and Andrew Nelson each passed his Eagle Scout board of review and officially earned the highest award in Scouts BSA.
Andrew and Andrew are members of the Sparta Patrol. They were born on the same date: March 6, 2002.
Meet Andrew … and Andrew
For his Eagle project, Andrew Nelson repainted a faded world map on an elementary school playground in Mill Creek, Wash.
He calls his Scouting journey “long and fun.”
“It truly means a lot to me because of the friends I have met, the badges I’ve completed and the experiences that I have gained through my years of Scouting,” he says. “The morals of Scouting have helped me become the person I have wanted to become.”
For his Eagle project, Andrew Buchanan replaced an aging playground at a local airport in Snohomish, Wash.
He calls his Scouting journey “extremely valuable.”
“It has taught me that in order to gain something you want, you must be prepared to put in the work that it takes to achieve it,” he says. “I feel that Scouting has taught me what the true definition of persistence and hard work is.”
A noteworthy postscript
Just to make things a couple of degrees more interesting, there was actually another Troop 120 Scout who passed his Eagle Scout board of review that night last month.
And his name also starts with the letter A.
For his Eagle project, Adam De Paolis designedand installed trail markers for his heavily wooded neighborhood.
“My Scouting journey prepared me for life by teaching me the skills that school and other institutions simply could not provide,” Adam says. “Skills such as leadership, effective communication and budgeting — all of which are crucial in both the professional world and everyday life.”
Congratulations, Andrew, Andrew and Adam! That’s an A-plus effort right there.
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When you give to Scouting, you are making it possible for young people to have extraordinary opportunities that will allow them to embrace their true potential and become the remarkable individuals they are destined to be.
Since the inception of the Eagle Scout award in 1912, 2.01 percent of eligible Scouts have earned Scouting's highest honor. So even though the percentage has been trending upward over the years, the award is still incredibly rare.
For a group of two people, for example, the chance that one person will share a birthday with the other is 364 out of 365 days. This is a probability of about 0.27 percent.
Afterward, your local council will send your application to Scout BSA's National Advancement Team. Part 5: This is the final step in the application review process! The National Advancement Team is responsible for validating your application, which could take up to a month to complete (even without errors).
Eagle scouts are extremely rare — in fact, 19 out of 20 young people who join Scouting won't actually reach the rank of Eagle. Thus, for most teenagers, becoming an Eagle Scout will be one of the greatest accomplishments at that point in their lives!
Being an Eagle Scout is a big deal to colleges. Many schools value Eagle Scouts because they know they've learned specialized skills, display positive character traits, and are capable leaders. Your Eagle Scout status is an excellent way to add more differentiation to your application.
Having Eagle Scout on your resume will improve your job prospects and help you stand out from the competition, especially as a young person applying to an entry-level role. The Eagle award demonstrates leadership skills, persistence and character to potential employers, which will raise your chances of being hired.
Not every boy who joins a Boy Scout troop earns the Eagle Scout rank. In fact, only 4 percent of all Boy Scouts do so. More than 1.2 million Boy Scouts have earned the rank since 1911, and they make up only 0.512% of the U.S. male population. Eagle Scouts are a special breed!
Unsurprisingly, February 29 th is the least common birthday. Because Leap Day only rolls around every four years, there's only a 1/1,461 chance of being born on this day (versus 1/365 for any other given day).
What is the rarest birthday? The least common birthday is leap day, or February 29. But because the day only occurs once every four years, it's obvious it would yield the least amount of birthdays. The rarest birthday of the 365 annual calendar days is Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
The birthday paradox is a mathematical phenomenon that demonstrates the surprising probability of two people in a group having the same birthday. Despite the seemingly low odds, in a group of just 23 people, there is a greater than 50% chance of at least two people sharing a birthday.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by over 2.5 million youth.
Since 10 is the minimum age that youths can join Scouts BSA, with most joining at age 11, this means that your typical Scout won't be receiving their Eagle Rank until they are 15, 16, or even 17 years old.
Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by over 2.5 million youth. Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges, 14 of which are mandatory for the award.
Scouts are required to earn 21 merit badges in order to earn their Eagle Scout. While many Scouts in the Heart of America Council do earn more, less than one half of one percent of Scouts earn all the merit badges available.
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Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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