Editing Eagle Scout (section)

==History==
[[File:Eagle Scout medal 1911.png|thumb|250x250px|The original Eagle Scout medal concept.]]
The Scouts BSA's highest award was originally conceived as the ''Wolf Scout'', described in the June 1911 ''[[Boy Scout Handbook|Official Handbook for Boys]]''.<ref name=editions/> The August 1911 version of the handbook changed this to ''Eagle Scout''. The [[medal]] illustrated in the handbook was a profile of an [[Bald eagle|eagle]] in flight, but was changed to the current design before any were issued. In their original conceptions, [[Life Scout]], [[Star (Boy Scouts of America)|Star Scout]] (Life preceded Star until 1924) and Eagle Scout were not ranks, but part of the [[Merit badge (Boy Scouts of America)|merit badge]] system that recognized Scouts who had earned a specified number of merit badges. Eagle Scout was awarded to any [[First Class Scout (Boy Scouts of America)|First Class Scout]] who had earned 21 merit badges.<ref name=handbook/>

The first Eagle Scout medal was awarded in 1912 to [[Arthur Rose Eldred]], a 17-year-old member of Troop 1 of [[Rockville Centre, New York|Rockville Centre]], [[Long Island]], New York. Records show that not only the national officers sat on Eldred's Board of Review, but also included Lord Baden-Powell, who just arrived in the United States earlier in the day of January 31, 1912. Eldred was notified that he was to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in a letter from Chief Scout Executive [[James E. West (Scouting)|James West]], dated August 21, 1912. The design of the Eagle Scout medal had not been finalized by the National Council, so the medal was not awarded until Labor Day, September 2, 1912. Eldred was the first of three generations of Eagle Scouts; his son and grandson hold the rank as well.<ref name=first/><ref name=ray/> In the 1960s, the Kansas City area awarded more Eagle Scout badges than any other council in the country, resulting in the creation of the Eagle Scout Memorial there in 1968.<ref name=memorial/> In 1982, 13-year-old Alexander Holsinger of [[Normal, Illinois]], was recognized as the one-millionth Eagle Scout, and Anthony Thomas of [[Lakeville, Minnesota]], was the two-millionth in 2009.<ref name="2mill"/><ref name=reagan/><ref name=Spiros/>

Hamilton Bradley of [[Rome, New York]], is the earliest known Black Eagle Scout in BSA history. His Eagle Scout court of honor was held at 7:30&nbsp;p.m. on Dec. 19, 1919, at the [[Rome Free Academy]], according to ''[[Rome Sentinel|Rome Daily Sentinel]]'' records from the time.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://romesentinel.com/stories/first-black-eagle-scout-in-the-country-lived-in-rome,115032 | title=First black Eagle Scout in the country lived in Rome | date=16 May 2021 |work=Daily Sentinel}}</ref>

On October 11, 2017, Boy Scouts of America announced they would begin a program to include girls in the Boy Scout program beginning in 2019.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/bsa-expands-programs-welcome-girls-cub-scouts-highest-rank-eagle-scout/ |title=The BSA Expands Programs to Welcome Girls from Cub Scouts to Highest Rank of Eagle Scout |date=October 11, 2017 |publisher=Boy Scouts of America |access-date=October 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20171011175337/http://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/bsa-expands-programs-welcome-girls-cub-scouts-highest-rank-eagle-scout/ |archive-date=October 11, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Williams |first=Pete |title=Boy Scouts Will Admit Girls, Allow Them to Earn Eagle Scout Rank |work=NBC News |date=October 11, 2017 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boy-scouts-will-admit-girls-allow-them-earn-eagle-scout-n809836}}</ref> With the introduction of [[Scouts BSA]] and the acceptance of girls, the age limit for Eagle Scout was extended. In February 2019, the first girls joined the renamed Scouts BSA program. New youth members, girls or boys, 16 years of age or older, but not yet 18 who joined between February 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019, could request an extension to complete the Eagle Scout Award requirements after they turn 18 years of age.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 31, 2019 |title=Details on temporary Eagle exception for new Scouts BSA members |url=https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2019/01/31/temporary-transition-rules-give-new-scouts-bsa-members-the-chance-to-earn-eagle/ |access-date=March 21, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Implementation Details for First-time Members Entering Scouts BSA |publisher=Boy Scouts of America}}</ref> In 2020, the first female Eagle Scouts were added to the Boy Scouts of America.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/minnesota-girl-to-become-one-of-first-female-eagle-scouts-earns-all-merit-badges/89-0eca807f-0632-4bd9-b9bf-708de02fa548|title='Unprecedented' {{!}} Minnesota girl to become one of first female Eagle Scouts, earns all merit badges|first=Val|last=Lick|publisher=KARE|date=September 17, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rubiconline.com/first-female-eagle-scout-tunney-is-an-inspiration-to-all/ | title=First female Eagle Scout, Tunney offers inspiration for all | first=Alexandra | last=Cardwell | date=October 12, 2020 | work=The Rubicon | publisher=[[St. Paul Academy and Summit School]] | location=[[Saint Paul, Minnesota]] | access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/virginia-girl-to-make-history-as-one-of-first-female-eagle-scouts/2447039/|title=Virginia Girl to Make History as One of First Female Eagle Scouts|first=Aimee|last=Cho|publisher=NBC Washington|date=October 16, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://abc13.com/eagle-scout-female-history-first/8771987/|title=Teen makes history as one of the first female Eagle Scouts in the nation|publisher=[[KTRK-TV|ABC 13]]|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref> On February 8, 2021, nearly 1,000 female Scouts became members of the Inaugural Class of Female Eagle Scouts.<ref>{{cite web |title=1,000 female Eagle Scouts make history as part of inaugural class |url=https://www.scout.org/first-female-eagle-scouts |website=Scouts |date=8 March 2021 |publisher=World Scouting |access-date=28 February 2022}}</ref> Members of the Inaugural Class were commemorated in a special edition of ''[[Scout Life]]'' magazine;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scoutlife.org/digitaledition/feb2021/|title=Celebrate the Inaugural Class of Female Eagle Scouts!|date=February 18, 2021|work=Scout Life}}</ref> the publication formerly known as ''[[Boys' Life]]''.