Editing Eagle Scout (section)

===Palms===
Palms represent additional advancement for a youth who has stayed active in the unit after achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. A Palm is awarded when the Scout has demonstrated Scout Spirit, leadership and ability; has earned five additional merit badges beyond those required for Eagle or for the last Palm; and has taken part in a conference with their unit leader.

The insignia is a small metallic [[palm branch (symbol)|palm frond]] pin or device that is worn on the ribbon of the Eagle Scout medal, on the Eagle Scout square knot or on the Eagle Scout badge.<ref name=third/>

The Palms are awarded in three colors: [[Bronze (color)|bronze]], representing five merit badges; [[Gold (color)|gold]], representing ten merit badges; and [[Silver (color)|silver]], representing fifteen merit badges.<!---bronze, gold, silver is the correct order---> For each Palm awarded for five additional merit badges beyond the first bronze, gold, and silver recognitions, Palms are worn in the combination that requires the smallest number of devices to reflect the total number of Palms earned. One gold Palm is equal to two bronze Palms, one silver Palm is equal to three bronze Palms, and one bronze Palm continues to be equal to five merit badges. For instance, a Scout who has earned eight Palms (forty additional merit badges) would wear two silver Palms and a gold Palm.<ref name=palmapp/> The order of bronze, gold and silver follows heraldic traditions of the U.S. military.<ref name=use/><ref name=silver/><ref name=ask/>

Completed Palms can be awarded at the same time the Eagle Scout badge is presented. Previously, an Eagle Scout needed to wait three months between each Palm, even if the extra merit badges were earned before becoming an Eagle. This meant that, under the old rules, a youth who became an Eagle Scout at 17 years and 10 months was unable to earn a single Eagle Palm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/07/10/changes-to-eagle-palms/|title = The way Scouts earn Eagle Palms is about to change|date = July 10, 2017}}</ref>