Eagle Reference Process

Under requirement 2 on the Eagle Scout Rank Application. Our Council advancement committee designates the District Advancement Chairs to secure recommendations from the references appearing under requirement 2. Our Council asks that the Scout or Unit give a Link to those listed. Those asked will go online to complete a form that is private and confidential.

The Troop (Crew) Committee will no longer oversee collecting Reference Recommendations for the Eagle Candidate. We are asking that a Link be provided to those listed on the Eagle Application. Those listed on the application will then go online and complete the reference recommendation for the Scout. Once completed the reference recommendation will be forwarded to the District Eagle Advancement Chairperson/or District Eagle Coordinator. When he/she has received enough of the Eagle references, the Scout will be able to schedule an Eagle Board of Review. This process was changed to ensure the integrity of the recommendation.

The links to the Eagle Reference Recommendation request are:

• Onondaga District: www.WNYScouting.org/ON Eagle Recommendation
• Polaris District: www.WNYScouting.org/PO Eagle Recommendation
• Red Jacket District: www.WNYScouting.org/RJ Eagle Recommendation
• For the Nundawaga, Seneca & Towpath Districts:  Please follow the way that you have been doing references prior to the Council Merger on May 1, 2023.  Your District will be moving to this process in the Spring of 2024.

Scouts may assist with this, but that is the limit of their participation. Scouts are not responsible for follow-through or any other aspect of the process. It is up to the council’s designated representatives to collect the responses. If after a reasonably diligent effort no response can be obtained from any references, the board of review must go on without them. It must not be postponed or denied for this reason, and the Scout shall not be asked to submit additional references or to provide replacements.

Completed reference responses of any kind are the property of the council and are confidential, and only review-board members and those officials with a specific need may see them. The responses are not to be viewed by or returned to the Scout. Doing so could discourage the submission of negative information. For the same reason, those providing references do not have the option of giving the reference directly to the Scout and shall not be given the option of waiving confidentiality. Once a review has been held, or an appeal process conducted, responses shall be returned to the council, where they will be destroyed after the Eagle Scout credentials are released or the appeal is concluded.

In Scouts BSA, advancement references are required only for Eagle Scout rank. The council determines methods of contact.