The first Eagle Scout medal was awarded in 1912 to Arthur Rose Eldred, a 17-year-old member of Troop 1 of Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York. Eldred was notified that he was to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in a letter from Chief Scout Executive James E. 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.

Since then, more than 1.7 million Scouts have earned the rank. In 1982, 13-year-old Alexander Holsinger, of Normal, Illinois, was recognized as the one-millionth Eagle Scout.

Each year the Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America, honors the most recent class of young men who have earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. The Eagle Scout rank is the highest rank a Scouting youth can obtain.  

The Orange County Council boasts an impressive 619 Eagle Scouts for the 2007 year and each is invited to attend the Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner free of charge. Also invited to the dinner are the parents of the youth, and business leaders from around the community, many of whom are Eagle Scouts as well. The business leaders act as the youths hosts for the evening, imparting on them their professional experiences; they are pre-matched based on career interests.  

The dinner is also an opportunity to recognize those youth who have received the rank of Quartermaster, the highest achievement in Sea Scouting, and Silver Venturing Award Recipients, the highest achievement in Venturing.    

The successes of the Class of Orange County 2007 Eagle Scouts were celebrated at the Eagle Recognition Dinner on April 23, 2008.   

For additional information, contact Ami Lieberman at 714-546-4990 ext. 144.