One of the requirements to become an Eagle Scout is to complete 21 merit badges. Any merit badges earned beyond the required 21 count toward an additional award, called Eagle Palms. An Eagle receives one palm for every 5 additional merit badges. Trevor completed his Eagle rank with 31 merit badges, so he received palms representing the 10 extras during his Eagle Court of Honor in September 2022.
It is traditional that an Eagle Scout be the one to award palms to a new Eagle. Trevor chose fellow Eagle Scout and lifelong friend Ronan to award his palms. In October 2023, Trevor was honored when his friend Owen chose him to award his palms during his Eagle Court of Honor.
Eagle Palms (affiliate link)
An Eagle can keep earning merit badges (and thus, palms) until their 18th birthday. With just over 5 months of Scouting before he ages out, Trevor has 42 merit badges. It is extremely unlikely that he'll complete four more merit badges in that time, so my guess is that he will end his youth Scouting career with a silver (15) and a bronze (5) palm. Owen still has 2.5 years of Scouting, so who knows how many he will earn!
The next time you see an Eagle Scout (most recognizable by their red, white, and blue neckerchief), ask about their palms. It's really interesting to see how many merit badges some have earned. I'm sure they'll appreciate being asked about this lesser-known accomplishment.
Love how committed Trevor is. You've raised a fine lad.
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