Eagle rank: Joining date discrepancy - How to correct

Scoutbook Using Scoutbook & Scoutbook Plus
1

Issue:
My son just went to the Council office today for a signature on Eagle application. The council system found that when he moved up from the pack to the troop in March 2019, the troop didn’t change his membership to the troop. He wasn’t officially registered with the Troop until Jan 2020 (this was back in the paper application and recharter days, I think).

Correction:
The council office is asking us (and the current troop advancement chair) to go in and delete the merit badges earned in 2019 (e.g., his first summer camp) and re-enter that they were earned in 2020. Same with any ranks earned during 2019. Not a straightforward process.

Question:
Does that sound like the best way to correct this? We’re told that there is absolutely no way to change registration dates (from Jan 2020 back to March 2019).

Has anyone else run into this issue? Are there other options?

Thanks

2

@KennethKnapp

I asked about this and was told updating the dates is basically what you need to do. The system will only allow registrars to back date registrations 3 months.

Looking at your son’s record, you need to change Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class completion dates. Start with 2C and work backwards. Do not set any of these dates after 4/30/20, the date of First Class. For the MBs, the order you change the 2019 MBs (Chess, Fingerprinting, First Aid, Leatherwork, Sculpture, Space Exp and Swimming) but make sure they are all dated before 8/19/2021 since that is the Star date.

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@KennethKnapp

I received some more information regarding your issue. My Council asked their contacts at national how to handle the situation. Their reply was:

The way to handle this situation would be to submit a backdate request to backdate the Troop registration to March 2019. Since it should have been a transfer, no money needs to be submitted.

Once we have processed the backdate, we’ll send you a Membership Card for this period of time. Once you have this, the Eagle Application, along with a copy of the Membership Card, should be emailed to Advancement.Team@scouting.org for manual processing.

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Hi

This is great info. Is this something I can do myself? Because it is my council registrar who told me that there is no way to change the start date. Also, due to council delays (more than a month to even get the meeting to get the signature but then be told about this issue instead of a signature), we’re closing in on a month before he turns 18. (Well, that an a 17 y.o. who wasn’t in a hurry to get his final MBs completed [project done in 2025 but took his time with MBs]… we’re not shifting blame but talking about the situation we face).

If it is something I can do and if it can happen in days to weeks (not weeks to months) and IF my council can handle the manual processing of an Eagle Application, then I think it could work. But it might be one too many “ifs”.

I very much appreciate the advice. If you have any insight on timing, I’d appreciate it.

Thanks
Ken

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@KennethKnapp
Your Council would need to contact the folks at National, probably the National registrar, or Member Care for assistance. This is not something a volunteer or parent can do.

Your son has 24 months after turning 18 to complete his Eagle Board of Review without an extension as long as all requirements other than the BOR and Eagle application were completed before turning 18.

7

As a key 3 or scoutbook admin (or parent), it can be modified on the scout’s profile:

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That does not change the council records. All it modifies is the tag in the database for differentiating “before Joined Scouts BSA” from “after Joined Scouts BSA” for report purposes.

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@JanellBunger-Spiecha that is trivial and has nothing to do with this scout issue. That date you refer to, is just a date that holds no true relevance for the scouts record hence why it is so easy to change.

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Thanks to everyone. I have asked the council registrar to use this process to change his start date. I appreciate your time and knowledge. This is a great community!

That said … this seems like an arduous process (see below) for a mistake made by a troop 7 years ago (has NOTHING to do with the scout or his achievements)… and nobody disputes that he did what he did … just that we need to get him recognized as a scout member … this is bordering on ridiculous. Once this is mailed in, I will be calling national daily asking about the status of the application. We need an application for his transfer for 7 years ago? That’s crazy. Who will sign that? The previous scoutmaster has passed away!!!

Is this really THE process from national? This seems archaic. I am sorry but if this is where scouts has gone. The system is broken. At this pont, the scout won’t have a board of review until he is 19 because an advancement chair 7 years ago flubbed the paperwork for his transfer from scouts.

-Ken

My Council Registrar emailed me this information today:

"Good afternoon,

I wanted to provide you with an update on where we are with Joseph’s backdate request.

According to the registration request form from National, which was last updated in July 2025, requests for prior registration years must be mailed to National and cannot be submitted electronically. I contacted National to see whether I could submit the request electronically, but they confirmed that I must follow the instructions listed on the form. I have copied the applicable note from the form below.

With that being said, I will need a youth application completed for Joseph for the 2019 registration year. The application must be signed by a parent or guardian and the Unit Leader of the troop he would have been registered with at that time, which was Troop ##. Registration fees will not be required for this request.

Once the application has been completed and signed, please mail the original application to me at the Council office. Once I receive it, I will include it with the required request form and mail everything to the National Office through USPS.

National also confirmed that there is no rush process available for these requests. They were unable to provide an estimated time frame for when the request will be reviewed or approved.

Note from the National form:

“Prior year requests: Mail in the request form along with a copy of the individual’s application and a check for the registration fees.”"

>>My question: Do I really need to get a paper application backdated to 2019? To complicate matters, the SM has since died. Do I have the current SM who was not in the troop in 2019 sign the form? This is really complicated. Surely National has a better plan than this?

Ken