By Ken Camp
The Boys Scouts of America long have noted the conspicuous presence of Eagle Scouts among astronauts, military officers, top athletes and high-ranking elected officials. But a nationwide scientific survey involving researchers from Baylor University provides the first empirical evidence that shows the positive impact Eagle Scouts have on society.
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Compared to other American adult males, recipients of the Eagle Scout rank—Scouting’s highest award—demonstrate a greater belief in duty to God, service to others and community engagement, research showed.
“There is no shortage or examples or anecdotal accounts that suggest Scouting produces better citizens, but now there is scientific evidence to confirm the prosocial benefits of Scouting or earning the rank of Eagle Scout,” said principal researcher Byron Johnson, co-director of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion and director of the Program on Prosocial Behavior.
“The central question of this study was to determine if achieving the rank of Eagle Scout is associated with prosocial behavior and development of character that carries over into young adulthood and beyond.”
With funding from a John Templeton Foundation grant, researchers with the Institute for Studies of Religion and Program on Prosocial Behavior worked in partnership with the Gallup Organization to survey adult males nationwide—Eagle Scouts, Scouts who did not achieve the Eagle rank and non-Scouts. Respondents answered questions related to well-being, civic engagement and character development.
As adults, Eagle Scouts are more likely than their peers to give to charity, volunteer their time, vote, set and achieve goals, work with neighbors to address a problem, show respect for religious diversity, and hold leadership positions at work or in their communities, the study demonstrated.
Adult Eagle Scouts also are significantly more likely than other American males to participate in efforts to protect the environment, engage in a variety of health and recreational activities, and demonstrate high levels of emergency preparedness, the research showed.
With regard to religious beliefs and practices, Eagle Scouts are:
• 81 percent more likely than either other Scouts or non-Scouts to indicate they achieved a spiritual goal in the last year.
• 55 percent more likely to volunteer time to a religious organization, compared to other Scouts, and 66 more likely than non-Scouts.
• 53 percent more likely than non-Scouts to have donated money to a religious institution in their community in the last month.
• 29 percent more likely than non-Scouts to agree strongly that most religions make a positive contribution to society.
The Gallup Organization contacted 81,409 potential respondents nationwide and randomly selected 2,512 who completed the telephone survey. They included 134 Eagle Scouts and 853 Scouts who were not Eagles. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
A PDF file of the entire report is available here.
Since the first Eagle Scout badge was awarded 100 years ago, more than 2 million young men—about 4 percent of all Boy Scouts—have achieved the rank. Notable Eagle Scouts include former President Gerald Ford, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and astronauts Neil Armstrong and James Lovell.