How to earn a Palm
- 1Earn Eagle first.
- 2Stay active about 3 months since Eagle (or your last Palm) and keep showing Scout spirit and leadership.
- 3Earn 5 more merit badges for each Palm — badges from any time since joining count.
- 4Have a Scoutmaster conference.
- 5Complete a board of review toward the Palm.
- 6Receive the Palm — Bronze (5), Gold (10), Silver (15), combining for higher totals — all before turning 18.
The three Palms
- Bronze — 5 additional merit badges beyond the 21 for Eagle.
- Gold — 10 additional; Silver — 15 additional.
- They stack — e.g., 20 extra badges = Silver + Bronze — and the cycle continues for more.
Rules & integrity
- Palms require genuine continued activity, leadership, and Scout spirit — not just accumulating badges.
- The same fixed-requirements rule applies — no adding or subtracting Palm requirements.
- The age deadline applies — Palms must be completed before the 18th birthday, like all Scouts BSA advancement.
Going deeper
- Beyond the top. There's no rank above Eagle — Palms are how a scout keeps advancing, five merit badges at a time.
- Old badges still count. Merit badges earned before Eagle (past the required 21) aren't wasted — they roll into Palms, so a badge-collector can earn Palms immediately.
- Bronze, Gold, Silver — then repeat. The three Palms cycle and combine, so a very active Eagle Scout can wear several before turning 18.
Official source
Advancement and Awards — Scouting America →The Palm structure and requirements are paraphrased. Palm rules were significantly revised in recent years (retroactive-badge counting, tenure) — confirm the current Eagle Palm requirements.