| return to the Court of Honor page | From www.eaglescout.org 2006 * Eagle Scout Publicity Plan * Invitations * Community/government Invitation List Ideas * BSA Invitation List Ideas * Eagle Commendation Letters * Sample Commendation Requests * Alternatives to Commendation Letters * Commendation Letter Addresses o US Government o Boy Scouts of America o Business and Industry o Universities o Astronauts o Previous Presidents o People o The Roman Catholic Church o The LDS Church o Other Religious Leaders o Scouting * Commendation Letter Page From MacScouter.com Eagle Scout Publicity Plan   There are basic steps to follow in publicizing any Scouting event. The following suggestions will help unit leaders develop a media plan for the Eagle Scout Ceremony. CONTACTS: Prepare a mailing list of the newspapers in your council, district, and unit area. These should be daily, weekly, religious, and school newspapers, business, church, organization, council and district newsletters. BIO: Obtain detailed biographical material from the recipient and a 4"x 5" (or larger) black and white glossy photo, (some newspapers take their own photos.) Include Scouting honors and leadership positions, education, church, civic and school activities, and include the troop number and the Scoutmaster's name. Prepare a one page double-spaced news release from the biographical material. This should be typed on a standard 8 1/2"x11" sheet of white paper. Be brief, use short words, always use exact dates, give age of the Scout, name the chartered organization and above all spell every word correctly. When preparing a news release, six points are important to remember: Who... What... When... Where... Why... and How. Get all those points into the first two or three sentences. Then go into the details of the story. Address and mail all news releases to the editor of your local newspaper and newsletters at least a week in advance of the presentation, or as soon as possible after the ceremony. Because of space limitations, most large newspapers deal exclusively with photos and captions of Eagle Scouts. Smaller suburban newspapers welcome photos and longer articles and are more likely to use them. | return to the top of page | Invitations   The Eagle candidate should send out invitations to VIPs about 3 months before the actual ceremony. This allows time for busy politician and business leaders to respond to the candidate's invitation. A Sample Invitation Letter   123 Main Street Somewhere, USA   The Honorable _______________________ U.S. Senate Washington, DC. 20510   Dear Senator __________ I would be greatly honored if you could attend my Eagle Scout Court of Honor on 13 July 1998 at the First Banquet Hall of Fame at 2 PM in Mill Valley, Illinois. Your presence would greatly add to my receiving the Boy Scouts of America's highest honor, the Eagle Scout Award. I hope you will be able to attend my Eagle Court of Honor.   Yours in Scouting,   Sample Scout | return to the top of page | Community/government Invitation List Ideas   When writing to a member of Congress, use the address below: THE HONORABLE ________________________ U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 THE HONORABLE _________________________ U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D. C. 20515   When writing to invite the President or Vice-President of the United States to your event, use the address below: Mr. George W. Bush President Of The U. S. The White House Attn:  Scheduling Office Washington, DC  20502-0184 Mr. Richard Cheney Vice President Of The U. S. The White House Attn:  Vice President's Scheduling Office Washington, DC  2051-0279 (NOTE: there is a different address for requesting commendation letters and greetings.) Key leaders in your home town that you may consider sending an invitation to: MAYOR City of ____________ Fire Chief City of __________ Chief of Police City of ____________ Superintendent of Schools Public Schools | return to the top of page | BSA Invitation List Ideas Council President Council Commissioner District Chairman District Commissioner District Executive District Advancement Chair District Activities Chair District Camping Chair District Training Chair   Unit Commissioner Charter Organization Representative Troop Committee Chair Previous Scout leaders (including Cub and Webelos) | return to the top of page | Eagle Commendation Letters   It is common practice to write to a variety of government officials, celebrities, and others to request Commendation letters for a new Eagle Scout. These letters are then presented to the Eagle at the Court of honor, usually in the form or a scrap book. A list of possible addresses can be found at http://www.macscouter.com/Eagle/Addresses.html. There is also a large list at the bottom of this web page < click here to go there now >. | return to the top of page | If you have suggestions for this list or send requests to the addresses below that are refused or returned, would you please let us know by filling out this form? Sample Commendation Requests Here is an example letter to send requesting a certificate or letter of achievement from our community, state, and federal leaders. October 1, 2003   Vice President Richard B. Cheney The White House Attn: Greetings Office Washington, D.C. 20502-0039 Mr. Vice President: My name is (say your name), a volunteer (say your position) within the (say your Council), Boy Scouts of America. This letter is to ask for your assistance in recognizing the achievements and service of (say Eagle Scouts' name), a resident of this community and a member of (say unit name here). Would you please be so kind as to send (Eagle's first name) a letter of greeting, along with any other items you wished to be presented to him during a recognition ceremony to be held (date of Court of Honor or other presentation), at (time) at (location of Court of Honor or other presentation). Please address your letter and recognitions to Eagle Scout (Eagle's LAST name), in care of the following address. All of the recognitions and letters will be compiled, placed in a binder or other suitable keepsake, and after they are read, will be displayed during this special occasion for (first name of Eagle Scout). [Note: I placed that last sentence in as an example of what can be done with all of those letters...if you have differing plans, please note them here instead of that last sentence.] (address of chartered partner organization, your address, or the address of the Committee Chair) Thank you very much for taking time from your extremely busy work schedule to help this community and this unit recognize the personal achievement and service of Eagle Scout (last name). Sincerely, *your signature* (Your full name) (Your Scouting position) (Your Unit's number/name) ********************************* Another Sample (Name) Member of the Troop Committee Boy Scout Troop (#) (Address) (Town, State, Zip) October 1, 2003   President George W. Bush The White House Attn: Greetings Office Washington, D.C. 20502-0039 Dear Mr. President: The Scouts, Leaders and Members of the Committee Boy Scout Troop (#) take great pleasure in announcing that: Having completed the requirements for, and having been examined by an Eagle Scout Board of Review (Scout's Name) Was found worthy of the rank of Eagle Scout. In honor of this achievement, we have scheduled an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for (date and time), at (location, town). We would appreciate a letter or certificate acknowledging his achievement. We will compile it with other acknowledgments and place in a scrap book commemorating this special occasion. Thank you for taking time from your extremely busy schedule to help this community recognize the achievements and service of Eagle Scout (Scout's Name). Sincerely, (Name) | return to the top of page | Alternatives to Commendation Letters As an alternative to requesting commendation letters, you might consider this suggestion from an Eagle Scout candidate and his parents: My son loves to read and wants to pass that love for books and reading along. His Eagle project was to collect books and give them to children. He collected over 5,000 books and gave them to a local school and the students there. (The school is a Title 1 school and many of the students there did not have a lot of books.)  Instead of requesting a lot of letters of congratulations, he asks each person to whom he sends a letter to either read a book to a child or donate a book to a library or school.  With each letter, he supplies a bookplate, as shown below:          Fly away on Eagle’s wings.          In honor of Buddy Haines becoming an Eagle Scout.       July 2004         Buddy Haines, Troop 121          Continue to Read!                   | return to the top of page |   Eagle Commendation Letter Addresses This is a list of dignitaries names, addresses and salutations, for the purpose of requesting commendation letters to Eagle Scouts. The addresses are divided into groups as shown in the Table of Contents. If your requests for commendation letters are returned, or you have corrected address or name information, would you please help us keep this list up to date?  Please send update information or suggestions for names to add to this list (with addresses, please) to Webmaster at Eaglescout.org .  Thank you. Table of Contents US Government Boy Scouts of America Business and Industry Universities Astronauts Previous Presidents Previous Vice Presidents People The Roman Catholic Church The LDS Church Other Religious Leaders Scouting US Government The Current Administration A good place to start is the Congressional E-Mail Addresses web page: http://turnpike.net/metro/D/dmorgan/congress.html. The President The White House Attn: Greetings Office Washington, D.C. 20502-0039 Mr. President The Vice-President The White House Attn: Greetings Office Washington, D.C. 20502-0039 Mr. Vice-President Senator [the name of your State Senator] United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Congressman/woman [the name of your local Congressperson] Congress of the United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Boy Scout Program Manager National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Secretary of the Air Force Community Relations, SAF/PAC Room 5C945, 1690 Air Force The Pentagon Washington, DC 20330-1690 Department of the Army (Request a certificate online at www.goarmy.com/ycr) Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Director for Community Relations The Pentagon, Room 1E776 Washington, DC 20301-1400 Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff The Pentagon Washington, DC 20330-1000 Commandant of Cadets U.S. Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, CO 80840-5421 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543 Justice Clarence Thomas Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543 Justice Stephen Breyer Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543 Justice Anthony Kennedy Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543   US Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center Division of Education Outreach 698 Conservation Way Shepherdstown, WV 25443 Drug Enforcement Administration Attn: Information Affairs Coordinator Office of the Administrator 700 Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA 22202   The Boy Scouts of America Robert Gates President National Eagle Scout Association P.O. Box 152079 Irving, TX 75015-2079   Business and Industry International Association of Lions Clubs 300 22nd Street Oak Brook, IL 60521-8842 Douglas N. Daft The Coca Cola Company P.O. Drawer 1734 Atlanta, GA 30301 Steven S. Reinemund PepsiCo, Inc. Mr. Reinemund regrets he cannot respond to each individual request. Please copy the letter below and print it for your Eagle Scout. Dear Eagle Scout: Congratulations on becoming an Eagle Scout! You deserve a lot of credit and are to be commended on this achievement. The Boy Scouts of America's focus on the values of integrity, honor and respect are all important requirements for lasting success. You need all of them to make your mark in this world. Again, congratulations, and please accept my very best wishes for continued success. Sincerely, Steven S Reinemund   Mr. Steven Spielberg c/o Creative Artists Agency 9830 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90212-1825 USAF Thunderbirds Lt. Col. Richard G. McSpadden, Jr. USAFADS/CC 4445 Tyndall Ave Nellis AFB  NV  89191-6079 National Football League 280 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 Mr. Hector Ruiz Chairman and CEO Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. P.O. Box 3453 Sunnyvale, CA 94088   Astronauts   NASA receives a large number of requests for Eagle commendation letters.  NASA is now requesting that all requests be sent to the following address: NASA Johnson Space Center CB/Astronaut Office Attn: Eagle Scout Court of Honor Houston, TX 77058 The Astronaut Office will respond with one letter on behalf of the astronaut corps. Senator John Glenn Ohio State University 400 Stillman Hall 1947 College Road Columbus OH 43210 Previous Presidents   Gerald R. Ford President Ford is the only president to date who is an Eagle Scout.  Due to limited staff which cannot satisfy the large number of inquiries, we ask Scouts to respect his wish to not send him requests for commendation letters Jimmy Carter Attn: Correspondence Office The Carter Center 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307  carterweb at emory.edu George H. W. Bush 10000 Memorial Drive Suite 900 Houston, TX 77024 William Jefferson Clinton Send an e-mail request to correspondence at owjc.org .  This is the correspondence e-mail address of the Clinton Foundation, whose website is http://www.clintonfoundation.org/   People   General Charles E. Yeager General Yeager reports that he receives over 500 requests a week for Boy Scout commendations and can not respond to them all, so he responds to none.  To support the General Chuck Yeager Foundation, he will autograph items for $50 each.  The General Chuck Yeager Foundation is dedicated to the enhancement and enrichment of young people’s lives through programs that are focused on the principles that General Yeager has exemplified.  www.chuckyeager.com Mr. Ralph Nader P.O. Box 19312 Washington, DC 20036 Mr. Craig A. Moon President and Publisher, USA Today Gannett Co., Inc. Headquarters 7950 Jones Branch Drive McLean, VA 22108-0605 Mr. Andrew Heyward President, CBS News 524 W. 57th St. New York, NY 10019 Mr. Bill Parcells Coach, The Dallas Cowboys One Cowboys Parkway Irving, TX 75063-4727     Mr. Ted Turner  Turner Broadcasting, Inc.  P.O. Box 105366  Atlanta, GA 30348 Mr. Turner, as with many on this and other lists, receives so many requests that he can no longer reply to them all.  However, he does want to recognize the Eagle Scouts, and has requested the letter at right be posted on his behalf.  Please copy the text to a form or letter as you want it printed for your Eagle Scout. Dear Eagle Scout:   Congratulations on attaining the highest ranking within Scouting.   The realization of this outstanding achievement will undoubtedly lead to successes and accomplishments throughout your life.  Best wishes for the future.   Very truly yours,   Ted Turner   Mr. John Jacobs Power Connection Box A Santa Anna, CA 92711 Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson LBJ Ranch Stonewall, TX 78671 Mr. Jerry Jones Owner, The Dallas Cowboys Cowboys Center One Cowboy Parkway Irving, TX 75063-4727 Mr. Samuel J. Palmisano Chairman & CEO IBM Corp. Old Orchard Rd. Armonk, NY 10504 Mr. Neal Shapiro President, NBC News 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10012 Mr. James S. Brady c/o National Organization on Disability Washington, DC 20006 Mr. David Westin President, ABC News Capital Cities/ABC Inc. 47 W 66th St. New York, NY 10023 Mr. Kayne Robinson, President National Rifle Association 11250 Waples Mill Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030 Mr. Edwin Feulner President The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002 The Roman Catholic Church His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI Vatican City Rome, Italy Most Holy Father Your Holiness' most humble servant,   The LDS Church The Young Men General Presidency Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 47 East South Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150   Other Religious Leaders Dr. Robert Schuller The Crystal Cathedral 12141 Lewis St. Garden Grove CA 92840 Scouting The Scout Association, The Gilwell Park Campsite, Chingford, London, E4 7QW, United Kingdom