The Golden Eaglet Award was the highest rank of Girl Scouting from 1916 through 1939.
The requirements varied over the years from simply earning 14 of 17 specific badges to later requirements that included earning
the Medal of Merit. In later years the number of badges was altered and a letter of Commendation was allowed in place of the
Medal of Merit. A special form was used to apply for the award from the National Headquarters.
Originally called the Golden Eagle of Merit, the award from 1916 - 1918 was an eagle
with a wingspan making the item nearby twice as long as it was tall. It was attached to a red, white and blue ribbon.
In 1919 the design was changed to the ones shown below and the named was changed to Golden Eaglet.
According to the Girl Scout Collector's Guide, Juliette Low once wrote that "the
five requirements for winning the Golden Eaglet are character, health, handicraft, happiness and service, and that others will expect to find in our Golden Eaglets a perfect specimen of girlhood: mentally, morally
and physically."
