Minute Judging - Eagle Tip

One of my favorite impromptu Scout games is minute judging. It works like this: Everyone sits on the floor, and a judge with a stopwatch shouts “Go!” Without looking at their watches, the Scouts stand up when they think a minute is passed. Some pop up after 30 seconds; others wait much longer than a minute. The winner, of course, is the Scout who gets up the closets to the one-minute mark.

So what does that game have to do with Eagle Scout courts of honor? It demonstrates that a minute can seem like a long time, which means five or six minutes can seem like an eternity.

If you’re going to include a slide show in your ceremony—which I think is a great idea—just choose one song as the soundtrack and make your pictures fit. Assuming a three- to four-minute song and three seconds per slide, that lets you show 60 to 80 pictures, which is probably plenty.

You can include a second song and more pictures, of course, but if you do, don’t be surprised when your guests start playing minute judging!

For more great tips on planning Eagle courts of honor, order a copy of The Eagle Court of Honor Book. Complete details are at www.eaglebook.com/cart.