Where do you find this?
In the middle of what is likely the most liberal county in the country (Alameda) I have a scout troop that had 5 eagles this year. We had 2 last year, and 6 the year before. Everyone of these boys earned the right to be called Eagle. The youngest turned 17 the day AFTER his board of review. Most seem to wait till the month of their 18th birthday to finish it. (Even with scouting - they procrastinate.) My son isn’t any different. He just got approval to do his Eagle project and he still has 2 merit badges to earn. He’s 18 in 6 months.
The point is that I just haven’t seen it here. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen - just not here.
I attended my first Eagle Scout Court of Honor yesterday. I have two boys in Scouts - one is a Wolf and the other a second year Webelo. They assisted in the ceremony with the honor guard as well as lighting of candles during the Spirit of Scouting Ceremony. I was honored that we were invited and that my boys were asked to participate. Scouting has been a wonderful asset to our family.
I know troops that will make your son an Eagle in 30 months. They have merit badge workshops each month where every boy earns the same badge as a group activity. They have 14 year old Eagles serving as Assistant Patrol Leaders because they are so top-heavy.
A troop like yours that matures a boy as he rises in rank is a good troop. In the Eagle Factories, a boy that makes Eagle at age 17 is rare because the 17 year olds have been Eagles for a long time.
If you talk to the Scoutmasters of these troops, they are very proud of “their” accomplishment but it is pretty obvious that Eagle is just a participation trophy to these guys, and the parents are happy because to them, Eagle is just another ticket to be punched on the way to declaring their son’s well-ordered childhood a success.