Should parents, relatives, or guests at an Eagle court of honor give the new Eagle Scout gifts?

This is the most frequently asked question received at Eaglescout.org.  The answer is: it's up to you. 

You might inquire of other people in your area about what the customs are for gifts.  I suspect customs vary around the country.  Sometimes gifts are given and sometimes not.  In my own area, usually the family and a few close friends might give the Eagle Scout a gift, but it depends on the family.  When I have seen gifts given, they are typically something like you might give a friend as a birthday gift or graduation gift - nothing of great value, but thoughtful.  A card would certainly be appropriate regardless of the gift.

Eagle-themed items are appropriate and usually appreciated as gift. For ideas, your local Scout shop has many Eagle items. You can see the catalog of everything that is available locally at www.scoutstuff.org and the Eagle specific items by searching for items with the word "Eagle". You can order Scouting merchandise online, but the online catalog doesn’t stock everything. There is probably a Scout shop associated with your local Boy Scout council. You can find the council contact information by entering your zip code at this link. Scout shops are basically locally run independent businesses and do their business locally rather than over a web site. The local profits go back to support local Scouting.

Susan Nichols of Troop 700 in Westerville, OH, suggests this: