Starting an Eagle Project

[Lynda J]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, make sure that any boy starting his Eagle Project gets approval for that project before he begins the work!!!!!!!!!
Was at Council Commissiners training the past weekend and one of the District Advancement Chairs was telling us about a young man that requested his BOR for Eagle well guess what he never got his project approved. It is a good landscaping project except for the fact that it was done at a small strip mall. So now the committee faces what to do. They said he spent over 160 hours on it. Got all the material donated.
But missed that every important requirement of getting approval before he started.

[ASM-142]

Why would a SM let a scout do an Eagle Project without it being approved?

Why would a SM let a scout have an Eagle BOR without having an Eagle Project completed (includes approvals and signatures).

Yes this is the scouts problems but the SM should take some of the blame for this situation.

[diamondbackAPL]

this just shows that you have to read the requirement carefully. one little slip-up like this can make him have to do it all over again.

[Lynda J]

I agree 200% I could not believe that a SM would let something as important at that slip by. She said they weren't sure what they were going to do.
She said he had put so much work into this. It was a zero scape using only native plants. He had researched which plants would require the same amount of water and would do better planted together. There was an existing sprinkler system but he redid it to be an underground system.
So he did a lot of work.
So time will tell.

[ASM-142]

The SM has failed on this one. The excuse that they weren't sure what they were not going to do is not acceptable. For a scout to do that much work the SM must know what is going on.

How could the SM sign-off on the SM conference knowing that an so called eagle project was completed without approval.

[Lynda J]

It was the committee that wasn't sure what they were going to do.
But I agree that the SM dropped the ball. The committee member I was talking to said they sure hated to see this boy put in so much work on the project and not get credit for it. They are going to meet with the Council Committee and talk over what their options are.

[ASM-142]

I do not think that they have any choice. They can not accept this project since it was not approved before hand. If they let this scout get away with it they open the door for it happening again and again. Then there will be no more "approved' projects but just what the scout wants to do.

[wagionvigil]

Experience- It will be approved. I hope I am wrong But have seen it done!

[PaulSWolf]

. It is a good landscaping project except for the fact that it was done at a small strip mall. ... Got all the material donated.
But missed that every important requirement of getting approval before he started.

The key here is that if the work was done on private property of a business (i.e. the strip mall), then the project would never have been approved by the district or council advancement committee in the first place.

The requirement reads

The project idea must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee and the council or district before you start.

and the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook says:

The project also may not be performed for a business or an individual, be of a commercial nature, or be a fund-raiser.

So as beneficial as the project was, and as unfortunate as it sounds, the Scout may have to do another project that meets the requirements.

[JazerNorth]

This is a great opportunity to teach all the scouts how to follow rules and abide by the regulations. He shouldn't pass the Board of Review because he hasn't done his Eagle Service Project.

[JazerNorth]

... boy starting his Eagle Project gets approval for that project before he begins the work

It ain't an Eagle Project until all signatures have been aquired.

[ASM-142]

I missed the part about being at a small strip mall. There is no way that this should even be considered as an Eagle project.

[diamondbackAPL]

well, at least he did a service project that benefited others, let's at least give him cedit for that.

[ASM-142]

I will give him credit for doing the work - however it is not even a service project since it benefited a business (i.e., strip mall)

Also - any hours other scouts put into this "project" should not count as serive hours for rank advancement

[diamondbackAPL]

well, the people who go to the strip mall probably like the fact that it looks nice, and the person who owns it probably appreciates it too.

[ASM-142]

well, the people who go to the strip mall probably like the fact that it looks nice, and the person who owns it probably appreciates it too.

I agree but it is still not an Eagle project nor a service project

[Mick Scouter]

Training, training and more training. Guess what when you think you know it all you need to go back and get more training. When you have finished all the training that you can get, start over again.

[Mick Scouter]

Besides training there is communication. I believe there is an Eagle required badge with a similar name. I do not understand how one can work on an Eagle project without some district and council communication. Training.

[diamondbackAPL]

ASM-142, I'm confused. why would it not be a service project since it benefits both the strip mall and the individual people?

[Mrw]

The Eagle project is to benefit the community. Although making the shopping ceter look nicer may improve the community, it is still a private entity and not something public like the city, national park, church or school would be.

My older son did a trail improvement for our local national park. My younger son built a bridge for a local land conservancy to open access to land they are re-habbing to eventually become a city park. If they had done landscaping for the front gate of the theme park up the road, it would not have been for the public as the park can hire someone where the other groups we helped rely partly on donations and volunteers to get everything done that needs to be done. They are supported by tax dollars and donations, not the rents of the stores in the mall.

I hope that helps you see the difference.