Starting an Eagle Project

[Lynda J]

I purchased a new book less than 6 months ago and it does say OR. Now the Copyright date is 98 in the front of the book but like I said. I got it less than 6months ago.

This troop isn't in my district and I don't know the people there very well.
But my guess is that this may be a very young troop with little experience.
Don't know about the training status of anyone.

179. I haven't heard anything else on that issue.

[ASM-142]

Whatever happened to the project where the District Rep wanted the lad to do more than the benefitting organization wanted?

That would be two different scouts in my Troop. Both boys are currently doing their projects as was approved and what the benefitting organization wants. Being that the District Rep did not put anything is writing, and the boys follow the approved plan there is nothing that he can say when the project is completed.

[JazerNorth]

Your idea for a project must be approved by your troop leader, troop committee, district OR council advancement committee. and the recipient of the project before you begin. Upon completion, the project must be reviewed by your district or council advancement committee.

The "or" here is only between district or council, therefore it must be approved by (1) Troop Leader, then passed to (2) Troop Committee, then passed to (3) District or Council Advancement Committee, and finally (4) recipient of the project. Meaning 3 different scouting approvals and 1 recipient approval are needed.

If it read:

Your idea for a project must be approved by your troop leader, troop committee, district advancement committee, or council advancement committee, and the recipient of the project before you begin. Upon completion, the project must be reviewed by your district or council advancement committee.

Then the mom would have been correct, but it doesn't have that extra comma.

It is sad that people get to such details. I heard of a Will of Trust that was interpreted by a son to mean that he got half of the estate when it read "Jack, Jill and Bob" -- Where Jack got 1/2 and where Jill and Bob got 1/4 each. Sad that is most likely not what the Will really meant. Comma's can get you if you are not careful when you read stuff.

Hope that helps.

JazerNorth

[Lynda J]

I agree. But I think that what happened was that as typical Council simply didn't want a fight.
This was a really good project. The kid did research on which native plants took how much water. He scaped them together and had even gone as far as estimating how much water the landscaping would require during the year. So I would have approved the project. I do still have a problem personally with where it was done. Even though it was done through a city improvement project as an echo project I don't like that it was done at a strip shopping center.

But I agree that any and all projects for Eagle have be be approved by the District committee.
OUr boys all get the Eagle Project work book when they earn Life. Then there is no doubt.

[evmori]

A bad precedent has been set! Now, any Life Scout can start & complete his Eagle project without the proper approvals thereby skirting the system. Bad form.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

So technically from what I'm reading here and in another thread, a boy can show up for his Eagle BOR without a uniform or an Eagle project workbook and still obtain the highest rank in Scouting?

hum... and some say it's getting harder?

[evmori]

So technically from what I'm reading here and in another thread, a boy can show up for his Eagle BOR without a uniform or an Eagle project workbook and still obtain the highest rank in Scouting?

hum... and some say it's getting harder?

Apparently in some councils that is an accurate statement!

This council caved in! Why? Who knows & who cares! But this has opened the door for more of the same! And with more ammo! Sad sad state of affairs.

[ASM-142]

This council should NEVER of let this scout get away with doing a project without prior approval.

The requirement is clear in the handbook:

While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project should benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) 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. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 18-927B, in meeting this requirement.

In the Eagele Scout Leadership Project Workbook it includes:

Approval Signatures for Project Plan
Project plans were reviewed and approved by
Religious institution, school, or community representative Scoutmaster/Coach/Advisor
Unit committee member
Council or district advancement committee member

IMPORTANT NOTE : You may proceed with your leadership service project only when you have
Completed all the above mentioned planning details
Shared the project plans with the appropriate persons
Obtained approval from the appropriate persons

I guess that the scout does not care much about the Scout Oath and Law.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

I truely think the council could've given him an extention and either allowed him to submit the original paperwork from the project with current dates accepted or had him do a new but smaller project to follow through with. At least he would've been given a chance to clean all the slates.

Yes Ed, I agree with you and I shouldn't have been so sardonic, but I just couldn't help it!

[Scouting179]

This is why we need consistent education, training, communication, and enforcement. If not, you get these situations. And whenever you make exceptions, you make yourself a target (ie, "you broke the rules for him, why not me?).

[Lynda J]

I agree 200% about training. I honestly think that Scout Master training should have to be renewed every 5 years. I know SMs that took the training 20 years ago and have never taken another training except YPT, Safety Afloat, and Safe Swim.