When to start an Eagle project

[WolfLdr]

Could someone out there please tell me when a boy can start his Eagle project? Does he need to be a certain rank?

Our situation is: My son is a Second Class scout. He has all of his requirements for Star rank completed; he just has the waiting period (one more month.)

By the end of July he will have all of the requirements, except for the waiting period and leadership position, completed for Life rank.

He wants to build a bridge between the Catholic school and the public school and he has both schools as well as the village's approval. His project is dependent upon the weather (No, his project has not been approved yet because we weren't sure if he has to wait to start it. We will go to the SM as soon as we know when he can begin.)

Does he need to wait until next spring or can he start it before the "snow flies"?

[t305spl]

You can not start any part of the project until you are a Life Scout. At that time you can start but never before Life Scout.

[wagionvigil]

You become a Life Scout the Day of your Life Board of Review. Not when you are awarded the Badge. Most councils send out an Eagle Packet with the Life Advancement stuff. Project Workbook etc. It MUST be followed to the letter. ALso a project must be approved by several different people before a scout can do anything on it.

[t305spl]

http://www.meritbadge.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=856 You should visit this and read through it.

[WolfLdr]

Thanks for the info.

I just wanted to verify the timeline because our Advancement Chair has come right out and told me to slow him down because he is advancing faster than some of the other boys that have been in the troop a lot longer than him (he just turned 12). I have gone to the district regarding this and some of the other issues that have come up in relation to the AC. My son is keeping very accurate records of his merit badges, community service hours, etc. because he knows about her comments (he overheard us talking) and doesn't trust her.

We are aware that there are certain forms, etc. that need to be completed before he starts his project, but we don't always believe what the AC tells us. He wants to make sure that as soon as he gets the "go ahead" that he can start the project without delay.

[Lynda J]

DO NOT SLOW YOUR SON DOWN. Kevin just made Star. He turned 12 in April. THe day he did his OA Ordeal.
Don't push him though. Let him go at his own pace. Kevin said he wants Life by March. He has his own timeline. It IS his not mine. He wants Eagle by 16. He said because then he can be a JASM and have 3 years to earn more badges and Palms. Find with me. I am just along for the ride.
There are two boys in our troop that are 15 and still 1st Class. One complained about Kevin passing him in rank. SM laughed and said "you had all better be looking over your shoulders because Kevin is coming up on you all fast. His son had been Life for almost a year now and hasn't started on his project. Kevin known what he wants to do. Also knows it may be really hard.
We had a campus police officer die from a heart attack this year. Seems no one knew CPR. He wants to try and get the school to offer CPS as an after school program. Now whether he can get school board approval or not I don't know. It is his responsibility to try. If he can't then he can do something else.

[wagionvigil]

Interesting. This has been discussed before in these forums. Browse around. I will say that the only restrictioj is what is in the written requirements that are in yur sons scout handbook. Troops cannot put their own restrictions on anything that pertains to advancement.

[JazerNorth]

Humm, I would say, keep it within the rules, yet you can do a lot of leg work in the waiting time. In otherwords, there are things that need to be done that are not really part of the Eagle project that can be done ahead of time. Just be very careful and only do those things and nothing else. Everything else must be done after the Life Board of Review. Also, let him go at his own pace, it is nice to get your Eagle early. Girls like it.....

Enjoy.

JazerNorth

[Mrw]

I agree with the others, your son may begin the write-ups and approval process for his project the day he passes his Life Board of Review.

My question is....If he is second class now, what one more month waiting period does he have? There is a 4 months as Star requirement and a 6 months as Life requirement, but no other rank has a tenure requirement.

My experience with this is that your son should advance as fast as he is comfortable with. If he passes older boys, and it bothers them, they will suddenly start working a whole lot harder! On the other hand, the older boys may be enjoying the program - camping, etc, and not really care to advance.

My younger son earned his Star rank at 12 years and three months, just before starting 7th grade. He thought about what he could do to make Eagle before startig 8th grade! I am glad he decided that all work and no play was not the best way to go. He finished his Eagle the summer between 9th and 10 grade. He took a "slow down" comment during the Star BOR as a personal insult though, and I had to go back and let the person know he had offended my son. He had a goal (personal and shared only with me)of always having a higher rank and/or more merit badges than any of the boys he crossed over with. Now at 16, he is almost ready for his gold palm and is still ahead of his peers.

[Scouting179]

HE can advance as fast as the requirements allow. The Adv Chair should know better than to slow him. Since he is 2nd Class, he has to make First Class, Star, and Life before he can start his project.

[Chief J]

Wolf Leader Quotes:

Our situation is: My son is a Second Class scout. He has all of his requirements for Star rank completed; he just has the waiting period (one more month.)

How can this be. The participation requirement for Star does not begin until after he makes First Class. (Which is the date he passes the First Class Board of Review.

Requirement #1 for Star states:
"Be active in your troop and patrol for at least four months as a First Class Scout"

I agree, let them advance as fast as the requirements allow. I also agree, the Eagle project cannot be started until after earning Life. There have been some great references posted in this thread and they should be reviewed.

Best wishes to you and your son,
Chief J

[JazerNorth]

Here is the math:
Scout is currently Second Class. After he gets his First Class, then the "Be active in your troop and patrol" begins, which is a very important requirement.

Current month: June
After First Class Board of Review: 4 months (earliest Board of Review in October)
After Star Board of Review: 6 months (earliest Board of Review in April)
After Life Board of Review: 6 months (earliest Board of Review October)

He can't even start next spring on the Eagle Project.

Maybe, and I am just throwing this out there to look at, the Dad is pushing the son to Eagle and not letting the son go at his own pace. From my experience, young teenage boys can't look that far forward with that much detail. They can say, "Yeah, I wan't my Eagle by 14". But they can't seem to grasp the details of what needs to be done that far forward. Which is where the adult leaders help guide them to acheive goals that get them the Eagle.

I change my earlier comments to wait until he has his Life. Wait for him to do the work, and back off.

JazerNorth

[Scouting179]

Mathematically, a kid who gets his AOL and moves to a troop at age 10 1/5 can make Eagle at 12 1/5 and national has approved it and it has happened. If a kid is dedicated and in an active troop, it's actually quite feasible and no one can stop him as there is no age requirement for Eagle despite all those who say that's too young. Some kids can handle making it that young and some can't.

In the last 14 years we've had two make Eagle unders 13, at 12y11m and 12y9m and they both did fine.

The bottom line is you can't stop a kid merely because of age.

[Lynda J]

You need to make sure that it is your SON's plan and not yours. I am like
Jazz and kinds read that Dad has a big push to get son to Eagle ASAP.
Don't do that. I have seen it so many times. Parent pushed child get rank before other boys, earn more badges that other boys. By the time the kid has earned Life they are burned out. I know personally of 3 boys who fathers are SMs or ASMs that were pushed so hard that they simply stopped trying. Non ever earned Eagle. They simply got pushed to the point that it wasn't fun any more. I don't push Kevin. I don't remind him about badge paper work. It is his responsibility. He wants Eagle at 16, If he gets it the day before he turns 18 I will be just as proud of him.
This has to be the boys goal not the parents.
This Monday Kevin ask the SM for his SMC, He also ask if there was any way he could do his BOR that night, since he really wanted to go to came as Star. SM said he didn't think they could get a BOR together. Kevin was ok with that. Did the SMC. CC came in and SM ask her about a BOR. SHe made one call and got it together. SM told Kevin that there would not be time to turn in the paper work into the Council Office and get his rank patch. Kevin said he was OK with that, since he knew he was Star and that was what mattered.

[tuscarora299]

Don't slow down I made First Class in 6 Months I am now working on Life @ 13 Everything is done but The WAIT

[Elangomat]

They can say, "Yeah, I wan't my Eagle by 14". But they can't seem to grasp the details of what needs to be done that far forward.

Yeah, I said that when my older brother got his, now I'm 17 (July 6th, I'll be 18, AND going to Philmon TOMMORROW, till the 30th) and am turning in everything now... Please, for heaven's (and yours) sake, DO NOT WAIT!

[Lynda J]

Elagomat Congrats. Hope you are going to stick around your troop and continue to be a role model for the younger boys.

My brother was talking about when he made Eagle (years ago) his most fun was sticking around and helping the SM with the younger boys.

[Elangomat]

Thank you! But, as much as I'd like to stick around with my own troop, I cannot, unfortunally right when I hit 18 the troop will officially close, as there is only one active member in my troop (me ). I, will, of course, stay with the Order of the Arrow and help scouts in any other way I can, OA and not-OA related.

[wagionvigil]

Remember the first requirement for the OA is Registered Scout or scouter. Join a Venture Crew or register at large with your council. You cannot belong to the OA unless you are registered.

[Lynda J]

Glad to see you are staying with the program in some way. Sad that you are the last of the troop.