Troop 406 Eagle Mentor Program Parent s Guide

Transcription

1 Troop 406 Eagle Mentor Program Parent s Guide This guide will help you understand how to help your son earn his Eagle Scout Rank, the things that help, the things that don t, tips to guaranteeing his success, and how to help him join the top 2% of Scouts nationwide who earn the Eagle Scout Rank.

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3 Table of Contents Introduction..1 Encouragement. 1 Life to Eagle Seminar...2 The Eagle Requirements..3 The Project Process...6 The Eagle Project Workbook.10 Finding a Project.32 Planning the Project...37 Carrying out the Project 42 Preparing the Write-up.43 Completing the Other Requirements..46 Completing Your Application..49 The Eagle Scout Rank Application..51 The Scoutmaster Conference 53 The Board of Review.54 The Court of Honor...56

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5 Introduction Congratulations on your son s achievement of reaching Star or Life Scout. This is a major accomplishment. Remember that there is still work to be done before he can become an Eagle Scout. This guide is designed for you the parent. There is information in this guide specifically for you. There is also a copy of all the information presented on the Eagle Scout Information website ( This is primarily for your reference so that you have a copy of everything that has been presented to your son. This guide, like the website itself, are works in progress and will be updated to reflect any changes in the process or new understandings of the process from Star to Life to Eagle. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Encouragement One of the most important things that you as the parent of a Star or Life Scout can do is to provide encouragement. Many young men get discouraged and others get distracted. They may feel pressure from their friends outside Scouting that it is not cool to be a Scout. You can encourage him and remind him that being an Eagle Scout will have more long term significance than almost anything else he does as a young man. Remember that your SON must the make the decision to be an Eagle Scout on his own. Your support and encouragement will be one of the biggest difference makers in his decision. Help him set deadlines, timelines, goals, and waypoints so that he does not run out of time to complete the process. Remember that your son has been assigned an Eagle Mentor by the troop that has been through the process with other young men. His Mentor can be an invaluable resource for both you and your son. 1

6 Life to Eagle Seminar You and your son should attend the annual Life to Eagle seminar put on by the troop. This seminar is most often held early in the spring term at the church. Even of your son cannot attend, it is important that you come anyway. The seminar will cover the process from Star to Life to Eagle. Your son will be exposed to the same material through his Mentor and it will be helpful for you to have heard the same information. These seminars present a large amount of information in a relatively short period of time. For this reason, it will be helpful for you and your son to be present in order to absorb the most information possible. If you miss something during the seminar, don t worry, that is the purpose of this Parent s Guide as well as the website 2

7 The Eagle Requirements There are seven requirements for the rank of Eagle Scout. It is very important that you are familiar with these to ensure that you have the time and resources to complete them before your 18th birthday. Be sure to work on all of the requirements, not just requirements three and five. Requirement 1: Be active in your troop, team, crew, or ship for a period of at least 6 months after you have earned the rank of Life Scout. Your troop defines their standard of what they consider active. Your Scoutmaster and Troop Committee Chairman will need to certify that you have met this requirement. Be sure you understand what they expect and how well they feel you are meeting this requirement. Note that this requirement can be met in any 6 months (not necessarily consecutive months) any time after your Life board of review. They are not necessarily the last 6 months. Requirement 2: Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. List the names of individuals who know you personally and would be willing to provide a recommendation on your behalf, including parents/guardians, religious, educational, and employer references. You will be asked to name six references on your Eagle Scout application. Five of them are required; the sixth (employer) is only if you are employed. These individuals need to be people who can attest to the fact that you live by all parts of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. This is not just while at Scouting activities. Be sure that these characteristics are obvious to everyone you come into contact with in all aspects of your life. Ask yourself if it would be clear to everyone you deal with that you live by these principles in all aspects of your life. Before you include any person's information on your Eagle Application, be sure that you ask them if they would be willing to write you a letter of recommendation for the rank of Eagle Scout first. 3

8 Requirement 3: Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following: (a) First Aid, (b) Citizenship in the Community, (c) Citizenship in the Nation, (d) Citizenship in the World, (e) Communications, (f) Personal Fitness, (g) Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, (h) Environmental Science, (i) Personal Management, (j) Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling, (k) Camping, and (l) Family Life. This list does change occasionally. When there are changes, there is a date set beyond which you must use the new requirements even if you have already earned the merit badges you needed under the old requirement. As you earn the merit badges, keep the merit badge card in case there are any questions later. Remember that Family Life, Personal Fitness, and Personal Management all have requirements that take three months to complete. If you want to work on any merit badge on your own, be sure to contact your Scoutmaster and Advancement coordinator first for approval. Requirement 4: While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period of 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility: Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, Venture Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, Order of the Arrow Troop Representative, Den Chief, Scribe, Librarian, Historian, Quartermaster, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, Chaplain Aide, Instructor, Webmaster, Or Leave No Trace Trainer. The word "actively" is very key. It is not enough to simply have the position and wear the patch. Once again, as with Requirement 1, your troop defines their standard of what they consider active. Your Scoutmaster and Troop Committee Chairman will need to certify that you have met this requirement. Regular communication with the Scoutmaster is key to ensuring that you are doing what is expected of you in the position you have. Don't wait until the last minute to be sure that you are completing the duties of the position you are in. There are corresponding lists for Scouts in a Varsity Scout team or a Venture crew/ship. Requirement 5: 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 proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your unit leader and unit committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Project Workbook, No , in meeting this requirement. You should start by downloading a copy of the Eagle Scout Leadership Project Workbook. Visit with your unit leaders for more information of filling out the form and the project process. 4

9 Requirement 6: Take part in a Scoutmaster conference. Attach to your application a statement of your ambitions and life purpose and a listing of positions held in your religious institution, school, camp, community, or other organizations during which you have demonstrated leadership skills. Include honors and awards received during this service. This requirement will normally take place after you have completed the first five requirements. Be prepared to review what you have done since becoming a Life Scout as well as your future plans both within Scouting and outside of Scouting. Bring all your paperwork, including your finished project write-up with you to the Scoutmaster's Conference. This requirement, as well as the first five, must be completed BEFORE your 18th birthday. Requirement 7: Successfully complete and Eagle Scout Board of Review. The Board may consist of adults from your troop and members of the District Advancement Committee. This requirement can be completed up to three months after your 18th birthday if all other requirements were completed before your 18th birthday. These three months allow time for scheduling of your Board of Review and receiving of the letters of recommendation. They are NOT additional time for you to do the paperwork after your 18th birthday. 5

10 The Process Preparation Before you even pick a project, you need to learn what the whole project process is all about. Follow these steps to what you need to do. Go through this website thoroughly. Download and read as much information as possible. There is helpful information here about each step in the process, from finding a project through completing the paperwork. Talk to others who been through the process before you. If available, review archived project proposals Meet with your Scoutmaster or Mentor. Work very closely with this person throughout this process. Download the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. Download the Parents Guide and review it with your parents and Scout leaders. Outside References for Additional Information In addition to the information on this website, there are many other sources of useful information. Keep in mind that troops, districts, and councils may have their own specific procedures for completing the paperwork and other requirements. Boy Scout Requirements Book, 2012 or later edition. This book lists the latest official requirements for all merit badges and ranks. Note that the requirements and processes have changed and previous editions list the old requirements. New editions come out each year in January. The section on service projects lists the specific restrictions on what is or is not an acceptable type of project. This information is also included in other information on this website. Your Scoutmaster, Eagle Mentor, or Project Coach within the troop. The Council or District Advancement Committee, especially if you have questions about specific procedures and requirements. Find a Project Once you understand the entire process, you need to find a project. See the section on Finding a Project for ideas of sources, types of projects, and potential organizations you could do a project for. 6

11 Prepare the Detailed Plan for Your Project Once you have selected a project idea you need to turn that idea into a detailed plan. For many Scouts, this is the most difficult part of the project because it is unlike anything they have ever done before. Follow the instructions on the website and in the Planning the Project section of this website carefully. There is helpful information available to you on this website and from your unit leader or mentor. These resources will help guide you through the process. You should work closely with your unit leader or mentor through this process. While you are working on your plan, remember that the only information the council or district advancement committee has about your project is what you provide them in the plan. This means that you need to be thorough in the development of the plan. When you finish your plan, submit it to the council or district advancement committee for review and approval. Carry Out Your Project Now that you have developed the detailed plan, submitted it for approval, and received that approval, it is time to carry out your project. While challenging, you have done many service projects before and this is only slightly different in that you are leading your peers rather than just doing the work. Be sure to keep records of every aspect of the project from money and time spent to any difficulties you may encounter and how you overcame them. Examples of the details you will need to make sure you have record of are available in the Prepare your Write-up section. Finish the Paperwork The Eagle Scout Board of Review will have the responsibility of final approval of your project as carried out. In many cases, as with the Project Plan, the only information they will have is what you provide them. Once again, be thorough. You should use the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and all parts should be completed as detailed in the workbook and in the Prepare your Write-up section. This report should represent your best effort, as though you are trying to get an A+ on a school project. Remember, this is a once-in-alifetime experience and you need to demonstrate that you are ready to join the top 2% of all Boy Scouts. If you have not previously asked the people you would like to provide letters of recommendation, now is the time to do so. Now is also the time to complete your Eagle Scout Application. Once all of this has been done, it is time to schedule your Scoutmaster Conference. After your Scoutmaster Conference, your completed application and project report need to be delivered to the Scout Service Center. The Scout Service Center will then send out the requests for the letters of recommendation as well as verify all information on your application. Once all the letters have been returned, the Board of Review can be scheduled. 7

12 Eagle Scout Board of Review The scheduling of the Eagle Scout Board of Review is the only step in this process that you are not directly responsible for making happen. The chairman of your Board of Review will schedule the Board after the letters of recommendation have been returned. Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Timeline Since projects vary widely, it is very difficult to provide a typical timeline. In any case, you should anticipate the process taking anywhere from 6 to 12 months, if not longer, to plan and carry out your Eagle Project. This is especially important to keep in mind if you are near or have already passed your 17th birthday. Many steps depend on other people's schedules. For example, many council and district advancement committees only meet once a month during the school year and often not at all over the summer. Most steps also depend on what priority you give your Eagle Project as well as other commitments you may have. The timeline below represents very rough estimates and assumes that you have completed all other requirements prior to beginning the process. Come up with an idea. Discuss the project concept with Scoutmaster or Mentor. Work out exact requirements with benefitting organization. With your Scoutmaster or Mentor develop the plan, produce rough draft of proposal. Review plan and proposal draft with Scoutmaster or Mentor and produce revised plan and proposal. This process may be repeated several times. Get final approval from benefitting organization Get approval of Scoutmaster Get approval of Troop Committee Get approval of Council or District Advancement Committee Carry out the project Prepare project report draft Review project report draft with Scoutmaster or Mentor. Revise as needed. This process may be repeated several times. Schedule and hold Scoutmaster Conference Submit application and project report to Scout Service Center for processing Schedule and hold Board of Review Approval from Local Council and BSA National Headquarters a Total as shown, without adjustments or other commitments or unusual cases 3-5 weeks 2-4 weeks 6-8 weeks 1-2 weeks 1 week 1-4 weeks 1-4 weeks weeks 1-3 weeks 1-4 weeks 1-2 weeks 1-12 weeks 1-3 weeks 2-3 weeks weeks Seasonal requirements, very long project executions, governmental approvals, or other factors can significantly increase this time schedule. 8

13 Note that this total runs from 26 weeks (6.5 months) to 75 weeks (18.75 months). A few projects have been completed in less time, and some have taken much longer. Don't wait to start until you are 17.5 to start! 9

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36 Finding a Project For the Parent When your son is ready to start looking for a project, help him to evaluate ideas in light of his skills and interests. Whatever he chooses to do, he will have to teach a group of youth how to carry out the project. If he has worked with tools all his life, a construction project might be a good choice. If he is a computer expert, he might consider using those skills. If he has a green thumb, a landscaping project might be the best choice. Suggest he talk to other Eagle Scouts, visit the Life to Eagle Scout Information website at for ideas, and talk with his Scout leaders (his Mentor in particular). The restrictions on what makes an acceptable Eagle project are detailed in the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook. If your son has a question, have HIM call his Scoutmaster or Mentor. For the Scout Purpose There are two main purposes for the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. Provide service to the community and help fulfill the part of the Scout Oath "to help other people at all times." Eagle Projects provide many millions of hours of community service every year. This has a significant impact on our communities. Provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate, hone, learn, and develop leadership skills. Related to this are important lessons in project management and taking responsibility for a significant accomplishment. Criteria There are two key criteria for an Eagle Leadership Service Project. The project must be a significant contribution to benefit the community. This might be for a religious institution, school, municipality, or other community organization. It should be of sufficient magnitude to be special and challenging. It must be large enough to allow and require you to demonstrate significant leadership. Projects that must be done with only a few people; require significant adult labor; or for organizations that are not willing to let a boy plan, develop, and lead the project; do not make good Eagle projects. 32

37 Restrictions An Eagle Scout Leadership Project cannot: involve council property or other BSA activity. The Boy Scouts cannot be the beneficiary except in the most indirect way. be shared with any other Eagle Scout candidate. Only one Scout can receive credit for a project. it is possible for two Scouts to do independent projects for the same organization if they are different projects that are separately planned and carried out. be routine labor. Routine labor might be defined as a job pr service you may provide as part of your daily life, or a routine maintenance job normally done by the benefitting organization (for example, pulling weeds on the football field at your school). be performed for a business or individual. Normally the benefitting organization will be a 501(c)3 non-profit or a governmental organization, but not always. Ask if you are not sure. be of a commercial nature. While projects may not be of a commercial nature or for a business, this is not meant to prevent work for community institutions such as museums and service agencies (such as homes for the elderly) that would otherwise be acceptable. Some aspect of a business operation provided as a community service may also be considered (such as a park open to the public that happens to be privately owned). be a fund-raiser. In other words, it may not be an effort that primarily collects money, even for a worthy charity. Fundraising is permitted ONLY for securing materials and facilitating a project and it may need to be approved by your council. See the Eagle Scout Project Fundraising Application on pages 17 and 18 of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. be a solo project. If the project requires, or is possible for, you to carry it out by yourself, or just you and a parent, it does not qualify for an Eagle project. It must be carried out with you providing leadership to a group (minimum of 2, typically 5-10) youth (Boy Scouts of others) who are carrying out the project under your direction. If you have any questions about whether a project idea would meet the requirements, contact your Scoutmaster, Mentor, or the Council or District Advancement Committee. Additional Considerations In looking for, and evaluating, project ideas; be sure to pick a project that you can successfully carry out. Here are some things to keep in mind as you evaluate ideas. You will need to be able to lead the project. Consider your strengths and weaknesses. Since you will be using youth labor who are probably less skilled than you, be sure that you will be able to teach them the skills needed to carry out the project. You probably will need to advance your skills as part of the planning 33

38 34 process, but stay within a reasonable reach. If you are good with wood tools, a construction project might be good, but if you are not sure which end of a screwdriver to pick up, would you be able to teach others how to build a storage building for a church? If all you can do with a computer is turn it on and use a word processor and the internet, you should not offer to install a school district wide computer network with custom web site and training materials and classes (yes, this was an Eagle project). You will need to be allowed to run the project. Some organizations insist that they provide someone to "supervise" while you supply a pool of labor to do the work. If they are not comfortable to let you run the project, after they have approved your proposal, then you need to find a different project to qualify for an Eagle project. You will need to recruit the labor to carry out the project. If you are from a small troop and have few other youth to draw from, don't pick a project what will require 10 people at a time for many days. The time of year and available schedule may also affect the availability of your labor pool. Your Scoutmaster or Mentor may be able to help you figure out how to recruit helpers. Don't be afraid to ask your friends at school or organizations like the National Honor Society if they would like to help as well. You will need to buy or acquire the needed materials. Often the benefiting organization will pay for the materials, within some budget. If not, be sure you have a way to come up with the materials through fund-raising, donations, or paid for out of your own pocket. The project should be a significant challenge to you. Pick a project that will be significantly more difficult than anything you have ever done before, but not something that will be impossible to carry out successfully within your capabilities. The average size project can run about 200 total man-hours, with most between 150 and 250 man hours. Ask yourself if this is as challenging a project as you can handle. If your answer is that you really could handle a more challenging project, then you should probably be looking for a more challenging project. There is no specific minimum number of hours. If you are building something like picnic tables or birdhouses, you should build them in quantity. Except in very unusual circumstances, a minimum of 6 picnic tables or 30 bird houses should be built and installed. If the organization does not need that many, do something additional or do work for more than one organization. Although not a requirement, consider whether the project you are looking at will really help someone who needs help. Helping to rehab a house for an organization that helps battered women get a new start in life is probably more significant to the well-being of the community than building fish habitats so sport fishermen will be able to catch more fish. Ask yourself how significant your project will be to the lives of the people less fortunate than you, and whether you can really make a difference. Your chartering organization makes it possible for your Scout troop to exist. Eagle projects done for your chartering organization are one way the Scouts can give back for all this organization does for you. They may not need anything done, but this is often a good source for project ideas. Be Advised... in most cases the organizational representative approached by you knows little or nothing about the "expected standards" of an Eagle project. Therefore,

39 you must determine if the suggested project is acceptable. It might be helpful to print out "The Benefiting Organization's Guide to an Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project" and give it to the organizational representative you are working with. The project does not have to be a construction project. Consider service projects such as collecting, sorting, repairing, and redistributing equipment to the handicapped. Schools and other organizations might have ideas for special programs you could prepare and run for bicycle safety, math, science, or other subjects. Consider researching some piece of local history and teaching the public about it through demonstrations, publications, exhibits, or reenactments. Sources for Projects City, Township, Borough, or County. Try contacting the city, township, or borough manager, the parks and recreation board, or police chief. Schools (don't forget elementary schools). Try contacting the principal, PTA, teachers (for both construction projects and special programs), and the board of education. Religious Institutions. Don't forget church related facilities for retired church workers, orphanages, and other religious service organizations. The United Way. Ask for the names and contacts at organizations they support that might be able to use your help. This is a good way to find out about organizations that may be vital to your community but which you may not be aware of. Your Troop's Chartering Organization Historical Societies or Museums Nature Centers or Conservancies Little League or Athletic Association County Parks Homes for children, aged, homeless, indigent The Red Cross The Salvation Army Senior Citizen's Center Community Center Nursing Homes Veterans organizations Public Libraries Hospitals Volunteer Fire Departments Civic clubs Other Community Agencies Project Ideas There are lots of lists of project ideas to get you thinking. Talk to other Scouts in your troop, your Scoutmaster, and Mentor. They may be able to describe some projects that other Scouts in your troop have done. Here are some places to go for lists of ideas: 35

40 a list of projects done in North District, Circle 10 Council in Texas. more projects ideas with brief descriptions from all over the country. Search the web with any search engine using "Eagle Scout Projects." Picking a Project Once you have one or more ideas you need to decide if they are right for you. Review the criteria and restrictions above. Evaluate the ideas in light of your real abilities to plan and then teach others how to carry out the project. Discuss your ideas with your Scoutmaster or Mentor. If there are any questions about whether a potential project would qualify as an Eagle Project, check with your Scoutmaster, Mentor, or Council or District Advancement Committee. Be sure you completely understand what the organization is expecting of you. Be sure they understand the process, that you will develop the plan for their approval, get the other approvals you need, and then carry out the plan using people you recruit to do the work. Be sure they understand the whole process will take some time to complete. You will, of course, keep them informed on the schedule and progress as the process moves forward. Planning Your Project Once everyone is satisfied with the project selection you are ready to begin Planning the Project. 36

41 Planning the Project For the Parent Your son may need to learn new skills in order to successfully complete his Eagle project. You can help your son find people who can help him learn these skills. Remember that he will need to understand these skills well enough to teach others while leading the project. You may have skills and information he needs. Other Scout leaders or parents may be able to help him out as well. In some cases your son may need to contact a professional for help. The library is always a good source of information, from basic construction to landscaping and horticulture to designing events for younger children. Once your son has decided on a project and learned the skills to plan, develop, and lead the project he needs to write the project up in the Workbook. HE needs to write this. Writing up the details is an important step in the planning and demonstrating to him and other that he is ready to lead the project. You can help with proofreading, spelling, formatting, and editing. Make sure he follows the instructions carefully. Remember that his Project Coach, Scoutmaster, or Mentor are also valuable resources for this. Your son should be able to tell you step by step what the volunteers working on the project will be doing. He will be leading the project, not necessarily doing the project. The volunteers working with him probably will know much less about how to carry out the project than he does. You can take him through the project step by step and ask him questions such as On the first day of your project you are at your site, you have a pile of materials and tools and a group of volunteers ready to work. What do you tell them to do? How should the do it (remember these are unskilled volunteers, not skilled craftsmen)? What next? Ask these types of questions as you go through the project with your son. Other questions to ask are: When you go to buy the materials, exactly what materials, types, sizes, and quantities will you buy? How are you going to get the materials to the worksite? All these details should be laid out fully in the Workbook Project Final Plan. This detail planning is the most valuable preparation to guarantee that your son will be successful in leading the project. For the Scout This is often the most difficult part of your project. It is also the key to getting the project approved, and having the execution of your project go smoothly. If you plan the work, and work the plan, you should have a smooth Eagle Project. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. 37

42 Preparation If you have not done so yet: Download the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. Download the Parents Guide and review it with your parents and Scout leaders. Get a 3-ring notebook to keep your Workbook and all the associated papers together. A binder with a pouch inside the cover is sometimes useful later. A view binder, which allows you to insert a cover and a spine label, will help you make a professional looking presentation when it comes time to prepare your final proposal and report. If your project involves skills or activities in which you are not experienced, you need to spend some time learning the skills needed so you can do the detailed plan and then successfully lead a group of youth in carrying out the project. You need to become the expert. There are many resources available to help you out. You can get do-it-yourself type books at the library or home improvement centers on almost any kind of project. Talk to your father, other adults in the troop, or friends who are skilled in the things you need to know. You can search the internet for advice on many projects, even plans. Be sure that you understand what you have read before you decide to put it into your plan. It may even be helpful to spend time watching professionals doing the type of work you are proposing. For many types of materials that you might be using on your project, there is useful information available on the materials page. Click to see this page and determine is any of the information is applicable to your project. In many cases this is important information for you to review. You should become familiar with both the materials you will be using, and the techniques involved. If you are using products such as paint, concrete, glue, or chemicals you should carefully read the instructions on the package about how and where to use the product, tools and techniques, safety, temperature limits, and other information. If you are using fasteners such as nails, screws, or bolts, you should know what material, finish, size, head, thread pitch, and style is best for your application. If you are using lumber, you should know how to choose the correct size, material, grade, treatment, and other details. Many do-it-yourself books have chapters about these basic components. If you are doing an outside project using pressure treated lumber or cedar, look for books about building decks, even if you are building a bridge or a sign. There are also thousands of resources available on the Internet. Filling out the Workbook The workbook is a fillable PDF file. Except for signatures, and drawings if hand drawn, all the information should be typed with a computer. If you do not have a computer, check with your Scoutmaster or Mentor for assistance. The boxes do not expand (although the text will shrink to fit to some extent). In many cases you will need to add pages for instructions, 38

43 drawings, pictures, and other information. Where you need more space, put a note in the box saying something like "See pages 9A-9C" and then insert the pages after page 9. Front Page Put your name on the front cover page. If you are using a slip-cover or view-binder notebook, you may want to put this page into the front cover of your binder. Contact Information Page Fill in all the requested information. If you are not sure of a name, address, phone number, , or BSA PID number, ask. You will need this information later. Project Final Plan This is the heart of your project plan. A well done plan will do more to help you be successful than anything else. Be sure to work closely with your Mentor and frequently seek their review and input. Use the checklist to be sure you have everything included that you will need to lead the project. Add as many pages to your notebook as needed, but keep them with the appropriate section of the workbook. Remember that part of the requirement is that you Plan, Develop, and Lead the project. The final approval of your project, including the planning part, is done by the Eagle Scout Board of Review. Be sure your plan shows that you are ready to lead the project without someone else having to step in and take over the project leadership. Project Proposal You need to be able to convince the approvers that you will be able to successfully carry out this project. The more you know about the project and the more planning you have done, the better you will be prepared to do this. You must get all the approval signatures before you start the fundraising or carrying out of the project, or you may be asked to start over with a new project. Test Your Understanding If you have planned the project thoroughly, you should be able to use it to describe to someone who knows nothing about the project exactly how you will explain it to your workers. Try explaining to your little brother, your mother, another Scout, or your teddy bear, exactly what you will say, such as: "First I will have 2 people take the 6 2x8x12' pressure treated lumber pieces and mark them for cutting according to this drawing. They will mark each piece 39

44 5'-8" from each end. Then the adult operating the saw will cut them into 12 pieces each 5'-8" long. Then while two people hold this piece and this piece like this, I will have a third person drill two 3/8" holes with an electric drill in the locations shown here..." You should be able to go through the entire project this way. If the person you are explaining to (except the teddy bear) can ask any questions that you cannot answer, you are not ready. It is often helpful to work with some scraps of wood to be sure that you can describe each assembly step. As you demonstrate each assembly step, check that fastener (screw, bolt, nail,...) sizes make sense and that your technique will work (for example you cannot drill or screw up into a piece of wood that is laying on the floor). Throughout this process check that your description, tools, materials list, and personnel requirements are consistent and agree with what you are describing. In a construction project, you should be able to describe, for each piece in the project: 1. What piece from the materials list was it made from? 2. How was it selected, marked, cut, drilled, or otherwise prepared for assembly? 3. How, when, and with what material and tools will it be finished (painted, sealed,...)? 4. How and where will it be placed into position and held for fastening? 5. What fasteners will be used to fasten it, where do they get located, how are they installed, and with what tools and techniques? Check the Instructions When you have finished writing your proposal, go back through the instructions here and in the workbook. Have you included all the information requested? Have you followed each section of the instructions? Don't waste your time, and those of others, by presenting an incomplete proposal, or presenting a proposal before you thoroughly understand what the project entails, and how you will lead others to carry it out. Do your descriptions of what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, materials list, supplies list, tools list, and manpower descriptions all agree with each other? Review Your Proposal Once you think the plan is ready, have several people read it and make suggestions. Your parents can be very helpful at this point. Be ready to take suggestions and make improvements. Have your Mentor read it and make suggestions. This is where a word processor really pays off. Be sure that all parts of your proposal are consistent including what you are planning to do, the detailed steps, the materials list, the tools list, and your time estimates. In addition to checking the content, review it for spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and logical organization. When you are talking with anyone about the proposal, take careful notes of any suggestions, and then check them off when you have corrected the problems. 40

45 Carry Out the Project Once your Final Plan is completed and approved, you are ready to start the project. Remember that YOU need to lead the project. Do not let the adults or others present take over your role. The Board of Review will finally approve the project as carried out. 41

46 Carrying out the Project For the Parent While your son is carrying out the project, HE is in charge. This includes over any adults on site. If it is a matter of safety that he misses, then an adult should step in and make sure the situation is resolved, otherwise, the adults, including you, and working for your son. Boy Scout policy requires that two Youth Protection trained adults be at any Scouting event. Be very careful to not take control of the project, especially if your son is struggling. This is not supposed to be easy. You and the other adults present are there to support the project as volunteers, not to run the project. For the Scout Once you have received all the approval signatures, you are ready to carry out your project. While you are working on the project it is important to keep records daily as the project moves forward. These records will be an important part of your final report. Each day, before you start working on the day's tasks, be sure you have thoroughly reviewed the plan for the work. Review the following questions about what you plan to accomplish that day: Do you have firm commitments for the number of people you need to accomplish the day's tasks, and have you confirmed that they will show up when you expect them? Do you have all the materials needed to build what you are building that day? Do you have the expendable supplies that you need? Do you have the tools needed for the tasks and number of people for that day? Have you gone over in your mind each step, and how you will explain it to your workers? Have you reviewed the safety issues that may apply to the day's work, and are you prepared with instructions, procedures, and a first aid kit to minimize any risk? Have you arranged for the adults required by BSA policy to be present, and explained to them that their responsibility is limited to the specific tasks they must perform due to safety requirements, but that you and the Scouts (or other youth you have recruited) will be carrying out the project? BSA regulations require that 2 adults be present at all Scouting activities (they do not have to be Scout leaders). One of them should be Youth Protection trained. This training is available on-line at At the work site, keep a log of who comes, when they arrived, and how long they worked. This will be needed for your report. A sign-in sheet (name, time arrived, time left) on a 42

47 clipboard with a pencil tied to it with a string is a good way to collect this information. If the weather is questionable, clip a plastic sheet protector over the sign in sheet to protect it. Take pictures, before, during, and at the completion of the project. Be sure to include pictures before you start, pictures of the work progressing, pictures of your crew, and pictures of the finished product. You might want to assign one of the adults present the job of being the official photographer. Each day when you get home, sit down and make some notes about the day's work. What went well? What problems came up and how did you handle them? What adjustments to the next day's plans need to be made based on what you learned today? Keep very careful records of anything you bought, all money spent, and any money received. If you are not sure how to keep accurate financial records, contact your Personal Management Merit Badge counselor in advance for advice. It is very important that you be able to accurately account for any money advanced to you, or for expenses that you expect someone else to reimburse you for. Remember that the project must be carried out with you providing leadership to a group of youth providing the service. Do not let the project turn into you, maybe with the help of your father or one other scout, carrying out the project. You should do very little of the work of the project. At each work session you should be providing leadership to two or more individuals. Adults must handle dangerous power tools, especially power saws, and of course will be necessary to provide transportation and safety. Other than that their involvement should be minimized to allow/require you to provide the leadership. Suggest that they bring a lawn chair and a good book (this time should not be listed in your log). Don t let them take over your project while trying to be helpful. Remember that if this is to be YOUR Eagle Project, YOU must be in charge and providing the leadership. Changes After Approval As you work on carrying out the project, you will probably have to make some changes from your plan. That is normal, and expected. The changes should be documented in the notes of the journal you are keeping along the way. If the changes are significant enough that they change the scope of the project or the magnitude of the leadership you must provide, you should check with the four people who approved the project plan originally. You do not want to get to the Board of Review (who must approve the project as carried out) that you have done a nice community service project but it no longer qualifies as an Eagle Scout Service Project. 43

48 Preparing the Write-up For the Parent Here again you can help with the encouragement, review, and ideas for improvement. Help your son be sure he has covered all the sections listed in the Workbook under Project Report. Remind your son that this report is a key piece in demonstrating that he should be a part of the top 2% of all Scouts. It should be the kind of report he would turn in at school for a yearlong project with the expectation of receiving an A+ grade. For most of the members of your son s Board of Review, this is the only exposure they have to his project and the basis for approving the project he has carried out. For the Scout This report should represent your best effort, as though you are trying to get an A+ on a school project. Remember, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you need to demonstrate that you are ready to join the top 2% of all Boy Scouts. For many who will read this report, including the Board of Review who must accept the project as carried out, this report will be their only way to see what you have done and how it was done. Be sure it clearly shows that you have met the requirements of leadership and community service. The more information about the project the report contains, the easier it is for them to evaluate the project, and the more likely they will accept your project. The cover should show that you are proud of what you have done. It sends a poor message when a Scout submits a report and doesn't even put his name on it. Many of the parts of the complete write-up you have already done. Other parts you will need to write up after you have finished the project. Be sure to include the entire Workbook including any pages, pictures, drawings, logs, and other information you have added. Pictures, either print or digital, should be organized in a logical and informative way. They should be labeled so the reader knows what is being shown and what is important about this picture. In some cases it is very informative to show two pictures together from exactly the same view, one before and one after doing your project. Be sure you identify the report. If you have a view binder, you can make a cover and slip it inside the clear plastic cover. You can also make an insert for the spine that includes your name and troop number. Be sure that your final report is in the form of a completed Workbook, as required by the Boy Scout Requirements. Carefully follow the instructions provided about what questions need to be answered in the report. You should be proud of what you have done, and your report should reflect this pride. 44

49 Once you have written all the parts for the complete report and pulled together all the required parts, use your resources to help polish the report. This is good practice for future important pieces you will have to write like college applications, college papers and dissertations, and important job applications and resumes. At least three people should proofread and make suggestions. Utilize parents, adult leaders, Mentors, teachers, friends and others who might see things you missed or have suggestions to make it a better report. In your scheduling, be sure to allow sufficient time to get this done. 45

50 Completing the Other Requirements By the time you are working on your project, you have probably finished, or are near finishing, the other requirements. You will want to be sure there will not be any problems with the other requirements. This is especially true if you are nearing your 18th birthday. Requirement 1: Be active in your troop, team, crew, or ship for a period of at least 6 months after you have earned the rank of Life Scout. Your troop defines their standard of what they consider active. Your Scoutmaster and Troop Committee Chairman will need to certify that you have met this requirement. Be sure you understand what they expect and how well they feel you are meeting this requirement. Note that this requirement can be met in any 6 months (not necessarily consecutive months) any time after your Life board of review. They are not necessarily the last 6 months. Requirement 2: Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. List the names of individuals who know you personally and would be willing to provide a recommendation on your behalf, including parents/guardians, religious, educational, and employer references. You will be asked to name six references on your Eagle Scout application. Five of them are required; the sixth (employer) is only if you are employed. These individuals need to be people who can attest to the fact that you live by all parts of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. This is not just while at Scouting activities. Be sure that these characteristics are obvious to everyone you come into contact with in all aspects of your life. Ask yourself if it would be clear to everyone you deal with that you live by these principles in all aspects of your life. Before you include any person's information on your Eagle Application, be sure that you ask them if they would be willing to write you a letter of recommendation for the rank of Eagle Scout first. One of your parents or guardians. A religious leader (not necessarily ordained clergy), or someone who will attest to the fact that you are reverent (12 th point of the Scout Law) and that you do your "Duty to God" (Scout Oath). 46

51 An educational reference. This is a teacher or other educator (principal, counselor, etc.) who knows you well in school. An employer. If you do not have a regular paying job, this can be some adult for whom you have done some work such as a neighbor or volunteer project leader. Two other adults, of your choice, who know you well. Requirement 3: Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you already have), including the following: (a) First Aid, (b) Citizenship in the Community, (c) Citizenship in the Nation, (d) Citizenship in the World, (e) Communications, (f) Personal Fitness, (g) Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, (h) Environmental Science, (i) Personal Management, (j) Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling, (k) Camping, and (l) Family Life. This list does change occasionally. When there are changes, there is a date set beyond which you must use the new requirements even if you have already earned the merit badges you needed under the old requirement. As you earn the merit badges, keep the merit badge card in case there are any questions later. Remember that Family Life, Personal Fitness, and Personal Management all have requirements that take three months to complete. If you want to work on any merit badge on your own, be sure to contact your Scoutmaster and Advancement coordinator first for approval. Requirement 4: While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period of 6 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility: Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, Venture Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, Order of the Arrow Troop Representative, Den Chief, Scribe, Librarian, Historian, Quartermaster, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, Chaplain Aide, Instructor, Webmaster, Or Leave No Trace Trainer. The word "actively" is very key. It is not enough to simply have the position and wear the patch. Once again, as with Requirement 1, your troop defines their standard of what they consider active. Your Scoutmaster and Troop Committee Chairman will need to certify that you have met this requirement. Regular communication with the Scoutmaster is key to ensuring that you are doing what is expected of you in the position you have. Don't wait until the last minute to be sure that you are completing the duties of the position you are in. There are corresponding lists for Scouts in a Varsity Scout team or a Venture crew/ship. 47

52 Requirement 5: 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 proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your unit leader and unit committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Project Workbook, No , in meeting this requirement. The project requirement is covered on many other pages of this guide. Requirement 6: Take part in a Scoutmaster conference. Attach to your application a statement of your ambitions and life purpose and a listing of positions held in your religious institution, school, camp, community, or other organizations during which you have demonstrated leadership skills. Include honors and awards received during this service. Before you have your Scoutmaster conference you need to write your "statement of ambitions and life purpose." Have your mentor or someone else read over it before you are ready to submit to look for spelling and grammatical errors. This requirement will normally take place after you have completed the first five requirements. Be prepared to review what you have done since becoming a Life Scout as well as your future plans both within Scouting and outside of Scouting. Bring all your paperwork, including your finished project write-up with you to the Scoutmaster's Conference. This requirement, as well as the first five, must be completed BEFORE your 18th birthday. Requirement 7: Successfully complete and Eagle Scout Board of Review. The Board may consist of adults from your troop and members of the District Advancement Committee. This requirement can be completed up to three months after your 18th birthday if all other requirements were completed before your 18th birthday. These three months allow time for scheduling of your Board of Review and receiving of the letters of recommendation. They are NOT additional time for you to do the paperwork after your 18th birthday. 48

53 Completing the Application As you get close to finishing all your requirements for the Eagle Rank, you should start the process of filing the Eagle Scout Rank Application. Follow the directions below carefully to make the process go smoothly Complete all your merit badges, your project, and the other requirements. Advancement reports must be filed with the Council office for all merit badges before submitting an application. 2. Record the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the six people you have asked to write letters of recommendations for you on your application. The six recommenders should include: o o o o o One of your parents or guardians. A religious leader (not necessarily ordained clergy), or someone who will attest to the fact that you are reverent (12 th point of the Scout Law) and that you do your "Duty to God" (Scout Oath). An educational reference. This is a teacher or other educator (principal, counselor, etc.) who knows you well in school. An employer. If you do not have a regular paying job, this can be some adult for whom you have done some work such as a neighbor or volunteer project leader. Two other adults, of your choice, who know you well. 3. As soon as your Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project is completed it needs to be reported to the Boy Scouts of America. Scouting s Journey to Excellence has replaced the Centennial Quality Awards to measure and reward successful performance of units. One of the requirements is for units to participate in, and report, service projects including Eagle Scout projects. To receive credit, service projects must be reported through the Scouting s Journey To Excellence web site. Each unit will set up a user to access this site. As an Eagle Scout candidate, you need to collect the information required. 4. Download the Eagle Scout Rank Application form. This is an electronic fillable PDF form. 5. Fill out the Eagle Scout Rank Application through your signature on the second page. Follow the instructions on the form carefully. Include the date your Scoutmaster Conference is scheduled. When the Application form is complete, print it out, sign it, and take it to your Scoutmaster Conference. At this conference you should also give your completed Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook to your Scoutmaster. At the end of your Scoutmaster Conference your Scoutmaster will sign the application and normally he will take responsibility for getting the committee chair's signature. Follow the instructions and submit the form and attachments to the Council Office.

54 6. The Council Office will enter the information you provide, along with the information already in the ScoutNet computer. When all the information is verified, they will sign the application. They will also send the requests for letters of recommendation based on the information provided on your completed application. When all the letters have been received at the Council Office the District Advancement chairman will be notified. 7. The District Advancement Chairman or his representative will contact your troop leaders about scheduling your Board of Review. 50

55 The Eagle Scout Application 51

56 52