Trevorum Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 A local nursing home has told one of our Asst SMs. that they have some potential service projects for our Scouts. For example, the gentlemen would enjoy a putting green. I know the residents would really appreciate this, but if the home is operated as a business (as most of these facilities seem to be) would the projects qualify for Eagle projects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 Right you are, if this is a proprietary Nursing Home, operated for profit, then this would not be a good service project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevorum Posted January 9, 2006 Author Share Posted January 9, 2006 Yes, OGE, I'm thinking this, too. But them someone tells me that if the home accepts MedicAid then they have to be operating (at least partially?) as a non-profit. huh? I admit I don't understand the fine points here. I do know that the old folks sure appreciate having young people visit and do stuff fo them. Do we have a accountant or lawyer here who can help me understand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 How many Eagle projects are done for organizations that make money? I'm sure there are a lot. A putting green for a bunch of old guys in a nursing home is a great Eagle project! I would have no trouble going to bat for a Scout who wanted to do this as his Eagle project. Why wouldn't any Scoutmaster? Ed Mori Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoreaScouter Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 As a former SM, I would have more confidence in the putting green project if the nursing home in question would allow non-residents to use it when it's completed -- making it more of a "community" project. That said, my opinion wouldn't matter much if the District/Council Advancement Committee still had a problem with it... KS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank10 Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 I'd see it as the same as a christmas visit to the home... It may help out the rec staff, but your doing it for the paitients. The putting green is being done for the residents not for the home admin's. I think of it as the nursing home allowing the scout to use their land for his project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 I don't think its a good place for an Servie Project. I do place a distinction between building a putting green and singing carols at Christmas. The singing session is a one and gone occasion, it improves the quality of life of the residents while the visit lasts, but its not like the Nursing Home owners will advertise in the paper in July, come live here because Troop 65 usually visits and sings for us at Christmas. They may very well advertise come live here, we have a putting green. The putting green represents a tangible long lasting improvement to the facility. The facilty charges its residents rent to live there and promises Room/Board and a recreational program if its a standard Nursing Home. Why should a group donate time for something that is being paid for? From the guidelines for an Eagle project it reads: "Routine labor (a job or service normally rendered) should not be considered. Work involving council property or other BSA activity is not permitted. The project also may not be performed for a business or an individual, be of a commercial nature, or be a fund-raiser. (Fund-raising is permitted only for securing materials or supplies needed to carry out your project.)" This is for a business, if you can't pay, you don't live there anymore. I understand about Medicaid payments to private Nursing Homes, but I know several for profit hospital's that accept Medicaid and Medicare both and they end up paying taxes on their profit, so accepting government money doesnt make them public places. I am not saying it wouldnt be great for the residents to have a putting green, but unless its a county or state run home, I don't see how to fit in into an Eagle Project. I think going to an elderly persons house and doing a bang up job trimming hedges, trimming trees, painting the exterior, painting the interior and refinishing the floors is a great thing to do for any youth group, but it still wouldnt be an Eagle project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Well, it's not routine maintenance. It isn't of commercial nature or a fundraiser. It is being done for a business. Scouts build park benches, jungle gyms for schools, beautify a cemetery, etc. as Eagle projects all the time. I would push to get this approved if a Scout in my Troop wanted to do this as an Eagle project. Ed Mori Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljnrsu Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 I have to agree with OGE, this is not the place for an Eagle service project. Current handbook states "While a Life Scout,plan,develope,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)" I do not see how a project for a business fits within that criteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 I agree with OGE. I would consider this to be a capital improvement to a business property & not Eagle project material. Schools & parks are not private property. Building the putting green on city/county/state park property would be an acceptable project. Trevor um, before you go anywhere with service projects for this nursing home you should run them past your Dist Advancement Committee. Find out where your council sits on these projects. Their opinion is what really counts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevorum Posted January 9, 2006 Author Share Posted January 9, 2006 Our district Eagle advisor said to simply find out if they have a tax-free number for state sales tax purposes. If they do, then they will qualify as a charitable organization. I guess that's why he gets paid the big bucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemperParatus Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 We had a similar issue. One of our finest scouts is planning his Eagle Project. He is an accomplished musician and is planning a series of concerts, supported by a dozen or so of his musician friends, at various assisted living centers/nursing homes in our area. As you noted, the problem is that most of these facilities are for-profit endeavors. So, after discussing the project further, he determined that the other beneficiary of the project is the high school orchestra by providing a community outreach service that offers additional performance opportunities for students. Consequently, the primary sponsor of the project will be the non-profit school, with the ALC/NH signing off as secondary sponsors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevorum Posted January 12, 2006 Author Share Posted January 12, 2006 So, we talked about this some within the troop. The putting green is still a good idea. We want to do it anyway - some of us in memory of our own parents. We'll just do it as a group of volunteer citizens instead of as Scouts and Scouters. After all, a Scout is helpful. And not just when he can get "credit" for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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