Eagle Scout coordinator?

[Eamonn]

Over the past few months I have seen "Eagle Scout coordinator" mentioned.

This is new to me.

What does an Eagle Scout coordinator do?

Doesn't this take away from the SM's role?

Is this something that some units have added or is there such a position?

Eamonn

[scoutldr]

This is not an official position, as far as I know, but I have seen it in larger troops. It is usually a committee member or ASM who is in charge of the "Life to Eagle" process, and making sure that Life Scouts are mentored through the process.

[Trevorum]

 

Our (largeish) unit gives each Life Scout the option of choosing an Eagle Mentor. This adult is thoroughly familiar with the Life to Eagle process and assists the Candidate in identifying rough spots on the trail ahead. Some candidates consult with their Mentor more than others. It isn't an official position but there IS a Mentor pin in the Eagle award presentation pack.

[John-in-KC]

E,

 

I'll add that in our Council, many Eagle Projects involve construction of some form or other. District Advancement Committee wants details and diagrams when the project involves construction.

 

Our last two L-->E coordinators have been an architect and a practicing PE. They help the Scout with:

- Plans

- Bills of materials

 

More importantly, they coach the kid, including rehearsing him, and check his project Workbook. When they are in the loop, and the Scout listens, the project usually sails through presentation and approval. When the coordinators are not involved, or the boy blows off their advice, projects seem to be deferred from approval a fair bit.

[packsaddle]

I plead guilty. That description describes some of my duties. But the term, 'Eagle scout coordinator' is less of a title than it is the way the SM delegated the duties. For this unit, when a scout attains Life, I begin to examine the records to make sure everything is in order. I act as a resource if the scout has questions or needs some advice. I help identify the district and council resources available to the scout and I make sure he knows the requirements, no more, no less.

One aspect of it, also, is to try to make sure that every Life Scout on the way to Eagle has an equal opportunity. If the scout has a problem with any part of the process, and if it can be addressed within the unit, I help him address the problem.

 

There's nothing formal about it but these delegated duties make things a little easier for the SM and the boys seem to like the arrangement. The SM still signs paperwork and has SM conferences, etc. I just make sure everything is ready and on time.

Edited part: Oh yeah, I wear the 'mentor' pin - that's as far as formality goes.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[jr56]

I agree with packsaddle, I have often assumed that duty in my troop too.

[epalmer84]

We call it Eagle Scout Mentor. The mentor pin was introduced in 2004 as part of the presentation kit, so it is at least a semi-official postion.

 

As each Scout earns Life, we give them an Eagle packet with the application, workbook and the district guidelines. When the Scout decides on a project, an assistant Scoutmaster is assigned as a mentor. We don't assign a mentor before then, as it is up to the Scout to make that step. Any member of the committee or the Scoutmaster corps will advise the Scout before this point.

 

The Scout must do all of the leadership and planning. The mentor is an adviser- we keep the Scout within the guidelines for the paperwork, the Guide to Safe Scouting, money earning project and other policies.

 

The mentor also does a Scoutmaster's conference when the Scout starts his project to ensure that all of the other requirements are done. There seems to be a tendency to let Family Life merit badge slide until the last, and it takes a minimum of 90 days to complete.

 

Ed

[Murdy]

In our troop the eagle scout coordinator is actually usually made up of some mothers and they work on planning the eagle ceremonies with the scout. As for having somone who helps a scout get on their way it seems like all of you are pushing the kids too much... no offense. But if they want Eagle Scout they should put the effort into it, not the leaders pushing them too(you do need to encourage them though.) Also it seems from what I have heard that the mentor pins are being used as just a patch for a job... they should be an honor.

[evmori]

What does the Eagle Co-Ordinator do? Micro manage the Scouts Eagle project. Useless position in my opinion.

[eisely]

We are a relatively large trooop and we have always had an Eagle advisor/coordinator. Currently I am doing that for the troop. My main function in this particular capacity is to make sure that the scout, and his parents if they ask, understand the paperwork process, what signatures are required and when they are required. I also accumulate the reference letters, marry them up with the binder after all the signatures are on the application form, and deliver the binder to the district advancement person who schedules the boards of review. I do not really counsel, mentor, or advise the scout regarding his project or anything else. The only advice I give is what kinds of people he should use for references and what those references should speak to. Since we have had as many as eight eagles in a single year, this really takes a burden off of the scoutmaster.

 

While this may seem a trivial role, the fact is that these boys have rarely ever had to deal with any real paperwork in their lives. It is a complex process and they need some knowledgeable person who is accessible to answer their questions and guide them. Teaching them how to deal with complex paper trails is a valuable lesson for the world we live in.

 

The one thing I might mention that our council now does is review the binder and records and sign off on that part of the Eagle application before the board of review. This has been a big help and eliminates frustration at the end. The last person to sign anything after the board of review is the scout executive.(This message has been edited by eisely)

[scoutingagain]

I have kind of inherited this role in the unit I serve. The role serves more as a coach or guide to the scout so he avoids any potential administrative pitfalls that might trip him up on his last few steps towards earning the Eagle rank. I generally don't get too involve with the scout until he completes all the MB requirements. At that point I'll pull the Council's record and compare it to the Troop's advancement record and work with the council and scout to resolve any discrepancies, if any. (And there have been some.) Better at this point than when the scout turns in his final application.

 

Then I'll assist a scout in coming up with and reviewing his project ideas. Things like, "Have you checked with Rev. So & so? The CO may have some needs." or "Last year at the beach I noticed the town lifeguard towers were in pretty bad shape. Why don't you give the Recreation Dept. a call." I don't manage the project, but provide some ticklers and guidance to the candidate. The last project was a deck overlooking a marsh for bird and wildlife observation. Great project, but I cautioned the scout that this would be an ambitious project, not just due to the construction, but that he would end having to deal with several town beauracracies, wetlands commission, building dept., recreation dept. etc. He got it done, but understood my concerns about all the different agencies involved when it was done. He almost didn't get his Eagle because the agencies were notoriously slow in turning around permit applications, inspections, etc. But it was the scout, not I or his parents that delt with them.

 

Finally I'll review all their paperwork prior to submittal. Some of the candidates seem to think they can put in the same level of effort on the paper work that passed at their last Merit Badge University or Summer Camp Merit Badge effort. They get a little frustrated when I tell them, no you need to treat this like a College application. Type it out on the computer. Use spell and grammer check. Read it again to see if you think you need to add a period or word here or there. Reprint it to get ride of the soda stains on the paper, etc.

 

And I'll coach them a bit for their BOR. Remind them to relax. Be prepared to answer some scout trivia that they should have learned as a Tenderfoot, etc. Be prepare to discuss the points of the Scout Law, including Reverence. (As noted in the other thread, this can be a bit intimidating for a scout that comes from a family that does not attend Church regularly.)

 

Then I sit back and smile at their ECOH.

 

One other thought. I agree the Mentor pin has nothing to do with the position description above or as others have described. It should be an Honor given to someone the Eagle sees as having had a big influence on his efforts, other than his parents. My son suprised his Science Teacher/Drama Coach at his COH by giving him the Mentor pin. The teacher is a very popular teacher at the High School and also an Eagle Scout. He gave my son a lot of encouragement in the last few months of his efforts. He came to the COH wearing his Eagle medal, and it impressed a lot of the scouts that had known him as a High School Teacher and didn't know about his scouting background.

 

SA

[hotdesk]

In our troop we call it the Life to Eagle Coordinator. This position is held by an Eagle Scout who is a Committee Member. The current perso has also been the District Life to Eagle Coordinator.

 

In the troop he sits down with the scout once he reaches the rank of Life and goes through the remaining steps to get his Eagle. He makes sure they understand the necessary paperwork, signuatures, and gives him ideas for projects. He coordinates the Eagle Board of Review. He sends the paperwork to the council and gets it back from national. He orders the Eagle Award package.

 

In our troop we have a problem with some parents wanting to do the project for their son. The Life to Eagle Coordinator makes sure that this doesn't happen and works with the parents to reach and understanding that the scout must do it himself.

 

To me it is a good position. It does not take away from the Scoutmaster. To me the Scoutmaster should be responsible for having a relationship of guidance, direction, and trust with scouts. HE should help train the troop's jr. leaders. He should delegate responsiblites to other adults to make sure that most of his time can be dedicated toward building relationships with each and every scout.

[Eagle732]

Our troop has an Eagle Scout Coordinator. I would describe his duties as:

One who is knowledgeable in the Eagle advancement process, maintains contact with the District Eagle Coordinator, keeps up to date with the changes in the process, reviews Eagle projects before they are sent to District, acts as a mentor, recruits and instructs other adults when we have more than one candidate going through the process at one time.

Our ESC knows more than I (the SM) about the process. We work together to encourage Life Scouts to earn Eagle.

 

[Nailbone]

"What does the Eagle Co-Ordinator do? Micro manage the Scouts Eagle project. Useless position in my opinion. "

 

I disagree with this by pointing out that it doesn't HAVE to be this way. I'm in the process of re-vamping our Life to Eagle process for our troop and have seen many valuable points in this thread. The main one is that this position provides GUIDANCE to the Scout, who's going through a pretty involved process. Little reminders and suggestions and "ticklers" are different from "micro-managing".

 

My son was recently denied the approval at his EBOR, due to some oversights and misunderstandings. Granted, the SM should have mentioned and clarified things in the SMC, but he didn't. And had the boy (and a couple of others like him) had a little guidance and "ticklers" from an ESC, it wouldn't have happened the way that it did.

 

There is an appeal process and some other things that are being done, and I have no doubt that he will be awarded the rank of Eagle, but if we can prevent this from happening to others, it'll be worth the effort.

[scoutldr]

We must have been abused and neglected in the 60's and 70's. Had to figure it out for ourselves.