Eagle Project Funding

[diannasav]

As the treasurer of a troop that is producing it's FIRST Eagle Scout I would like to know if the funds raised for this Eagle Project are supposed to be filtered through the Troop checking account or is the scout supposed to handle the money and break it down in his budgetary report for his project? I contacted our council and they suggest, because it isn't clearly written in the Eagle Project Manual or online in policies and procedures, to filter it through the account. Does anyone have a concrete answer to this question and proof from national. I'm in process of searching national for the answer, but the last question I asked of national I rec'd 10 responses here to explain it before I rec'd one from national... Thanks for your help !!!

[John-in-KC]

1) The first person to ask, locally, for an authoritative answer would be your District Advancement Chairman!

 

2) Another local person to ask would be your Unit Commissioner!

 

3) A third person would be the Professional Staff Adviser to the Council Advancement Committee!

 

Locally (which doesn't necessarily answer your question), our Troop and Crew do not wash Eagle Leadership Service Project funds through the Treasury. Why? It's an added bureaucratic step for the Scout. He's having an exciting time trying to get a project up and running, why add to his frustration. Equally, one of our District heroes authorizes a credit to his construction company business account at a local construction supply wholesaler. How would you account for that?

[diannasav]

Interesting points, thanks!! The info I was given from my council came from the Council President!!!

 

We'll keep trying, I remember bringing up something similar to your point in our discussion about how to handle this at the meeting....

[Beavah]

Yah, diannasav, there's no reason for the adults to get involved unless the scout requests, eh? Financial management is part of the leadership project process, and ties in nicely to Personal Management merit badge. Why take it away from the Scout?

 

Unit funds are mostly the province of the CO. Funds for projects are mostly solicited on behalf of the agency the boy is doin' the project for, eh? In neither case does the BSA, either council or National, really have a (direct) say or a policy. It ain't their money, and you don't get to write policies for other people's money .

 

If the amounts are large (more than $250 from a particular donor), there may be a tax incentive to working things through the unit account, or at least to make sure that either scouting or the beneficiary organization provides the required donation documentation for tax purposes. But this should be part of da scout's job, too, eh? He should be involved.

 

Beavah

[Hawk]

diannasav,

 

My son's project involved raising over a thousand dollars for his eagle scout leadership project. Even though he was in uniform while presenting his project to the local business owners, he felt they would be more receptive to making out a check to "Troop XXXX" rather than to an individual.

 

My son's troop agreed to cash the checks he received as donations from area businesses for him.