Eagle Scout Question regarding required hours

[actipis]

My son has had his project approved and is now trying to raise the funds for his project. There are several scouts in the troop that are at this point and several parents are wondering if there is a "required" amount of time that these boys need to put in toward their project. I cannot find this information anywhere in the Eagle packet. One of the boys was told that he needs to put in a minimum of 100 individual hours and at least 50 hours of leadership. I don't think my son will have any issues reaching these numbers but I really wanted to know if that information is correct. One site stated that they only needed to put in the hours that are needed to complete the project but did not specifically say they need 100 individual hours and 50 hours as a leader. I would appreciate any information anyone can provide regarding required hours needed for an Eagle project.

[eagle77]

There are no set hour amounts for Eagle projects, it only requires that the boys track and total all hours by everybody who helped and worked on the project. You really need to watch the gate keepers out there, they love to add requirements.

[Bob White]

No, There are no required hours, nor is there a "scope" requirememnt ast to the size or the "lasting value" of a project.

 

What the scout has to do is to meet the requirements established by the BSA and explained in the Eagle Service Project Workbook. For more information the resource you want to use is the "Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures" manual avalible at you local Scout Shop.

 

Best wishes to your son as he enters this next step in his advancement.

 

BW

[evmori]

Your district advancement committee might tell you there are a minimum number of hours required & that the project has to be written up on a PC & that letters of reference are required. None of which is true. There are no minimum/maximum number of hours required.

[OldGreyEagle]

My esteemed peers, Bob White and evmori are correct. There is no minimum or maximum hours required. Now, I have seen where some Districts put out Guidlines (Arrrggh like the Pirates Code) that indicate that the Eagle project should have 100 hours. This is intended as an aid to the scout to develop an Eagle project of sufficient scope when seeking approval. Now, does that mean if the Project comes in at 90 hours the Project must be redone? Can't mean that as there is no requirement. Does mean that the Scout needs to show he led the project just as if the project was 500 hours. In the situations I know about, its intended as a guide, nothing more. Perhaps somewhere a guideline became a rule, I hear it happens

[John-in-KC]

All of the above are good reasons why a Scoutmaster should get to know the District Advancement Chair. It's far easier for Joe to quietly ask "Jack, what's going on with Smith's project? He's had 3 meetings with Bob Johnson and Smith still hasn't been able to get sign-off?"

 

When you have a relationship over a cup of coffee, tough questions tend to be answered "Let me find out and give you a call."

 

That said, knowing how your District actually implements ACP&P #33088 and Requirements #33215 can save a Life Scout a lot of heartache in the development process...

 

Should there be local interpretations? No, it's pretty clear in ACP&P that the standard is supposed to be uniform Nationwide. Are there local interpretations? Only a fool would say Never; the questions we get here are living proof of that.(This message has been edited by John-in-Kc)

[nldscout]

I think to return the standards to Eagle you should require 5000 hrs.

 

What do the rest of you think???

[Nike]

5000 hours? What are we expecting? The Great Wall?

[Hal_Crawford]

I suspect that most of the other posters here have more experience than I do but as a CC I have seen more than a couple scouts plan and carry out their Eagle projects. One thing that I think needs to be clear, the hours are not just the hours that the candidate puts in but the time that all those who work on the project put in. I have had several members of our Eagle board say that what they like to see (not require, just like) is about 40-50 hours from the scout (including all the planning time) and an additional 100 hours from others. It is important that the scout not do all the work himself because that would probably not be demonstrating leadership.

 

I heard a rumor that a local mother eager to get her 14 year old to Eagle went out and hired day laborers to do the work. That did not go over very well.

[eisely]

While it is certainly correct that there is no specified minimum number of hours, boys should be encouraged to think in terms of hours in planning process. Many projects begin as way too ambitious and need to be scaled back to something doable, and one way to do that is to get people to think in terms of hours.

 

One of the difficulties that arises is the possibility of someone proposing a trivial project. What is the standard for rejecting something trivial?

[Bob White]

The only value in estimating labor hours is for the scout to have a way for calculating the number of days and the size of the work force. It is also used by the BSA as an easy way of explaining the amount of service that Scouting provides communities through the Eagle Advancement requirement.

 

As a way of determining the value of a project or the ability of the candidate to apply leadership skills to the event, the number if hours estimated to do the project is a worthless and foolish measurement.

 

The BSA states that there is NO minimum number of hours. Which means that no one, not a unit leader, not a committee member, not even the distrcit or council can use a hour measuremenmt to determine the appropriateness of a project.

 

What the BSA says, and this is the only time allotment it uses, is that the project must take sufficient time for the candidate to show the use of leadership skills.

 

That is what the scoutmaster, committee and district advancement committee need to be focused on...the use of leadership skills, not the number of hours.

 

If the Scout estimates 80 hours, and the project takes 60 it is not a worse job of leadership, and if it actually takes 100 it is not a better job of leadership.

 

To use the estimated hours for anything other than budgeting time and workforce is illogical. I can only guess that people who make such odd recommendations have little or no experience in actually planning projects. Stick to the BSA requirements, they are what they are for a reason.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Trevorum]

Hal brings up a fascinating point. If the Eagle project is supposed to provide a service to the community while allowing the Scout to have an opportunity to develop leadership skills, what is wrong with paid labor? As long as the Eagle candidate plans the project, manages and directs the effort, and documents it by himself, why can't the heavy lifting part involve paid labor? I'm not aware of any rule against this (if I'm wrong, please tell us all). Although it *seems* wrong, and would probably stir up a strong argument with the district folks, I can't see National vetoing such a project.

[Bob White]

The candidate cannot raise money to pay for labor as part of the project. He is only allowed money to raise money for materials and supplies.

 

 

[Trevorum]

Right, but what if he doesn't *have* to "raise" any money. What if he can simply shell out for the labor out of his trust fund? Or, what if some wealthy benefactor gets wind of the project and offers to pay all project costs -including labor - because it will help her favorite non-profit? Now, that might not seem fair to other kids, but is it really forbidden under the rules?

[Nike]

I don't think paying for labor is any different that Mom and Dad paying for all the materials, etc. And, I also don't see what is wrong with a Scout seeking funds from community groups. (Please don't give me the "earn their way" speech. It's just my opinion.)