Eagle Scout Question regarding required hours

[Aquila calva]

In 2007 there were over 51,000 Scouts who earned Eagle. Could they be 51,000 trust fund kids? In Legacy of Honor one of the Eagle Scouts interviewed was current Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. Hank has an additional 350 BILLION dollars in his back pocket to dole out. But he better get busy, he only has a few days left.

 

Paying day laborers to complete an Eagle project could be good practice for the Eagles future.

 

Then, again, how exactly has Hank demonstrated leadership in the current crisis? Maybe it will become apparent when he (and George) are long gone. (I hope so.)

 

America (and Scouting) will figure it out.

 

Back to the topic.

 

 

[Bob White]

I have no idea how we got off on this track but....No one said that they cannot go to community groups for funds Nike! Only that it is against the BSA regulations to raise funds for anything other than materials and supplies. He cannot raise money to pay for labor as part of the project.

 

There is nothing that says the labor must be volunteer. As long as the scout can show that he is the one leading the project and not someone else, he can have anyone working on the project he wants.

 

Anything done in connection to the project should be a part of the project workbook. If he takes a donation to pay for labor I could see how that would be considered a violation of the regulations governing the projectand could be an issue.

 

Returning to the thread topic, there is no minimum number of labor hours that the scout must put into the project or that the project must take for completion. As long as he spends sufficient time to demonstrate that he led and completed the project.

[Hal_Crawford]

Wow! It never occurred to me that anyone in scouting would think that doing an Eagle project with laborers that Mom hired from outside 7-11 or Home Depot would be OK. It seems wrong on so many levels. Mom hired, mom paid... where is the boy's leadership? Never mind that she may have been employing illegals and violating who knows how many other labor laws. If you took Mom out of the equation then you have a 14 year old picking up workers from the parking lot. I don't like that image either (from a safety standpoint).

 

Just doesn't seem like a positive life lesson for the boy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trevorum]

Yes, I agree, Hal. I certainly would advise any of the fellows in my troop against paying for the labor in their Eagle projects (and I would have absoutely vetoed the idea for my own sons). However, having successfully played the Devil's Advocate, we have now obtained a ruling from BW that paid labor on an Eagle project is not ipso facto unacceptable. (Bob, I'm just ribbing you).

 

So, that opens the speculation: if a trust fund scout can pay for the labor, what's to stop him from planning, directing, and leading a massive effort that involves thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars?? That would be a terrific learning experience for a future Captain of Industry, no?

[Stosh]

If a boy is putting up a pavillion in the local park and needs someone more than the NSP members to professionally pour a cement slab to start the project, of course it would be a legitimate leadership decision to insure the best quality for the project and would hire qualified laborers to pour the slab, paying for, of course, their wages for their work. The rest of the pavillion could be all volunteer considering there are more people out there that could do carpentry work rather than cement work. Each Eagle candidate should as part of his leadership decision process evaluate each step/process of his project and if professional expertise is required at a cost of labor should be properly acquired.

 

A boy can lead a work crew of professional experts just as well as a work crew of amature volunteers. It's his leadership that is being judged, not his work force. It would be a saavy leadership decision to select the best workers for the task, in my humble opinion, of course.

 

Stosh

[Gonzo1]

Happy New Year everyone!!!

 

Who said he has to "hire" experts, perhaps he could recruit expert volunteers from the local cement company or an expert at church, or some other source of the subject matter expert.

 

Perhaps the expert can train the volunteers. Gee, that way you get educated in some new skill, save the money and do the project.

 

I dislike the idea of paying for labor for any service project.

 

 

Sorry I've been away so long.

Gonzo1

 

[scoutingagain]

"That would be a terrific learning experience for a future Captain of Industry, no? "

 

We'll hiring and paying day laborer might be good for a future Captain of Industry, if they are not documented, i.e. illegal aliens, it might not bode well for a future Attorney General or Homeland Security Chief appointment.

 

The only problem I could see with paying laborers, would be that if a scout is truely operating as a trustworthy employer he would meet all the requirements of an employer. i.e. training, safety, worker's comp. fair labor standards, etc.( I would have a lot of questions for a scout that paid day laborers in a BOR, ) It's much easier to legally abuse volunteers than those you pay. So, it might be better to hire a contractor and the scout could act as his own construction manager. i.e. issuing contract documents, scopes of work and monitoring progress of the work etc.

 

Just a suggestion for future Captains of Industry or Homeland Security Chiefs.

 

SA