Blood Drive for an eagle project

[astroscouter]

A life Scout in our troop contacted the Red Cross about sponsoring a blood drive as his Eagle project and was shot down by our local Eagle Review board even though the Red Cross said that they had done many of these and they were a great help to the community. Our board said that the drive wouldn't generate enough leadership potential. I don't agree after seeing some of the projects that have been approved. Seems ti me that the board jsut wants to see something physical that can be pointed to in years to come. Is this standard? Can denials be appealed or does each local board have the final say on it's area projects?

[Lisabob]

There are some other threads on similar topics, if you use the search function. I know that this came up a year or so ago.

 

In my council, blood drives get scrutinized by the scout executive, the top paid professional in the whole council. They are rarely approved. We had a boy put this forward as an Eagle project in our troop last year and after talking about it, I see why they are seldom given a green light. Due to the nature of the activity, most of the work and coordination is done by the Red Cross and not by the scout in many cases. With just a standard drive, there is limited opportunity for the scuot to show leadership as the rules for collecting blood are very standardized and leave little room for the scout to make decisions, other than what sort of cookies to offer.

 

I'm not saying it can't be done, but this is a project that requires a lot of careful thought by the scout in order to pass muster - at least, in my council.

 

 

[Crew21_Adv]

Astroscouter,

 

 

Greetings!

 

There is not really a board for the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. There are four signatures. The Scoutmaster, Coach or Advisor; a unit Committee Member; a Religious institution, School, Community (benefactor); and the Council or District Advancement Committee Member. Those are individual signatures, not the signatures of all the members of an EBOR. The EBOR will either advance or not ready for advancement on the Advancement Report.

 

You asked if denials can be appealed. I don't really believe this is a denial, however the project workbook was not endorsed by the four mandatory signatories. As stated in the workbook You may proceed with your leadership service project only when you have, Completed all the above mentioned planning details, Shared the project plans with the appropriate persons, Obtained approval from the appropriate persons

 

An Eagle Scout project, is usually not shot down but revised to satisfy the plan in the workbook, communications, leadership and safety. It may not be endorsed if it appears to not satisfy the Originality, Limitations or Size. Most all of the members of the district and council will attempt to side on the side of the Scout, but after the same minimum requirements are met.

 

For example, a personal story just a few years ago. I know of a young man, Eagle Scout, now in college, but his first draft Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project was to obtain IPODs, load them with music, and create an ipod library for a local military hospital. Great idea, great draft, but he didn't plan it all the way thru.

 

Just within our own Troop, our Committee Chair asked the Life Scout, how are you going to obtain all the IPODs you want?, he didn't think about that. The Chairman asked, who is going to load the music?, he planned on teaching and leading the Scouts how to. The Chair asked to confirm, that all the music will not be have explicit lyrics, correct?. He was planning some current pop music that is explicit rated. The Committee Chairman informed him that this was a stopping point. That the 10.5, 11 year old Scouts are not going to place explicit lyrics and music onto ipods. Then the big kicker, The Committee Chairman asked him how he was going to purchase all these songs? His plan was to illegally download them. The committee chair reached another stopping point. These songs and pop music have royalties; they need to be paid for before he created a library.

 

The original idea was great. The plan was really lacking any thought. Just within our own community and troop, the committee chair never denied his project. But did inform him that it had to comply with the law, and also had to respect the wishes of the Scouting parents (that their young Scouts would not be exposed to explicit lyrics), as well as showing communications, leadership, and service. He withdrew his Eagle Scout Service Project.

 

The Committee Chairman and Scoutmaster never shot down his original project. It was a great original idea, but it took nearly 20 minutes to explain to him what is legal and what is illegal (downloading and stealing music), then another 10 minutes to explain to him what is moral and immoral (exposing young scouts to explicit lyrics that their parents dont want them to hear or experience yet). The Life Scout never returned that project workbook with any editing to meet the requirements stated in the workbook. Even though some older teens listen to explicit "hip hop" or even some of the parents may enjoy it, it never really struck him that 11 year old Scouts really should not be exposed to explicit lyrics.

 

Nearly a year later he submitted a different project which demonstrated leadership, planning and communications, and was quickly signed for approval to conduct the project.

 

To make a long story short (I know, too late). It may not be that "local Eagle Review board" shot down the Life Scout in your Troop, but that they want leadership, communications, and planning. Which is what the project workbook calls for.

 

 

Regarding the Red Cross Blood Drive. Red Cross Blood Drives have always been a great way to serve the community. I praise them for what they do, and any Scout/Scouter whom donates.

 

Even if it is a Red Cross Blood Drive, maybe there is more that the Scout can do during the blood drive, some additional details that show work, service, communications and leadership(maybe food pantry can drive, or an orphanage toy drive along with the Blood drive) to demonstrate leadership.

 

Although I previously lived near a metropolitan area, where the Red Cross offered many services, but did not conduct blood drives. The only community Blood Drives were conducted by the city's Blood Bank, which was a commercial business and sold their blood supplies to the local hospitals for profit. Eagle Scout Projects which donated to the city's Blood Bank rarely were allowed to proceed.

 

There has always been an audience that are sympathetic to the need and a few donors, but it would depend on the day of the drive how many eligible donors actually donated.

 

Without mass advertising (which we have today), the trip to set up a donor center, may not have been worth the effort. Not too long ago, the Red Cross would probably have done better just at their own metropolitan Red Cross office or at the major hospital. But possibly since 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, hurricane Katrina (and other natural disasters), tornadoes spinning thru the Midwest. In addition to the mass media advertisement, video posting, you tube, email, blogs, myspace, facebook, etc. The need for advertising a Blood Drive has become easier.

 

If anyone looks at the Red Cross webpage, under Host a Blood Drive, there are only three sponsors responsibilities. Even Red Cross says it is simple, "Why do organizations sponsor drives? Because it is both a simple and a powerful way to serve your community..." After the three responsibilities of the sponsor "The Red Cross does the rest".

 

Red Cross also provides a planning chart/checklist. http://www.givelife2.org/sponsor/checklist.asp

 

 

Possibly, ten years ago and greater. There was sufficient planning and leadership for a Life Scout to conduct a Red Cross Blood Drive. But now, Red Cross does most all the work, planning, and leadership. A Life Scout can almost just stand there and an Eagle Scout "Red Cross Blood Drive" Leadership Service Project will conduct itself, which usually does not satisfy the advancement requirements.

 

So.. Even if your council allowed for appeals for project workbook approval signatures. I would expect a Council Executive board, or a review board would uphold the position of the project workbook signatories.

 

I personally love service projects that are unique, meaningful and leave a lasting impression. But I am happy with basic service projects which meet the basic requirements of the project workbook. Hopefully the Life Scout in your troop can draft a service project which meets all the requirements, either tremendous leadership or still just leadership.

 

Good Luck!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[OldGreyEagle]

I can tell you as a District Advancement person, very very few Blood Drives are approved as Eagle Leadership projects. Other than scheduling the space required for the drive and recruiting juice pourers and cookie passing outers there isnt much for the scout to do. Maybe some promotion, but thats pretty much it. The Blood Team will set up the way they have found to be the best. The Blood Team will follow American Blood bank Association protocol. There will be no supervision over the workers by the Scout as the scout cannot possibly know what the rules and regulations covering Blood Dononation are.

 

Now, if the scout wants to make the Blood Drive part of a Health Fair and co-ordinate having the local American Cancer Society and similar groups at the same place and time as the Blood Drive and have information on health available to the public such as Blood Pressue screening and other things, now you are talking about a potential Eagle Leadership Project. I say that because I aprroved such a project(I said very ver few were approved, but it happens), when it was introduced to me I was told it was a Blood Drive, after the explanation I said its not a Blood Drive its so much more.

 

There does seem to be an issue with your preception of what has been approved as an Eagle Leaderhip Project in the past.

[Twocubdad]

Thirty years ago my Eagle project was to sponsor a blood drive, so I have a warm spot for them. Then we used probably 20 Scouts and 10 adults who did everything except stick people with needles. It was a massive undertaking and I think we collected over 160 pints of blood.

 

As OGE points out, due to confidentiality laws and blood-borne pathogens, Bloodmobiles are almost totally professionally run. The only things left for volunteers are to recruit donors and work the snack bar.

 

Unfortunately, that really doesn't meet the requirement for an Eagle project.

[Scoutmaster Ron]

I recently turned down approving a project (yes I'm the 4th signature) at best he is a promotor of the event, nto a project leader. Steer him in another direction

[Beavah]

Yah, astro, welcome to da forums, eh?

 

By and large, blood drives are a no-go for Eagle projects, for all the reasons others have described. There was even some national guidance to that effect a few years back. Your district volunteers are doin' their job right.

 

Lots of other opportunities out there for a lad to do meaningful leadership and service - and, more importantly, projects that a scout will learn from and grow more in the processes of doin'.

 

Beavah

 

 

 

[John-in-KC]

While I agree with all the posters before me, there is nothing to prevent a Scoutmaster from helping his Chartered Partner organize and support a blood drive as a unit service project!

 

I'm actually rather sensitive to blood drives these days. When you look at a Cold War era veteran, he may well be permanently out of the donor pool. This is all the more true if he/she was stationed in Europe in the 80s or 90s.

 

It's a variant Jakob-Cruezfeld's Disease thing (vJCD) thing. FDA says we're permanently deferred.

 

So, if your unit can sponsor a blood drive, DO SO.