How many hours is a typical Eagle Project????

[Basementdweller]

Just curious......

 

Seen a few and I bet the boys didn't have 8 hours in them including the actual work.

[skeptic]

Not sure what projects you saw, but in our district and council they average at least forty to fifty hours; some are well in excess of 100, while a few are extremely high and probably a bit over the top. Yes, a few likely come in around 20 or so, but not many. There is not actual amount, so it simply has to meet the intent and show leadership. Total hours also includes his own planning time.

[moosetracker]

Before the new policies, a lot of districts would try to guesstimate 100 hours.. That is including the kids and the volunteers time..

 

Now our district looks for enough demonstrated LEADERSHIP from the eagle candidate.. But, they usually expect a very similar sized project as they did in the past..

 

[dg98adams]

Never seen a "typical" Eagle project.... they are always really well planned, executed, led or not.... kinda the entire gambit... but nothing "typical".

[bnelon44]

I agree with the previous comments. They did do a study and came up with an average project as taking approximately 130 man hours. Those in the district I am in are closer to 200 man hours.

 

see:

http://www.scouting.org/Media/PressReleases/2012/20120410.aspx

 

Better to concentrate on does the project show a good amount of leadership. The new GTA stresses that more than total hours. See:

http://scouting.org/scoutsource/GuideToAdvancement/EagleScoutRank.aspx

[Beavah]

Yah, in our council da average (mean) is probably pretty close to bnelon44's estimate. Of course, that average is highly skewed, with most projects fallin' below 130 man-hours, and a few fallin' substantially above. I'd guess the mode is between 80 and 90 man-hours.

 

There are very stark differences between troops, though, as bnelon44 points out. Most troops have projects of similar scope in the boys in their troop, but the differences between troops are very wide.

 

Advancement Mill type troops average around 50-60 hours.

Troop 1 type troops (from da other thread) average around 100 hours.

Troop 2 type troops (from da other thread) average around 250 hours.

 

There is generally a negative correlation between number of MBs a boy earns and the number of man-hours of the project, which reflects this trend between troops with different approaches. And of course there's generally a negative correlation between da age of the Eagle Scout and the number of man-hours as well.

 

At least those are my off-da-cuff WAGs . Haven't served on Advancement Committee in a few years. Be interested if anybody has more solid figures from their own council.

 

Beavah

 

[Second Class]

My troop average is in the 140's.

[Basementdweller]

Mulching a play ground.

 

Installing a handicap ramp at a church.

[Scoutfish]

Curious:

 

Does hours mean total clock hours of everybody working as in 4 people working 10 hours counts as 10 hours

 

OR

 

It is a total of combined working hours as in 4 people working 10 hours equals 40 hours

 

 

[skeptic]

Basement: Both of those could be very time consuming, depending on the prep work and size of the areas. A wheel chair ramp needs to theoretically meet certain minimal standards in most states, and would need to be dug out and have forms constructed if cement, then be leveled to the correct slant. It also might need a special surface treatment. Having not seen the extent of course, cannot judge what you speak about. As far as mulching goes, it again can become a very labor intensive project, especially if done with scouts using hand tools. But, yes there are occasional really weak projects; but they still meet the absolute minimum one would hope (assuming that the district/council advancement people properly review before and after).

[Second Class]

The latter.

MAN hours worked, total.

Including the scout. This is the reportable total on the Eagle app.

[Twocubdad]

In our troop, projects are usually around 150 "Scout-hours".

 

It's funny to me that when you talk man-hours to most advancement committee types, they usually go into appoplexy. "THERE IS NO REQUIRED MANHOURS." Yeah, but that is the metric the world uses for understanding the scope of a project.

 

My standard pitch on project scope is this: you need to be in the 150 manhour range, but more importantly is the project be of sufficient scope for you to demonstrate leadership. Rule of thumb (and this may not apply to every project) is projects should require multiple work days to accomplish.

[moosetracker]

Two cub, I have never seen that problem with man-hour term. That's because the eagle project may be worked by scouts or non-scouts. Such as if it is a project for the church, it may be the church members who do the labor rather then scouts. Also could be scouts plus non-scout friends & family-members.

 

Scoutfish, hours involved also means time outside of the project. For example if the scout can not drive, and his parents drive him to meet with his Eagle project advisor.. The parents time (travel & waiting), scouts time and project advisors time is counted.. Or if parents drive him to a store to either price things out or buy things.. All the scouts planning and calling and organizing is also all counted.. Also time someone works on the project without the scout being there (ex. one scout had something that required others to do presentations. He coordinated some rehersals but was not around for all their personal rehersal time.. Yet their time preparing their presentation would count..

 

If you account for all time spent on the project, time accumulates quickly.. It is that scouts sometimes don't track well, or think of writting down alot of it.. I find their hours are usually way under the true man-hours really put into the project.

[Basementdweller]

How about moving a boulder for the local High School....your dad is a excavating company owner???

 

Mulching the playground.......dad paid for the bulk delivery, and then the boys spread it.

 

Ramp was a purchased item, just took removing old one and installing new. Church had it in storage for a couple of years.

 

 

In the grand scheme of things I don't really care I was just curious is all......The thread down below with a mom sayin here eagle candidate is bustin his butt just got me thinking.

 

I know a couple life scouts spending their days in front of the the game console instead of moving with purpose.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

[Eagle732]

Our district advancement committee use to have the benchmark of 250 man hours for a project. Planning, fundraising, preparation and actual work all count towards the total number of hours. Of course now they can't set a minimum number of hours.