Making Eagle Projects the culmination of a learning sequence

[NJCubScouter]

Moosetracker, XO = Executive Officer = second in command of a military unit.

 

Horizon, #1 is what all boys in my troop have historically been told when they are starting on their project plan, except the reference is to if he had a family emergency and couldn't be there, not specifically to him dying. Interesting variation though.

 

I wonder if this practice will survive the new approach, in which the plan is optional, or it does not require pre-approval.

 

#2 is interesting, I have never heard of that before. I can see the advantages of it, but I also wonder whether it detracts from the "leadership" aspect of the requirement, by having a second "leader."

[NJCubScouter]

By the way, while the Personal Management MB requires the planning of a project on paper, the Family Life MB requires both the planning and carrying out of a project.

 

As has been pointed out, some of the POR's (the ones that are generally considered "leadership" positions require the Scout to plan and carry out certain "projects" such as meetings and camping trips. Some youth leaders will get more "planning and carrying out" experience than others, mostly because they make these experiences happen themselves. I remember that when I was SPL, one of my ASPL's and I basically created and carried out a new fundraising program for the troop. (Interestingly, we are both "Lifes for life.") And then there are the other POR's. Quartermaster does require "planning and carrying out" if it is done properly. Scribe might or might not. Some of the other POR's might not.

 

I think the result of all this is that the current advancement program and troop structure give Scouts the opportunity to get some meaningful practice and experience planning and carrying out "projects", but does not require it. I think I would leave it that way. Maybe there should be a page in the handbook listing some of the ways that a Scout can "get ready" for the experience of doing a project, such as earning Family Life MB before starting the project, or having a POR like PL or SPL where they can practice planning and leadership. But I don't think I would make it mandatory. It's all part of the learning experience.

[Lisabob]

NJ, it was precisely the "on paper" part of the Personal Mgmt project that caused my scout to be impatient with the requirement. At least the Fam Life projects were real and he could readily see the value in planning and then doing them. He actually took pride in the projects he did for that badge. The "practice planning a project for the sake of practice" aspect of the Personal Mgmt just struck him as dumb.

 

It was pointed out to him by somebody (MBC? SM? not sure who) that it might have been more relevant, had he not waited until he was a week away from being 18 with nothing else to finish, to do this last requirement. So it was a choice, even if it wasn't a conscious one. But I don't think that's the actual intended lesson of this particular requirement.

 

(As somebody else mentioned his MBC happily accepted his Eagle project plan in fulfillment of this requirement. Since he'd already executed the plan before earning the MB, it really was a case of hoop jumping.)