A scout's Eagle project scope/challenge should be ...

[Stosh]

I seldom "advise" on an Eagle project, but I do offer up suggestions they can take into consideration. Never have I had a boy take any of my suggestions directly but some have come close but taken a different slant based on their interests, abilities, etc. So in fact do they have to follow my "advice"? No. Do they have to follow a good bit of it? No. As far as signing the application. I sign it and have never read their write up for the project. I figure if it is poorly done, the review board will bounce it back. If not, they must think it's okay. I see my involvement as redundancy. I trust my boys to do a good job and so far none of them have ever been rejected. I did have one where the committee called me about one of them and I suggested they go back and talk to the boy about it. They did, they approved it, and the project got a half page article in not only the local paper, but also the state newspaper. He raised no money, built nothing, and benefited no living person.....

 

Stosh

[Stosh]

 

Although he clearly didn't vote, based on Stosh's replies I'd put him with #4. In other words, his troop should always be doing projects. Boys should always be leading them. At some point a boy will lead a project just like he and his buddies always have, only this time a workbook gets filled out and he has it (along with his career as Life scout) reviewed by a bunch of old farts.

 

 

Close, ... Yes the boys always lead all aspects of the troop, service projects, activities and fundraisers. The only difference with the Eagle project is the boy gets to pick a project that he personally has an interest in. A lot of the service projects the troop does is a consensus decision of which one. There might be one the boy wants to do and it never gets picked by the troop. Well HIS EP is his to choose. And because of this, I am the last person in the world to tell him he can't do it. I'll let a council committee tell him that.

 

The experience of doing a lot of different service projects as he comes up through the ranks, allows him to formulate what he things is going to be HIS special project for his Eagle. IF his favorite service project is one the troop does every year he can take lead on it and fills out his book, that is his choice, too. Some of my challenged boys have done this and I find no problem with it.

 

Stosh

[CalicoPenn]

... between a Scout and his conscience

[fred johnson]

CalicoPenn has it right ... between a scout and his conscience.

 

twocubdad ... I think it's important to know the rules as an adult leader. I've advised many boys on their Eagle projects. And the advice is always find something meaningful to you or your family. As for scope, it has to do with something significant, but manageable. I always fear reading threads like this that some of what people write really happens especially when it's phrases such as "won't approve" or .... Perhaps it was another thread and not this one. But I've seen it a lot over the years. I suspect most of it is just bravado. But I always fear it will be taken seriously.