Zaphod Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I read this article in the Chicago Tribune the other day: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/news/ct-ecn-adopt-park-south-elgin-st-0703-20160701-story.html It said there was a growing need for community volunteers to adopt and maintain public "spots" and they cited neglected Eagle projects as an example. These projects are commonly small public improvements to local parks such as a bench with landscaping but over time they start to look run-down. After the Eagle project is completed, it's on the city or town to maintain. I found that a little bothersome. Do any of your Troops take responsibility for these after the Eagle has moved on? What are you thoughts? I am thinking of to asking my boys to adopt one so as they look towards Eagle they think about unintended consequences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back Pack Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 (edited) In our troop most of the projects are done for city or county parks, schools or for some private organizations. It is on their property so it is their responsibility to maintain it. I should add that we advise our scouts to talk to their beneficiary about the long-term care of the project area as part of their project plan. Edited July 7, 2016 by Back Pack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJCubScouter Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Do any of your Troops take responsibility for these after the Eagle has moved on? What are you thoughts? I am thinking of to asking my boys to adopt one so as they look towards Eagle they think about unintended consequences. No, and that's not a bad idea if you can get the kids to do it. There has been some discussion about that in our troop but nobody has ever done anything about it. Many of the "building" projects have been under the auspices of the public works department of whatever town it is, and they supposedly do maintain the properties. However, I remember one project that my son worked on when he was 11 or 12 that involved building a stone walkway, and it really wasn't planned very well (in my opinion) and due to heavy rains the stones had started sinking into the ground almost before the project was completed. I suspect that if I went back there now, more than 10 years later, there would be no sign that that walkway ever existed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJCubScouter Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 (edited) Shh Back Pack, if someone from National reads this I suspect your good idea may suddenly become yet another requirement in the Eagle project workbook. (I just realized this thread is in Issue and Politics, I am moving it to Open Discussion. I suppose it could also go in Advancement but I think it is of more general interest than that.) Edited July 7, 2016 by NJCubScouter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sentinel947 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Our troop has discussed maintaining Eagle projects in order to provide scheduled service project opportunities. Nothing has happened yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back Pack Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Shh Back Pack, if someone from National reads this I suspect your good idea may suddenly become yet another requirement in the Eagle project workbook. (I just realized this thread is in Issue and Politics, I am moving it to Open Discussion. I suppose it could also go in Advancement but I think it is of more general interest than that.) We discussed the concept of making sure the long-term use of any project was accounted for in the planning phase at length with the adult leadership. Obviously the issue of adding to the requirements came up. In the end it was out chairman who said all we need to do is have the scout as a simple question.If the beneficiary came back with an answer that put the long-term maintenance back on the troop we would evaluate as a troop but allow the scout to continue his project. We only have one project that is on going maintenance for the troop. The rest are maintained by the beneficiary. I will say that we do mostly construction projects since most of the boys' fathers are in that industry. The apple does not fall far from the tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 In my local cemetery is an area known as the "Scatter Garden". It was super neglected. It would have made a super Eagle Project, but my church youth group stepped up and we cleaned it up, made repairs, and got it looking nice. I have since moved on from there and continued to maintain it on my own. Now my current troop takes it on as a twice a year service project, cleaning it up prior to Memorial Day, and getting it ready for winter in the fall. Other bits and pieces of ongoing projects of mine are also open to Eagle Projects and the last one a boy did made corrections in the cemetery that will last 100+ years with minimal or no maintenance. Another one of my boys did an Eagle Project that caught the eye of a foundation and what the boy accomplished would have gone back to naught had not the foundation stepped up and created a whole new city park. Sometimes these Eagle Projects have a lasting value, others are but temporary and fleeting. Nothing is forever. To date, I have never seen an Eagle Project with any scope beyond the culmination of the project. This is a project, not a legacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBob Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Shh Back Pack, if someone from National reads this I suspect your good idea may suddenly become yet another requirement in the Eagle project workbook. (I just realized this thread is in Issue and Politics, I am moving it to Open Discussion. I suppose it could also go in Advancement but I think it is of more general interest than that.) Worse, the Scout will have to perform an "Environmental Impact Assessment" and a "Sustainability Analysis" prior to getting the project approved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tampa Turtle Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I doubt many Death Bed Eagles are gonna worry about it...they are off to College and other pursuits...besides the nation cannot seem to maintain our bridges and highways why single out the poor scout... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle90 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 We had one scout do a project at the local high school, fencing off a garden area next to the football stadium. Nice project. However two years later they remodeled the stadium and tore down the garden! Easy come, easy go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blw2 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 This past weekend, my son noticed the Eagle project depicting a pot of Brunswick Stew at the I-95 rest area near Brunswick GA. I forget the date on the plaque now, but that's been there a good while. I'm not sure about the interest or significance of it, but I remember thinking it a lasting legacy for that scout. Not much maintenance required for it either.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chadamus Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 This past weekend, my son noticed the Eagle project depicting a pot of Brunswick Stew at the I-95 rest area near Brunswick GA. I forget the date on the plaque now, but that's been there a good while. I'm not sure about the interest or significance of it, but I remember thinking it a lasting legacy for that scout. Not much maintenance required for it either.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSScout Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 This past weekend, my son noticed the Eagle project depicting a pot of Brunswick Stew at the I-95 rest area near Brunswick GA. I forget the date on the plaque now, but that's been there a good while. I'm not sure about the interest or significance of it, but I remember thinking it a lasting legacy for that scout. Not much maintenance required for it either.... "Did they serve pizza to the crew"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sentinel947 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 We had one scout do a project at the local high school, fencing off a garden area next to the football stadium. Nice project. However two years later they remodeled the stadium and tore down the garden! Easy come, easy go. A high school friend made a walkway from the parking lot to the football field. It had been grass. A few years later, it was black topped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blw2 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 This past weekend, my son noticed the Eagle project depicting a pot of Brunswick Stew at the I-95 rest area near Brunswick GA. I forget the date on the plaque now, but that's been there a good while. I'm not sure about the interest or significance of it, but I remember thinking it a lasting legacy for that scout. Not much maintenance required for it either.... that's it, but I wonder if that's on the Northbound side. My aging brain tells me that the one we looked at was a red brick pedestal. We were on the Southbound side. Do you know the lad or have a connection? I'm sure there have been a lot of scouts and scouters notice that project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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