Eagle Project Guidelines - Avoid the Maze!

Eagle Scout Projects are actually very simple; any Scout can complete a project without a lot of fuss if he avoids the maze.

There is a whole lot of opaque, misdirected and downright wrong advice out there. Much of it may come from district or council level Advancement Chairpersons. Despite their best intentions these folks have erected a maze of confusing, contradicting directions that can leave Scouts and Scouters feeling frustrated.

One major way to avoid the maze is to ignore (that's right ignore) anything but what is said in two documents - The Eagle Project Workbook and the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures book.

For some reason many Councils and Districts have issued an annotated version of the Eagle Project Workbook with oft times misguided information. In effect they have added (hardly ever subtracted) to the simple verbiage that describes an Eagle Project. A clean,current copy of the manual is always available at the National Eagle Scout Association website. If it is not in this manual it is not National Policy - enough said.

The 2008 printing of the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures book is available here as a PDF document. Eagle projects are discussed on page 27-28.

A careful, literal reading of this section will dispel many myths and urban legends. Here are three persistent questions that have simple answers:

Must Eagle Projects be conducted under the two-deep leadership rule? Answer; no.

The Eagle Scout service project provides the opportunity for the Eagle Scout candidate to demonstrate the leadership skills he has learned in Scouting. He does the project outside the sphere of Scouting. As a demonstration of leadership, the Scout must plan the work, organize the personnel needed, and direct the project to its completion. ACPP Pg. 28

There are a few instances, such as patrol activities, when no adult leadership is required.
Guide to Safe Scouting Pg.12

Are there a minimum number of hours for the project? Answer: no.

There is no minimum number of hours that must be spent on carrying out the project. The amount of time spent must be sufficient for the Scout to clearly demonstrate leadership skills.
ACPP Pg. 28

Can the District or Council make special rules or amend the requirements for projects? Answer: no.

The project must also be reviewed and approved by the district or council advancement committee or their designee to make sure that it meets the stated standards for Eagle Scout service projects before the project is started
ACPP Pg. 28

No council, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to or subtract from advancement requirements.
ACPP Pg. 3

If, in the course of planning, executing or reporting on an Eagle Project you are told something that does not make sense it probably is not official policy. Ask, politely, to see the policy any document published by the BSA- if it isn't there it isn't true.

Comments

[Bryan]

Awesome! I recently took over as Troop Advancement Chair AND District Advancement Chair and I am running into these 'home rules'. Getting rid of them is easy. Take it to the boys and let them know EXACTLY what needs doing! Working very well so far!

Bryan

[Bryan]

PS Link to "Red Book" not working....

Fixed - thanks for the heads up!

[Walter Underwood]

I read "outside the sphere of Scouting" as applying to the organization that benefits, rather than the activity. The rest of that section goes into detail about making sure that donors know it will benefit an organization other than BSA, etc.

The other interpretation means that we don't have to follow any of the rules in the Guide to Safe Scouting and that we are not covered by insurance. Better not put up a plaque saying it was an Eagle project, because it is just a bunch of friends getting together outside of Scouting to do a good deed. Nope, no Scouting here.

What is the advantage of casting aside YP for an Eagle project?

I fully agree with the other points, though.

My favorite Eagle myth is that 14 year olds are too young for Eagle. Nonsense. Boy Scouts is a program for 11-14 year old boys. If you are 16, you should be considering something more challenging, like Venturing Ranger or Silver.

[Clarke Green]

Walter Asks
What is the advantage of casting aside YP for an Eagle project?

Youth protection is designed to protect youth from the bad actions of adults - not to supervise their activities. Otherwise why would the GSS specify that Patrols may conduct adult-free activities?

Candidates must plan and prepare for safety concerns. If needed they will ask for adult help, hopefully from outside of Scouting.

In my experience even the most assertive Scout will defer to an Adult Leader - keeping them away gives the Scout a better chance of actually leading his project.

[Walter Underwood]

We usually have several adults at an Eagle project, all recruited by the project leader as volunteers. We do what the Scout tells us, but we are also available for questions and coaching.

YP doesn't say that adults must lead the activity. It is about "eliminating opportunities for abuse" (GSS, section I). I don't see the advantage of making an Eagle project exempt from that protection.

Here is what YP says about adult supervision: "Adult leaders must monitor and guide the leadership techniques used by junior leaders and ensure that BSA policies are followed."

That is entirely appropriate at an Eagle project. The project is primarily about learning, right? Coaching on leadership techniques during the project is part of our job as Scouters.