The following are those of our troop who achieved the rank and responsibilities of Eagle Scout. We hope they have made, are making, and will make the world a better place.
Following the completion of the physical work on your Eagle Project, it is time to complete the writeup about your project. Complete the Eagle Scout Service Project Report. You will need a Summary as well as a report on Changes you made, Leadership, listing of shortages or overages of materials, supplies, or tools, if any. You will then list hours spent by you and others on the project, and a summary of your Funding for the project. Upon satisfactory completion of your project, Completion Approval signatures must be obtained from your Scoutmaster and the Representative of the organization benefitting from your Eagle Project.
Write a statement about “Your Ambitions and Life Purposes.” On a second page, write about “Honors, Awards, and Leadership” you have received. This is where you list positions held in Scouting, high adventure Scout camps, your religious institution, school, community, or other organizations during which you demonstrated leadership skills. List honors or awards received during the service. These two statements are Requirement #6 on your Eagle Scout Rank Application. Attach these two or more pages immediately following the application in front of your Eagle Scout Project Book.
Coordinate with the SPL to pick several days and potential alternate days on which to have volunteer scouts come to help execute your project. These days can be entered into Scoutbook with reminders to RSVP which will allow you to plan for the number of people on site. It is customary for the scout leading the project to provide lunch or refreshment of some sort during a break in the project, but this is contingent on current CDC guidelines.
REMINDER: While working on your project, always have a First Aid Kit available at your work site and always have two-deep adults present while working on your project with other Scouts. Follow the safety rules when using power tools. The Guide to Safe Scouting is an important reference in considering safety issues.
Keep a log of all Scouts and adults that work on your project and the days and hours that each person worked. Upon completion of all work, give a copy of this log of names and hours worked to your Scoutmaster so Scouts working on your project can receive credit for Service Hours in their advancement records.
Keep information in your logbook about your work and decisions that you make while working on your project. Take lots of photographs while working on your project as well as photographs of the completed project. Include these photos in your Eagle Project Book.
Keep a record of all materials and equipment you use with the cost of each item and include this in your final writeup. (Also include in the cost the value of donated materials and equipment).
Keep a record of all changes to your original plan that you made during work on your project.
Developing your Plan The project plan must be documented using the 2012 version of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. The Guide indicates that the ‘Project Details’ section of the workbook should be described with enough detail that it would be possible for another Scout to take over and execute the project without further input from the author.
Talk to your Troop Committee Chairman and make an appointment to attend a Troop Committee meeting to present your Eagle Project Proposal to the Troop Committee and get their approval for your Eagle Project Proposal. Make two or three copies of your written Eagle Scout Service Project Proposal with the benefitting Organization Representative’s name for the Committee to review. It is also helpful if you have pictures of where your Eagle Project will take place. If presenting over Zoom, have a digital version or PDF ready for committee members to see on screen and be prepared to discuss as much detail as possible about the materials you will use, how you will do the work, and how you will pay for your Eagle Project to help you explain your project to the Troop Committee and answer their questions about your Eagle Project Proposal. (Reminder: Wear your complete Scout uniform and your merit badge sash with all of the merit badges you have received. Have all patches on your uniform including your current rank, patrol, and leadership position.)
Plan, organize, develop, and write your Eagle Scout Service Project Proposal. REMINDER: Before going to the Eagle Board for Project Approval, you must have approval signatures from the Benefitting Organization Representative, your Scoutmaster and your Troop Committee Member. All sections of the Eagle Scout Service Project Proposal must be complete. You must be able to completely explain your project.
After you receive approval, you may begin work on the project. (You may not start work on your project until you have received written approval from a District representative).
If your project involves contributions (money or materials) from the beneficiary or you, your parents or relatives, your unit or chartered organization, or parents or members of your unit, a fund-raising application is not needed. If you will be obtaining money or materials from any other source, you must submit a completed application to Ed Rogers at the Council Service Center, 2226 NW Military Hwy, SA, TX 78213, or email to erogers@bsamail.org or by fax 210- 340-9905.
If transportation is provided as part of the project, a Tour Plan must be filed. The Tour Planning Worksheet and Tour Plan can be found on the district website. This used to be called a Tour Permit. The completed form can be dropped off or mailed to the [Council address] emailed to [email address of rep], or by fax [fax number]
Contact the Scoutmaster and discuss your proposed Eagle Project with him/her and get your Scoutmaster’s approval for your Eagle Project. This will also let your Scoutmaster know you are starting work on your Eagle Project. they may suggest a Project Coach if you don’t already have one in mind. They will be also be able to support you during the time you are accomplishing your Eagle Rank.
Seek out and talk to your Project Coach to discuss your Eagle Projectand get their approval for your Eagle Project Proposal.
If possible obtain a completed Project Book of an Eagle Scout from the troop historian or a recent Eagle scout for you to use as a guide in writing and organizing your Eagle Scout Project Book.
Develop your Eagle Scout Service Project Proposal form and list the Benefitting Organization Representative’s name and title on your Contact Information form. This indicates that you discussed the project concept with and received approval to do your project for that benefitting organization.
The web page ‘The Path’ at http://eaglescout.org/path/path.html provides many helpful hints and suggestions for developing a thorough project write-up.
Use the fillable PDF version of the workbook which allows you to document your project using a computer or device. Multiple revisions will probably be required, including a final revision after the project work is complete. Before and after photographs should also be included in the final revision.
Resources for Ideas Many Scouts wonder what types of projects might be acceptable or what type of project might fit their skills and interest. The Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook ‘Examples’ section lists sample projects performed by other Scouts which are representative of the level of scope required to adequately demonstrate leadership. The following web sites list typical projects; Developing a similar project should provide ample opportunity to demonstrate leadership, however project approval will be based on the written plan described in the Scout’s Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook. See the BSA link below to download the workbook.
Resources for Ideas Many Scouts wonder what types of projects might be acceptable or what type of project might fit their skills and interest. The Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook ‘Examples’ section lists sample projects performed by other Scouts which are representative of the level of scope required to adequately demonstrate leadership. The following web sites list typical projects; Developing a similar project should provide ample opportunity to demonstrate leadership, however project approval will be based on the written plan described in the Scout’s Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook. See the BSA link below to download the workbook.
Once you understand the process that must occur to complete the Eagle Service Project, you should talk to others who have already been through the process.
There are many scouts, parents, and leaders in the troop you can talk to about potential Eagle projects, and there are so many different ways to demonstrate your leadership in the community through your project. Try to get an idea from other scouts, parents or other community leaders of what your community might need that a service project could fulfill.
Then, you need to talk with your scoutmaster and get an Eagle project coach assigned to you as soon as you are ready.
A good time to start thinking about your Eagle project is when you advance to Life rank, but an even better time is when you are still a Star Scout. Four Rivers District offers a Life-to-Eagle Seminar every year in January, and both parents and scouts should attend in order to get a good understanding of the process in this area.
Baltimore Area Council outlines the process for all its districts on their website here: http://www.baltimorebsa.org/program/eagle-scouts/life-to-eagle-procedures/30512
It’s your Ceremony. Ultimately it is up to the Eagle Scout and their family as to the size, location, and date of their Eagle Court of Honor. If there are several scouts who want a combined ceremony, the families should get together early to work out and agree upon all facets of the event. The following paragraphs outline the areas you and your family should discuss and plan for when thinking about commemorating the occasion of achieving the rank of Eagle.
The Venue. The Nichols Bethel United Methodist Church has been the traditional location for any Eagle Courts of Honor, however, nothing prevents you from conducting the ceremony in another preferred location. Many ECoHs are held in the main chapel area with guests sitting in the pews, but ceremonies have also been conducted in the Cafe area since there is the capability to live-stream the event from there. Due to Covid restrictions and personal preference, some ceremonies have been conducted outdoors in the parking lot as well. You can use this link to request which room or area you would like to use for your ceremony, and check back by phone to ensure they received the request.
Letters of Congratulation and Awards. There are numerous letters of Congratulatory Letters that you can request on behalf of your Eagle Scout from local officials to celebrities across the country. For the instructions on how to request a letter from local government officials up to the President and Vice President take a look at this guide.
For a letter from the Commander of US Cyber Command, prepare a short biography of your scout (something you would put in your ceremony program), and request a letter through their website at https://www.cybercom.mil/Contact-Us/ . You can use the following example of what to enter in each block here
Bryan On Scouting also has a great guide on everything you need to know about these letters and who else you can request letter from, just go here.
Theme, Format, and Scripts. Your Eagle Court of Honor can follow any theme that you and your family identify with. The most popular are ones that incorporate ideas and concepts from across the history and principles of scouting. These include but are not limited to the following…
Akela and the Pack
Red, White, and Blue
The light (candle) of knowledge
Lord Baden Powell’s Legacy
Climbing the mountain
Many components of the ceremony format can be found on the BSA Troop Resources site. You can take a look at some of the examples there as well, and pick what works for you and your family best.
Examples of Scripts for different themes are abundant. You can find some of them at the following sites:
A great way to encourage younger scouts to continue scouting is to involve them in your ceremony. They will be able to see firsthand the results of persistence and hard work, and being involved in the ceremony will make them feel part of the achievement.
Guest Speakers. If you have a guest speaker in mind, you should try to coordinate with them as soon as you can. Guest Speakers are not a requirement, but if your scout has a special connection to someone in the community who can connect with scouting, then it can add significance to the ceremony. Those who are community leaders who are also Eagle Scouts themselves are great choices for this.
Reception. Providing refreshments following the ceremony allows the participants and attendees the chance to gather and talk about the Eagle Scout’s accomplishments and future. A cake and some punch are the most traditional, but potlucks and BBQs are also great ways to celebrate and involve family and friends. If their are multiple scouts being recognized, the families may want to divide up the responsibilities or the types of dishes to bring. At Nichols-Bethel UMC, you can request to use either Manning Hall, the Beacon Café, or even the outside parking lot between the church and soccer field. Click here to go to their online request form or call 410-674-2272.
