Planning and Executing Successful Eagle Scout Service Projects

by Dave Tracewell
Senior Editor

All across America, on any given day, there is a young man demonstrating his leadership and organizational skills by performing a service in his community that will be of lasting value. This young man, after spending years “training” for this event, will plan, develop, orchestrate, and lead a team of other volunteers to succeed in this task. Since 1911, there have been over one million young men like him who have contributed millions of hours of community service, helping innumerable churches, schools, parks, and communities by providing substantial service projects to these organizations. He is about to join the ranks of great men like The Honorable Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the United States, movie director Steven Spielberg, Apollo Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., Business Executive H. Ross Perot, millionaire and Founder of Electronic Data Systems Corporation, and thousands of other famous and successful men who have traveled these steps before him. He is the Boy Scout who is on the final “leg” of his journey to achieve his Eagle Scout award.

The Eagle Scout award is a performance-based achievement whose standards have been well documented and maintained over the years. Only about 2.5 percent of all Boy Scouts ever achieve this prestigious award. It has always carried with it a special significance not only in Scouting, but also in business or industry, higher education, the U.S. Armed Forces and in everyday life. It is a highly regarded mark of achievement.

To earn the Eagle Scout rank, the highest advancement rank in Scouting, a Boy Scout must fulfill requirements in the areas of leadership, service, and outdoor skills. Along the way, he epitomizes the aims of Scouting: “Good character, mental and physical development, and participating citizenship.” There are many choices along this trail, and the young Scout must choose options that demonstrate proficiency in a number of specific skills. His must first advance through six lower “ranks” before he can even attempt to earn his Eagle Scout award. To advance, a Boy Scout must pass specific tests, which are organized by requirements for each of these ranks and a minimum of 22 merit badges. This effort is culminated with a “Service Project.”

The Service Project associated with the earning of the Eagle Scout award is a significant part of the rank and serves as a final testament of his ability to plan, develop, organize, and lead a significant project of lasting value. The Boy Scout Handbook lists the requirement in the following manner:

“While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to your religious institution, school, or community. The project idea must be approved by your Scoutmaster and troop committee, and reviewed by the council or district before you start.”

Eagle Scout Projects can be a difficult, sometimes overwhelming, experience that ultimately gives the young Scout a great feeling of accomplishment and pride. It is beneficial experience not only to the Scout, but to the organization who benefits from the project, and the Scouts and Scouters who help. Probably the most difficult part of the project is determining what it is you are going to do.

There are basically four steps in the Eagle Scout project, but they must be done in the right order, and must fulfill certain requirements. There are also some basic rules that need to be adhered to in order to meet the criteria of an Eagle Scout project. These rules are quite simple and are meant to help the Scout develop a project that is in keeping with the spirit of providing leadership and helping their community. The following should help clarify these necessary steps and rules:

Before You Begin:
First, get a notebook to document your actions all along the way. This helps to demonstrate leadership, shows competence, and will help you a lot when you compile your information and submit your application. The first step in your service project is to come up with an idea for it. This is sometimes the hardest part of your Service Project because you are not sure what you should do or what is expected. Stick to the requirements in your book and you will be okay. Seek out the advice of your Scoutmaster, Eagle Scout Advisor, and/or your District Advancement Chairman to make sure you are on the right track. (See sidebar for Eagle Scout Service Project ideas) Remember to record time spent on thinking up your project as well as all time spent talking to your advisor, collecting materials, asking for help, raising money, conducting the project, and writing up the report. This will give you an accurate assessment of the total time you’ve spent on your project. The “rule” for how big the project must be, according to the workbook is, “The amount of time spent by you in planning your project and the actual working time spent in carrying out the project should be as much as necessary for you to demonstrate your leadership to others.”

	BSA's Life to Eagle Packet The packet includes the Eagle Scout Award registration form, guidelines for submitting the project write-up, and an Eagle Scout Scholarship application

Initial Planning & Project Write-Up
The Life Scout should start by getting a current copy of the Life to Eagle Packet (#18-927 – 1996 Printing) from the council office or from one of the troop leaders to use in preparing his Eagle Service Project plan. The packet includes the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, the official booklet that is submitted to the district, council, and national office of the Boy Scouts of America for approval. Read everything in it before beginning to write up your plan.

The Eagle Scout Service Project plan may be typed, written with a word processor on a computer, or even hand written, but it must be very neat and legible. It doesn’t necessarily have to be on the form supplied by the council, but should follow the same format. This form, and any material submitted will eventually be given back to the Scout after the Eagle Scout Board of Review. The Service Project plan should tell someone else everything they would need to know to carryout your project.

After the Life Scout has discussed their project idea with their Scoutmaster and/or Project Advisor, and chosen the best one for them, they can begin the detail planning and initial write-up of their Eagle Project. This plan will then be submitted to their Troop Committee and District or Council Advancement Chairman for approval. Remember, the Life Scout cannot actually begin work on the project until the district or council approves it.

The Gathering of Materials, Resources, and Workers
Now that you know what you want to do, you have to find out where to get the material, items needed to work on the project, and the people who are going to help. You can’t “show leadership” if you don’t have anyone to lead. You can’t even start your project until you’ve gathered the material and tools needed to complete it.

The Life Scout should start by looking in his own home troop. Find out who in your troop is willing to help you (both youth and adult), then find out who, out of those who are willing to help, can help you either find material or do certain parts of the project. You can also ask family members, friends, and other people in the community to help. A good leader assigns as much of the work to as many people as he can so that no one person is overwhelmed by their contribution. This also is the most effective way of getting a project done in the shortest amount of time. A good leader also plans the project giving specific times for each phase or portion to be worked on. This should all be a part of your initial plan. Do not be afraid to change your initial plan as situations and needs arise, just keep in mind your overall goal and do what’s necessary to have your “team” complete it. Remember to record any changes made to your plan, and why and when they were made.

Begin the Project
When the Life Scout has gathered the material, tools, and people together on the scheduled day to work on the project, he will now be able to provide direct, hands on leadership to the project. Although he is “allowed” to work on the project himself, it is during this time that he should have a firm grasp of the steps and goals of the project, and should be directing “his workers” in the ways he wants these steps completed. It is not unusual to have more than one scheduled workday on an Eagle project. He should be in complete control of the project and manage the project to its completion.

After Completing the Project
When the Eagle Scout project is complete, the Life Scout should thank all who have helped and make sure the project has been done to the complete satisfaction of the church, school, or community organization before leaving. A representative should sign off on the project that it was completed as expected. Any mess or garbage should also be taken care of before leaving. The Life Scout then needs to “write up” the project and have it ready for the Eagle Board of Review when convened.

Eagle Scouts from across our great nation have contributed greatly to our society by performing untold numbers of Scout service projects. They started when they reached First Class, performing a service project for both their Star and Life ranks long before they even started thinking about an Eagle Project. Scouting has served America well in providing Service to America through the service project requirements of the upper ranks in Scouting. Every young man who has earned this prestigious award can hold his head high and proudly say that they have lived up to the Scout Oath and Law. They have fulfilled the aims that the Boy Scouts of America have tried to instill: build their character, develop both mentally and physically into manhood, and become good citizens in their communities.