Eagle Scout Leadership Project??

[Eamonn]

Help me out here.

Am I the only one who doesn't think this is a good Eagle Scout Leadership project?

I fail to see the leadership.

The Lad is from our District and his Mom is a pal of mine.

I'm glad that I will not sit in on that BOR.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_466040.html

 

By Marilyn Forbes

FOR THE DAILY COURIER

Monday, August 14, 2006

Mark Kiefer is working toward becoming an Eagle Scout. But the project he's doing to achieve that goal isn't typical.

 

Kiefer, 15, of Scottdale, has opted to work on a project outside his neighborhood. In fact, the benefits of his work will be felt outside the country.

 

The undertaking requires hours of dedication to a chosen service project.

 

In order to complete the project, Kiefer traveled to Costa Rica, where he spent many hours helping at an orphanage with the Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School.

 

Kiefer said he was planning to attend a 15-day surf adventure course when the idea for his project was formed.

 

"I thought that I could do something while I was there, so I inquired about any orphanages that were located there. I was going on the trip, so I thought that I could just kill two birds with one stone."

 

Kiefer's work did not go unnoticed at the Aldea Infantil Save Our Souls Orphanage in Tres Rios.

 

"They were really glad and happy at what I was going to do," Kiefer said.

 

The orphanage housed more than 200 children, ranging in ages from 2 to 22.

 

Prior to his trip, Kiefer gathered and packed 150 pounds of supplies, which he planned to deliver to the orphanage.

 

But with new shipping regulations, only about 105 pounds made it to the children.

 

"We packed toys and things like toothpaste and some medical items that were donated by several people and organizations," Kiefer said.

 

Various medical and dental offices, family and friends -- as well as Troop 160 of Everson -- contributed to Kiefer's efforts.

 

When Kiefer visited the orphanage, he helped out for several hours.

 

"I did a lot of yard work and weeding. I cleaned and re-cemented steps, and I cut and maintained the soccer field.

 

"It's a good feeling that I helped someone and other people that did not have the resources to do it," Kiefer said.

Eamonn

 

[evmori]

Eamonn,

 

I gotta agree. There seems to be a lack of leadership! While this is a great thing to do, it is worthy of being an Eagle Project. Who approved this?

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[scoutldr]

A trip to Costa Rica, a surfing adventure and an Eagle Project all in one! Sounds like the best of all worlds! I would ask how he raised the funds for the trip, how many other scouts did he lead in the project, etc. Maybe it's a good one, maybe not. I'd have to see the write up of the execution.

[frank10]

I'd also have to see the write up before I could answer either way...

Could the leader ship be in the gathering hte 150 pounds of supplies?

[gwd-scouter]

One of our Scouts did a similar project this summer. His church was sponsoring a medical mission trip to Honduras. His project involved collecting, sorting, and packaging all the medical supplies before the trip. This involved two weekends of volunteers (church folks and scouts). He organized and scheduled the weekends, coordinated the volunteers, and oversaw the sorting and packaging.

 

I, too, was a bit concerned when he approached me about the project. It certainly was not the typical building-type project I've heard about before. And, this was only the third project brought to me as SM. But, after hearing his explanation and reading his write up, I signed off on it. Our District Committee met with him and signed off too.

 

I have not yet read his final write up as he just returned a couple of weeks ago. But, he has discussed the trip to Honduras and the work he did once there and I do believe he showed leadership.

[Eamonn]

As I say his mother is a friend of mine.

She is an attorney who specializes in the area of adoption of kids from overseas.

She adopted Mark.

He is a bit of a handful and was suspended from school and now attends a military school. The project was approved by the SM at school.

His Mom is active in just about everything that is going on, her family own the local bank.

The Lad isn't home very much, so I don't see that he could be very active in collecting stuff.

Anyway 105 pound isn't that much!

While I really can't state for a fact who paid for the trip. I do feel knowing his Mom that she just wrote the check, she did for the 2007 Jamboree.

Talking to her the idea of the orphanage and finding the one that got the stuff all came from her.

Eamonn.

[oldsm]

It's not clear from the article that the project was approved by the district, although since he's back and 105 lbs. of stuff was delivered, I suppose it was.

 

To my way of thinking:

 

The boy probably didn't do much planning or leadership, based on Eamonn's post.

 

Part of the leadership aspect should have been finding a way to get the remaining poundage to Costa Rica. Perhaps seeking donations for separate air frieight?

 

Someone needs to educate the boy's mother (and possibly the district advancement committee) on the meaning of LEADERSHIP.

 

What has the boy learned from this experience?

[jr56]

I too would have to see the actual write up before commenting fully, but my guess would be the only leadership came somehow with the gathering of the materials .

[Whitney Dunlap]

It doesn't sound like an Eagle Scout Leadership project to me. Written up as is, I would deny it. I emphasize that this project is the culmination of a scout's advancement experience. He is expected to bring to bear everything he has learned about leadership, and attempt a project which he will look back upon in later years with a sense of "wow, did I do that!". The project has to be do-able, that is it can't be too large, yet it has to have a definite shape, require organization, some level of fundraising, a method for completion, and must pull other people into helping complete it. Most of our projects typically involve the Eagle candidate employing 50-75 hours of his time, plus 200 of more volunteer man hours (they add up quickly on a good project.)

 

Whitney Dunlap

T-401 ASM/Eagle Corrdinator

[John-in-KC]

E,

 

You walked away from the District Committee. Hard to enforce standards upon the District Advancement Chairman other than the friendly cup of coffee and "what the heck were you thinking of?"

 

There's an audit trail of project approvals. Someone signed off for the District Advancement Committee. He needs a friendly cup of coffee.

[Gunny2862]

I'd have to see the write up also.

 

But it doesn't appear to meet the standards.

 

The donations are fundraising, the yard work and mowing are maintenance, the shipping regulations while complicated don't involve leadership.

 

Cleaning and re-cementing steps might fit if he were leading a crew of people to do so but it seems awfully short on hours and other involved people to be led. And are the only "markable" portion.

 

It was probably worthwhile and a good example of a Scout doing something "outside of Scouting" but I don't really see how it could be counted towards his Eagle rank other than as a display of Scout Spirit in conjunction with his trip.

[click23]

Even if he did provide approprate leadership during the project, I do not see how it could meet "...service project helpful to your religious institution, school, or your community."

[John-in-KC]

Processes and controls.

 

At the end of the day, that's what we're debating.

 

What were the front-end processes and controls on THIS ELSP (indeed all ELSPs) to ensure it's meaningful to the Scout, meaningful to the supported agency, and meets the standard people expect of an Eagle Scout?

 

What are the back-end evaluation metrics to ensure the project aspect and the leadership aspect pass muster?

 

Four discrete "someones" bought into this project on the front end:

- A Scoutmaster

- A Committee Member

- A benefitted agency

- A District Advancement Operations Committeemember

This project made it through four distinct control points.

 

Someone decided the work performed on the project passed muster. That' a fifth control point.

 

Several "Someones", sitting an EBOR will decide if this Scout showed the leadership needed.

 

We are our own gatekeepers. Did anyone look at this project early on and mentor the young man on "what right looks like?" (I can see two gatekeepers who should have). Did anyone have a quiet talk with Mom, or is she the kind of person in small-town America who can break a person with a snap of her fingers?

 

Did anyone along the way perceive the project as not passing muster and so tell the Scout? If no, then shame on us Scouters.

 

A Scouter is Brave. Sometimes he has to look Bill in the eye and say "This will not cut it."

 

Now someone qualified to sit an Eagle Board of Review as a District Guest, or a District level EBOR, has to clean up the mess.