Eagle Project idea

[CNYScouter]

After taking 1-1/2 years off, Sea Scouts has gotten my son thinking about working on obtaining Eagle.

Hes not that far off only needing 6 required MBs and a couple of non-required MBs.

He has finished the POS for Life and will have no problem with the POS for Eagle.

 

He has started to think about his Eagle project and I want to see what everyone thinks about one he seems to want to do.

 

I found out that our CO, a non-profit Sailing Club, received a grant a few years ago to build a kiosk (a permanent bulletin board) promoting Recreational boating.

The club leases its clubhouse from our county and it is located in a county park along the lake where the Ship sails and the kiosk will be located.

 

Our CO has the money and has detailed plans to build it but has never gotten around to putting it up.

 

There is a great deal of work to finish this project as he would need top get the plans approved by the county (and where to put it), purchase the material, and recruit labor to build it.

 

I know a lot of an Eagle project is writing it up, but was wondering what concerns we he have if this is the project he wants to do?

 

I guess I have a concern that this is for our CO, but it would go into a public park.

 

He has plenty of time and I thought I would run this by the forum and see what every one thinks before proceeding.

 

 

[jr56]

It really doesn't matter what we think of it, but what your District Eagle Board thinks of it.

[John-in-KC]

Sounds OK to me, but the best person to run it by for a "what do you think" is your District Advancement Chairman. His staff are the folks who will do the "buy-in".

 

I wish him well

[anarchist]

CNYScouter,

 

On the project ...everyone is correct about district doing the approval...and project in the public domain happen all the time...helping the "public" is worth while though usually unappreciated.

Major pit fall to consider...you note the plans may have to be "approved" by the County...Do that me some folks just saying "Looks ok to us" or are you taklking about county construction permits, code approved drawings and all that entails?

 

I asked because two years ago I watched a boys Eagle project crash and burn because of County requirements and the "insinuation" of code requirements where code requirements were clearly not applicable... They (county inspectors) did it because he was a kid and could not afford to hire an attorney to fight them and everytime they raised an issue the CO added the requirements to the project right or wrong because the County brought it up it must be prudent to include it...A small, one step above grade stage (platform)in the woods near the church (for outside sermons and nature classes), that originally should have cost about $1,000.00 blossomed into a $4,600 safety railed, electrified (for safety foot lights) monster. Despite suggestions to find a smaller dream, the boy would not change his project (strong headed) but in the end he got so frustrated that he never finished the project...and he had invested over a years work trying to raise money and line up contractors...so be careful that the scope does not grow...

 

Anarchist

[ASM915]

CNY,

Since everything is located within the county park and we're are talking a bulletin board, not a walkin information center, you probably won't have a major problem. Something already had to be approved for the CO to apply for and get the grant money for the project.

Your scout is the PROJECT DIRECTOR. Even though he is doing the project for the CO, he can still request assistance from the CO's laison with communication between the parties involved and to help coordinate any meetings and joint work sessions between the scouts, the CO and the parks. The scout can then use this laisons time involved as part of his total project hours, as long as the laison was following the PROJECT DIRECTOR'S requests.

My sons Eagle Project involved making a documentary on how Native Americans built cattail siding for wigwams so it wouldn't become a lost art. The wigwam was in a county park. The park employees were more then willing to help. He had everyone keep track of their hours from park employees, to scouts, to his Native Advisor to the elders who came to the project site and smugged (blessed) the cattails being used and the people working on the project.

Just make sure that the CO understands that once everyone signs as to what the initial sccope of the project is, there will be no addtions or major changes. Have a park representative also sign off at the beginning as well as at the end along with the CO. This way everyone is on the same page.

 

ANARCHIST, it sounds like someone within the county doesn't like the BSA. Maybe some of the above mentioned expierences and suggestions might help your scouts in the future.