Eagle Project and Airfare for Scouts

[gilski]

A boy in our troop (my son) has decided on an Eagle Project with an organization out of state that works with the poor in Mexico. Ten of the boys in the troop and three of the dads are going. The dads going are paying airfare for their sons and themselves. Four of the boys are brothers from a family of nine and finances are tight. The Scoutmaster and a committee member suggested to my son the troop might offer a scholarship to pay for one of the brothers. My son is trying to raise support to help offset expenses for the other boys. The committee chair said the troop cannot help financially with an Eagle project even for travel. If this is against policy I want to kill it before it goes to committee. Is there any policy for or against.

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

[ASM915]

gilski,

Check with your Distict Advancement Chair. They should be able to give you some incite.

 

If I'm right (if I'm wrong, I'll be corrected fairly fast by the forum members), an Eagle Project can not be of a fundraising nature.

 

ie: raising funds and donating such funds to an organization for a building project for the homeless.

 

A scout may have to fundraise to finance the Eagle Project.

 

ie: The project is to take an area house, run a Habitat for Humanity project on the structure. Said project will cost $5000. The Scout and Troop may hold fundraisers to cover the costs of the materials that they will use for the project.

 

Since the fundraised monies are being used by the Scout to by materials that his project team will be using, and not just giving money to let say Habitat For Humanity to use as the organization wants, the fundraiser is legal.

 

SO for your Troops Eagle Project, the Troop may not be able to fork over funds out of the Troop's accounts for the tickets, but the Troop can definitely help the Scout fundraise the money for the tickets.

Some fundraising could be to approach local organizations (Lions, Rotary, K of C), Churches and local business' for donations or sponsorships. You might be surprised at how generous some business' may be, especially if it can be a tax write off.

 

Some churches might be willing to pass around the plate a second time, just for donations. Our youth group just did a "Hammer and Nails" project. They liked it so much that they want to do more. They started placing buckets at the church entrances for donations to raise money for the next project.

 

Let us know how things work out.

 

Eric

 

PS: Welcome to the forum.

[Eamonn]

I see the project as being one thing and if the Troop wants to offer to help a Scout as an other.

 

My feelings about spending Troop funds to send one Scout to Mexico?

Don't come into play. I will admit if I were on the Committee I wouldn't vote for spending Troop funds on just one Scout.

Asking local businesses and organizations really shouldn't be done and you need to be careful about saying anything about taxes.

If I were the District Advancement Chair and was asked to approve a project that was so far from home? My big question would be why?

Is this really a Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project or a way to visit Mexico?

I think I'd need a lot more details before I'd approve the project.

But that's just me!

Eamonn.

[FScouter]

Its up to the boy to raise the funds necessary to pay the costs of his project. If some boys or dads want to contribute, thats fine. If the church wants to help, thats fine. If the troop committee wants to help, thats fine too. Theres no BSA policy against it.

 

There is a difference between the CC saying the troop CANNOT help financially and the troop WILL NOT help financially. They can help if they want to.

[scoutingagain]

ASM915 said, if I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll be corrected.

 

Our District Adv. Chair just gave a presentation on Eagle Projects and the subject of financing came up. A scout may have to organize a fundraiser to fund his project. However, if he does organize a fundraiser, it should meet BSA fundraising requirements. This means among others things, scouts should not directly solicit contributions. Something of value should be offered in return, ie. a product, or service. In general direct "donations" of cash are not encouraged.

 

So, yes the scout can organize fundraisers for his project, using members of the unit for labor, i.e. a car wash, a spaghetti dinner, pancake breakfast, etc. The unit and the scout should not solicit businesses or individuals for cash donations. They should not hold raffles.

 

Philosophically, scouts do not ask for charity even if it's meant for good intentions. A scout pays his own way by offering something of value in return. Scouts should be encouraged to get money the old fashioned way...earn it.

 

Now here is where it gets confusing though. In our district, solicitations for cash is a no-no, but if a lumberyard wants to donate lumber that's OK. I suppose if an airline wanted to donate a seat on an airplane, that might be OK.

 

As others have said, check with your district advancement chair.

 

 

SA

 

 

 

[scoutldr]

Ultimately the decision to approve his plan is up to the SM, Troop Committee and District Advancement Chair. The plan should include financing the project, either through fundraisers, donations in kind, or parental support. Soliciting cash donations is generally not allowed, because that cuts into the Council's FOS turf. Also, as was mentioned, the BSA does not permit its members to do fundraising for other organizations.

 

Another question that might be asked...is this a project that was conceived and designed by the scout, or is he just supplying labor for another organization's project? Case in point...supplying labor for a Habitat house would count as service hours...but the scout did not conceive, design, plan and lead the project. For that reason, Red Cross blood drives are no longer approved as Eagle projects in my local council.

 

PS: The Scout may want to contact some Airlines to see if donations of Frequent Flyer miles would be an option...I regulary donate mine because I don't accrue enough on any one airline to be able to use.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

[Eamonn]

I have several friends who take time each summer to visit places outside of the USA, normally someplace in South America.

There is a Church Youth Group that seems to do the same sort of thing.

To be very honest I'm not sure what they do?

The friends I know are all adults. From talking with them they see themselves as missionaries. They spend their time spreading the word and the good news found in the Gospels.

I'm not sure what the youth group does.

I do admire these people and I'm sure that they feel that what they are doing is needed and worth while.

I'm just not sure if this is the sort of thing that qualifies as an Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project?

A lot would depend on what would be done once they arrived.

The youth group does raise money from within the church, by holding bake sales and that sort of thing, the church also helps out as it sees this as part of the church ministry.

But to get back to the policy question.

I think FScouter has hit the nail on the head.

Eamonn.

 

[SR540Beaver]

I have absolutely nothing against helping the poor in Mexico. I myself have participated in a mission trip to Venezuela and found the experience very worthwhile. My question is this, shouldn't an Eagle project benefit an organization within the Scout's home community?

[OldGreyEagle]

define "home community" ?

 

No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

[John-in-KC]

Gilski,

 

It looks to me like your Scout is adding A LOT of coordination and planning into his ELSP packet before it ever gets to your District Advancement Chairman.

 

I strongly recommend having your SM and the District Advancement Chair have a sit-down before taking this project to the District Approval stage. He or she is the person your Scout must sell; if he's dead-set against this going-in, it makes sense to cut losses and look for a similar project closer in.

[Stosh]

Ok, I'll be the wet blanket.

 

Whenever we have an Eagle project, it is not required that all the boys from the troop be required to help on the workforce. Granted this is a noble project, but if people can't afford to go, they stay home. If I can't foot the bill for this year's vacation, I stay home. If I can't pay for gas to get to the grocery store, I walk. It's nice to have scouts thinking about the welfare of people far away, but one must remember there just might be eagle scouts there already that could help. Somehow I get the feeling this is more of a troop trip rather than an Eagle project.

[SR540Beaver]

OGE,

 

Don't go getting all touchy feely on me! I would define "home community" as the community where your home is. I live in Oklahoma City. My expectation when my son does his Eagle project would be that he do it within the greater metropolitan area of OKC and not Tulsa, Dallas or St Louis and certainly not in a foreign country. Our church does several mission trips per year in a number of countries and I wouldn't be opposed to him partcipating in one of them when he is old enough. In fact, I'd welcome it because I remember what an eye opener it was for me to be in a different "world". But for his Eagle project, I personally would like to see him give back to the local community he has been a part of since birth that has given so much to him.

[OldGreyEagle]

::looking downcast, rubbing sides of shoes in the dust::

 

Heck, I know Beav, but I saw such a wonderful opening, I had to take it

 

 

Back on topic, if the troop committee wants to help out, either with troop or personnel funds, thats great. I would counsel them that they have to be sure to have great reasons why they won't help fund the next Eagle Project, whether its planting trees in the local neighborhood park or doing a week of Habitat for Humanity in Kualu Lumpur

[SR540Beaver]

OGE,

 

If it is any consolation, "We Are the World" did start wafting thru my mind as I read your post.

[anarchist]

 

Man o man, troop funding airfare???...don't think that would fly...In our troop... it would not even get to committee as our eagle coordinator would have snuffed it as soon as it was out of someones mouth...If by some insane chance it did get to committee, then I would snuff it out!

 

Troops should not be funding a single penny of a lads Eagle project and that includes airfare or carfare...all parts of the projects costs should be part of the Eagle's plan...and that should include not asking for troop funds for "shipping labor" to the site...or whatever (was that over the top?).

 

If the troop can afford a few thousand for johnnies Airfare it darn well ought to be ready to fund a few thousand for the next eagles tree planting...or bridge building or trail building...and I guess that mean the troop better be a 24 hour fund raising bunch of fools cause if they start it- they better be prepared to keep it up...

 

I tend to agree with some here that "out of country projects" are "iffy" in my provential view of things...

 

'Course I could think of hundreds of great project in poor areas of the world...but no troop could finacially support them all. But if you support one....

 

anarchist