Eagle Project Issue

[CA_Scouter 11]

Our troop is sponsored by the local fire dept association, and we use their engine bay/garage for meetings. There is a good sized patch of unused land out back where we asked for and received permission to build a fire pit.

 

My Life scout wants to expand upon that pit and make it a ''sunken'' pit, with seating and possibly a bbq area, where it could be used by the fire dept and by us. He wants to do this as his Eagle project.

 

The idea was informally passed by the District Advancement chair, and he is agreeable to the idea.

 

The area would be available to the Fire dept at any time and would definitely be an improvement to the facility. Of course, the troop would use it every Monday night also.

 

I originally did not go for the idea because the troop would be a beneficiary of the project. Not the sole beneficiary though, so that''s probably why the advancement guy said ok.

 

It would be a heckuva neat project though, the scout would learn a great deal on planning, drawing, constructions, fund raising, etc.

 

What are your thoughts? Does this seem to be an appropriate Eagle project?

 

 

 

 

[eisely 13]

A grey area indeed. If I were the district guy signing off on the project I probably would have told the scout to find something else. But I am not your district guy and I would think that the district signature is sufficient. I suppose there is a possibility that somebody at the council office may object when they review the final package. You might want to confer with whoever at the council signs off on the eagle application just to be sure, even though I doubt the council would reject the application as long as the district approved it.

[Gunny2862 11]

Is this a Fire Department parcel only or a park adjacent to the Fire Station? In either case if it is a public use facility I would be inclined more towards approval than if it was only for the Fire Departments use and by extension yours.

 

We have the majority of our new stations located in mini-parks, gives the Fire Fighters a place to workout close to the station and can draw the Community into the station for some public relations. In our locale I would be in favor of this project.

[allangr1024 71]

Some time ago one of our scouts did an eagle project in which a hiking trail off a state park, but still on public land, was enhanced by clearing brush, adding signs giving trail directions and nature lessons, and clearing an outside ampatheater that was in disrepair.

 

They did not ask us if the troop would benefit from an improved hiking trail, although we did use it later. I think the restriction is to prevent every eagle candidate to get out and find that non BSA recipient of the service. We should not be re-landscaping the BSA service center all the time.

 

It is the decision of the District guy to approve the project or not. What does "informally passed" mean. Did he sign the eagle project application or not? If he did, shame on the district for coming back later after the project is under way and saying to this scout, "Sorry, we changed our mind."

[John-in-KC 311]

Two of our Eagle Leadership Service Projects involved creating storage outbuildings for our chartered partner, a VFW. Did the Troop benefit? No. Did the VFW get sole benefit? Yes. Did the District Advancement Chair buy in when the SM approached him offline? Certainly.

 

Two of our Eagle Leadership Service Projects involved renovating space (insulate the building, add exterior wall over the insulation, add a dropped ceiling roof, add energy efficient lighting, overlay interior drywall, and repaint the interior) for our Chartered Partner. Did the VFW benefit? Yes. They got additional space for public functions. Did the Troop benefit? Yes. The space was where all youth serving activities of the VFW met (that included a church youth group and a Civil Air Patrol youth squadron). Did the District Advancement Chair buy in when the SM approached him offline? Certainly.

 

Here''s the hint: If the SM thinks a subject may be at the edge of the envelope, he should buy the District Advancement Chair a cup of coffee offline. The DAC can help the Scoutmaster find a way the Scout can legitimately go forward with the project!

[evmori 11]

Let''s see. The fire department is your COR. THe project benefits your COR. Just because your unit will get to use it doesn''t make it a less worthy project. I see no gray areas.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[GernBlansten 10]

Our CO is a church, lets us share a storage shed for our gear along with their landscaping/maintenance equipment. Its crowded. They wanted an eagle candidate to build them another storage shed for the scout gear so they could use the entire existing shed for themselves.

The new shed will be just for scouts, but benefits the CO too. Allowed?

[John-in-KC 311]

Gern,

 

I''d simply write it up as additional storage for the Chartered Partner. If the board of properties of your church allocates the space to Scouting, so be it

 

I would ask the Board of Properties not to make a final space allocation decision until after the shed is finished.

 

FWIW, at my church, we had a young man repaint and minor exterior repair the house which serves as our food and clothing pantry for area needy. If you ask the properties folks, there''s probably something unconnected with Scouting on the "to do" list. Then, you can move the shed to a Troop Service Project for the chartered partner.

[eolesen 10]

All of these sound like great projects, and as others said, it benefits the chartering organization first and foremost. If they decided not to renew your charter next year, they''d still be the primary beneficiary. Same thing with the shed and office rennovation projects.

[Hunt 11]

I think I personally would draw the line between the fire pit and the shed. I think a structure that will only be used by the Scouts is not quite enough of a service outside Scouting. Sure, it will belong to the COR, and will continue to belong to the COR if the charter is dropped--but that same logic would apply to renovating canoes that the troop "owns"--because the COR owns those, too. But this is just my gut reaction, not an analysis of the rules.

[packsaddle 753]

I agree with Hunt. I am also having to confront some similar questions right now. Interesting thread.

[anarchist 10]

CA_Scouter,

 

I''m with Hunt on this one...almost any project can be written up to make it sound like another group (COR in this case) is benefitting, but in the end the "smell test" for me would be that this work will be for the troop to use primarily and the F.D. should they want to...I have no issue with Eagle Projects benefitting the COR...but this seems like a "troop first" project...worthy for that purpose but "iffy" for an eagle project!

my two cents

Anarchist

[SSScout 1615]

Church CO is planning a new combination picnic pavilion/storage shed/BBQ grill.

Church approaches Troop to 1) solicit financial donation (same for all church ministries and committees) 2) would Troop be interested in helping with the building? Pick and carry? Actual construction? (church father is prime contractor and very amenable to Scouts) 3)prime contractor is aware of Eagle project requirement. Would anyone be interested? Well, yes, a couple of boys make proposals for landscaping, building new picnic tables, building walk ways to and around the grounds,etc. Two Eagle candidates working together, Very Good...Eagle candidates are, in essence, subcontractors.

Questions brought up: Troop service to CO? definitely. Benefit other than Scouts? definitely. Benefit Troop? eventually, no doubt we (and Cub Pack and Girl Scouts) would meet in and utilize the new facility. Troop does not own it, no limitation on use by others than Troop. Church and greater community will benefit. Projects are ongoing...

[EagleInKY 14]

As long as the troop is not the sole beneficiary, then it should be acceptible. Now, if you tell me that 80% of its use is going to be the troop, and less than 20% by the public, then I might encourage the scout to look elsewhere.

[frankj 10]

It sounds like a good project to me. The fire pit could be a focal point for meetings of all kinds of community groups if the local fire dept. assn. would allow that. This would truly make it a project that benefits the community. Maybe as part of the project the Scout could work with the fire assn. to develop a few fire safety-type programs aimed at seniors, grade school children, etc. It could be a continuing opportunity for the troop to provide fire safety type presentations if the fire assn. did not want to .