When can a boy start asking for dontions for an Eagle project?

[Crossramwedge]

Son has to do his Eagle project to earn his Eagle rank. He has submitted project to all concerned. The project has been read by all. He needs one more signature to get the project under way. The man is out of town and will not be back for a week. Son needs to get the project done before winter sets in. It has been suggested by another leader that he start approaching buisnesses for donations before he gets that last signature. We have been assured that the project will be approved. This info comes from a source very much in the know about the approval of Eagle scout projects. If he where to approach a business and inform them that he is awaiting final approval of his Eagle project and if that project is approved would they be willing to donate supplies to help him build it, would he be out of line?

[evmori]

He can start when it is approved.

[packsaddle]

He is free to ask whenever he likes. However he is not supposed to START the project until all the signatures are in place on page 9 of the project workbook.

Edited to add: I see no problem as long as he merely 'lines up' the potential donations. It would be a 'not good' thing to accept the materials prior to approval. But if he has all the pieces in place in order to streamline the process, that's a great exercise of planning.

The risk, of course, is that he might NOT get the approval. In that case, as long as he has not received donations yet, all that is needed is to rework the project plan and, if necessary, talk to the donors again.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[moosetracker]

After the signatures are in place doesn't he have to present it to the Eagle board? Or is that different in each council?

 

I know he has to present it to the board at completion. I know our council requires it be approved at the board before beginning the project.

 

But, I am unsure if this pre-approval is a council decision, or a National one.

 

If you need pre-approval he should call to set up an appointment as they only run once a month. Yours could be this weekend or 4 weeks from now. If time is running out our board may make exceptions an hold a special session.. but this is for very rare circumstances.

 

Your son would need to go to the website for your district and find the number of the district advancement chair, or the person on the Advancement committee in charge of the Eagle board for contact info..

 

 

That is if this is a requirment of your council.

[UCEagle72]

"The Scout must secure the prior approval of his unit leader, his unit committee, and the benefactor of the project. The project must also be reviewed and approved by the district or council advancement committee or their designee to make sure that it meets the stated standards for Eagle Scout service projects before the project is started. This preapproval of the project does not mean that the board of review will approve the way the project was carried out."

 

That is from the latest Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures (BSA pub 33088).

[packsaddle]

Evidence of all those levels of approval is contained in the signatures on page 9. I've never seen a project that met the approval on that page, was completed as planned, and then was rejected by the board. I guess it's possible but if it gets past page 9, unless it doesn't get completed as planned, it's hard to argue against it.

[Beavah]

Yah, moosetracker, how a district or council handles da approval KC mentions is different all over the place.

 

Some send reps to troops on demand and conduct project reviews with the unit committee. Some do what you describe and hold district reviews once a month. Some have da lad just send the project report to the DAC after the unit approves and he or she approves by remote, or has a separate meeting. All kinds lof things. Sounds like this case is one of the latter, and the DAC is out of town. Good lesson for the boy that not everybody revolves around his needs, and plans need to allow for delays caused by others not being immediately available.

 

Lining up donations in advance is not a problem. Receiving them is. So what packsaddle said .

 

Beavah

[moosetracker]

sometimes they get "altered" by our district board before approval. One came in last month where the project was great, the only problem was it was going to be a 1 or 2 man show of welding.. It was some sort of BBQ thingy built into a wagon for a large church BBQ.. The committee stated to the Life scout that it wasn't about doing a project so much as it was showing his leadership ability during the project. they had him add on doing a BBQ for the church in the christening of it. In that lots of people could get involved with the organization.

 

I hear all the time of some tweak or other to have the project meet the requirements. this one was more major then most.