Eagle Candidate using raised funds to feed workcrew

[raisinemright 13]

I've got a question for all those more knowledgeable than me. I'm a relatively new SM with a brand new troop. We've got one Life scout who happens to be my son and is going to begin planning for his Eagle Service Project soon. We were at a Life to Eagle seminar where they reviewed the new system. During the fundraising, we were told that money raised could not be used to provide food or anything to the crew. Any food costs are to be borne by the candidates parents because "25 pizzas isn't that much" for the parents to provide.

 

I disagree with that. In my less than humble opinion, part of running a volunteer crew is keeping them happy and sometimes that means feeding them.

 

I've been over the fundraising sections of the advancement guide and the new Eagle project workbook and can find no reference to this "rule." The Eagle workbook asks "how was your team fed?"

 

I talked to a friend in another council who's son just completed his project and they were told to absolutely budget food costs.

 

Can y'all help me out?

 

Thanks

[fred8033 1593]

You encountered yet another rule that's really just a personal preference / opinion.

 

Let the scout decide. It's his project. Seems 100% appropriate as it's part of getting the job done. ... and there's no rule against it.

 

QUICK CORRECTION - The wrong thing is to expect the parents to pay. A scout pays his own way. So the real scout decision is to feed or not to feed. If the project plan includes providing food for volunteers, funding it is part of the project. ... Of course, it could be funded thru a donation to the project ... by the parents ... or by the scoutmaster ... or by the local Subway or Pizza Hut ... but it's part of the project and essentially a donation to the project.(This message has been edited by fred8033)

[SSScout 1616]

Exactly what fred sed.

Go to your local pizza place/popeye's/KFC/etc. Bet you get a deal or even a "donation" toward your project's support.

[raisinemright 13]

Thanks,

 

I want to be able to make my case before I bring this to the attention of the district advancement chair, who's also the guy who ran the meeting.

[Twocubdad 665]

Memorize and practice saying this:

 

"Can you show me a written copy of that policy?"

 

It will come in very handy when dealing with other Scouters.

 

 

Besides that, as it relates to an Eagle Project, neither the council, district or unit has anything to say about it. Any money raised by the Scout for his Eagle project belongs to the beneficiary organization and how it is spent is between the Scout and his beneficiary. Since a detailed budget is part of the "Final Plan" section of the workbook, it is entirely up the Scout whether or not he even wants to share that information with the council, unit or district.

 

So what do you do now?

 

You should respond to me with, "Can you show me a written copy of that policy?"

 

Be glad to. It's in the new "Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook", page five about half way down the page in the section titled "The Final Plan (Pages 11-16)". It reads, in part, "This is a tool for you to use -- no one approves it.... you are strongly encouraged to share the final plan with a project coach." Please note that the emphasis in in the original document and that "strongly encouraged" does not equal "required."

 

And honestly now, requiring parents to pay? Hey, Basementdweller, you want to discuss your Scouts' parents' ability to buy 25 pizzas? That's absolutely a legitimate expense, if that's what the Scout and the beneficiary want to do.

[CalicoPenn 729]

The new "Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook" makes it very clear that all funds raised are for the benefit of the beneficiary organization and are to be used for securing materials and otherwise facilitating a project. Seems to me that pizzas (and other foods) are materials that help facilitate a project.

 

But more importantly, the new workbook makes it pretty clear that the funds raised ultimately belong to the beneficiary organization and should either be given to the beneficiary to pay the expenses from, or alternatively, a Troop can hold the funds, pay all the expenses, and anything leftover goes to the beneficiary (which answers the question of what happens when you raise $500 for a project and spend only $450 - the extra $50 goes to the beneficiary).

 

I would have a conversation up front with the beneficiary during the budget planning and let them know that you would like to include in the budget funds for buying pizza's, donuts, snacks, lunch - whatever it will be - for the volunteers. When the benficiary signs off on it (and it will be a rare beneficiary who won't), then it's a done deal - you have their permission to spend "their" money on pizzas. Done deal.

 

If the DAC squawks, you ask him the question "Can you show me a written copy of that policy in the BSA literature" and follow up with "Do you want to call the beneficiary and tell them how they must spend their money?".

 

Now to be fair to the DAC (as Beavah faints since I'm about to defend the DAC), these type of "rules" usually just don't happen willy-nilly. It wouldn't surprise me that this "rule" was created somewhere in Council because someone spent $500 on a 25 pizza lunch and spent just that amount or less on the actual project. So when speaking with the DAC, you might want to sound him/her out on how that rule came about.

[Lisabob 13]

The cost of 25 pizzas, even the cheapo ones, IS "that much." It would keep many worthy young men I know from even bothering to do an Eagle project. It would almost certainly exclude those whose parents aren't very involved or supportive - the ones who make it that far against all odds. But it would also exclude a bunch whose families are simply struggling to get by. Please let that fellow who said this know that we are living in an era of great economic uncertainty, unemployment around 9% (much higher in many areas), people losing their houses, demand at most local food pantries up 200+% from 2 or 3 years ago, grocery costs have gone up by about 25%, etc., etc., etc. He's out of touch with reality, to phrase it nicely.

 

But then, since it "isn't that much" to him, perhaps he'd like to provide a donation to some Eagle candidates' projects to pay for some pizzas?

 

 

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Just besure to get the correct fundraising papers signed before you go off looking for discounts and free food

[eisely 13]

I concur with the other posts that there is no such restriction on the use of funds raised for the project. Such a use should be included in the budget and it would be a good idea to specifically call this to the attention of the beneficiary representative who will sign the proposal. Since any leftover funds will be turned over to the beneficiary, it really is their money.

 

Follow the suggestion and ask for the alleged policy in writing.

[JoeBob 606]

Agree with others who prefer to feed the troops.

 

But I gotta ask: 25 pizzas will feed 50 to 75 boys. What kind of Eagle project is that?!?

[CalicoPenn 729]

JoeBob - depends on the age of the boy. There are boys 15-18 who could polich off an entire extra large pizza all on their own - and be coming back an hour later looking for more.

[Twocubdad 665]

Probably pulled the number of pizzas from the same place the pulled the "policy."

[Eagle732 27]

Last night I attended a "Life to Eagle" seminar based on the latest Eagle work book which was given by our District Advancement Chair. He said that the Eagle candidate may NOT use money obtained by fundraising to buy food for crews.(This message has been edited by Eagle732)

[CalicoPenn 729]

Well, I sure would like to know where that statement is in the workbook, because I couldn't find it anywhere.

 

As I said, and I'll repeat - plan the budget with your beneficiary - if they say you can use some money to buy food for the crew, then buy food for the crew.

 

[Basementdweller 608]

I don't know.....

 

 

It just doesn't seem right to use donated money to buy pizza or food for the work crew. Just doesn't past the smell test, at least for me.

 

 

So Mr. Jones donates $100 for park benches.....Mr. Johnson at the hardware store donates the wood for the benches, Life scout Jimmy buys nails and then buys 10 pizza's for his work crew.

 

So what would Mr. Jones think about buying pizza for a group of boy scouts instead of park benches?????? Shouldn't the money be spent on more benches??????

 

Or am I missing something???????