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Eagle Project / Incomplete MB


JasonG172

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Trying to find the "official" statement

 

I have a scout that has Family Life, Personal Management, and Personal Fitness to wrap up.  He wasn't to begin his Eagle Process and talk with District Eagle Board Councilor.  Coucilor told mom that he cant begin the process until his MB are complete so mom went to a fact or fiction site and it stated "Statement" A scout must complete all merit badges before starting his Eagle Project" Result " Absolutely not, A scout may start an Eagle Project he day he Achieves the rank of Life Scout.

 

thanks

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Trying to find the "official" statement

 

I have a scout that has Family Life, Personal Management, and Personal Fitness to wrap up.  He wasn't to begin his Eagle Process and talk with District Eagle Board Councilor.  Coucilor told mom that he cant begin the process until his MB are complete so mom went to a fact or fiction site and it stated "Statement" A scout must complete all merit badges before starting his Eagle Project" Result " Absolutely not, A scout may start an Eagle Project he day he Achieves the rank of Life Scout.

 

thanks

 

Guide to Advancement. I believe there is an entire section that addresses the Eagle process and order of doing things. I recall an "escape clause" as it were, which essentially says that if a Scout goes "rogue" and begins a project and didn't follow process, that he should still get the benefit of the doubt and cannot throw out his project "just because".

 

MBs do NOT have to be done before a project can begin. The Eagle project can be done at any time during Life as long as it is completed (along with SMC) before his 18th birthday.

 

EDIT: Don't see anywhere where Requirement #5 says this has to be done last.

 

While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project must benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.)A project proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your unit leader and unit committee, and the council or district before you start.You must use the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook,No. 512-927, in meeting this requirement.

—Eagle Scout requirement 5

Edited by Col. Flagg
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Doesn't sound like this District Eagle Board Councilor knows what he's talking about.

 

As Col. Flagg quoted above it can be started any time. Also from the Eagle Scout Workbook

 

Eagle Scout candidates must use the official Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, No. 512-927, as produced by the BSA and found at www.scouting.org/advancement. Although it is acceptable to copy and distribute the workbook, no council, district, unit, or individual has the authority to produce or require additional forms, or to add or change requirements, or to make any additions, deletions or changes in the text, outlines, links, graphics, or any other elements of the workbook.

Edited by SouthernTierScouter
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Our former SM used to tell Scouts they should not begin the project "process" until they were 3 or 4 MB's away.  I was never clear on whether this was "friendly advice" or a "rule." If it was advice, one could debate whether it was good advice.  If it was a "rule", it was one he had no authority to make, and that is even more obviously the case here.

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With my scouts I always encourage them to finish the EMB's before earning Life.  That way they get to focus on the project and not worry about having 3 weeks before 18 and realizing they still needed Personal Finance MB.

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As boy led, most of my Eagle candidates have had a lot of experience setting up service projects.  The Eagle project is pretty much their "masterpiece" (and a lot of paperwork). 

 

As part of my SM minute I would have flyers of projects requested from various sources.  I'd ask, "Who wants lead on this one?"  If no one answered, I crumpled it up and tossed it in the trash.  More than once the younger scouts who were to shy to speak up would retrieve it and do a fairly good job first time out.  Of course it eventually become a bit embarrassing when the older boys were taking direction from the newbies, too.  :)  It worked out well and even promoted a bit of inter-patrol competition when the patrol members all pitched in to help the hew guys lo0k good..

Edited by Stosh
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IMHO, the best advice is to let the scout figure out what is best for himself.  Encourage him to think through options and the impact.  Then, choose.  IMHO, it really doesn't matter project or MB or ...  It more matters that the scout has grown enough to own his advancement.  

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Jason, the official statement is the BSHB. There are no requirements regarding order so you won't find them.

 

In my troop the MBs are usually the last thing wrapped up. I suspect this is because they are neither fun nor challenging and it's just more paperwork to finish them off.

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Stosh, I love the visual created in your SM minute. With your permission, I would like to add your "act" to my repertoire.

 

No need for permission.  I put out things that I do that work and everyone on the forum is more than welcome to adopt/adapt them for their own units.  To-date, I have had only one service project stay in the trash can.  Can't win them all.  :)  After all, when a clueless Scout Rank scout takes it out, everyone in his patrol knows they are all going to pitch in to help.  One doesn't leave their buddies behind.  It is surprising in the long run to watch these kids work and the benefit to it all is when the boys get to their Eagle project, they are every experienced both in helping out as well as leading.  The "joke" seems to be that everyone gets to pitch in and help, but the Eagle candidate gets stuck with the paperwork.  Nobody wants to "help" with that.  :)

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Trying to find the "official" statement

 

I have a scout that has Family Life, Personal Management, and Personal Fitness to wrap up.  He wasn't to begin his Eagle Process and talk with District Eagle Board Councilor.  Coucilor told mom that he cant begin the process until his MB are complete so mom went to a fact or fiction site and it stated "Statement" A scout must complete all merit badges before starting his Eagle Project" Result " Absolutely not, A scout may start an Eagle Project he day he Achieves the rank of Life Scout.

 

thanks

 

I always advise boys to start working on their Eagle Project when they get Life.  My oldest son did that, but my youngest didn't, and most scouts don't.  

 

Nothing in this says that you have to do the MBs before doing the project. It says

"9.0.2.2 "While a Life Scout ..."

Work on a project, including planning, begins after the Life Scout board of review"

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/GuideToAdvancement/EagleScoutRank.aspx

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