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Eagle Scout Project Hours


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Asking for an Eagle Scout if their hours worked on their own Eagle project also may count to other awards, and in this particular case, the National Outdoor Achievement  Award - Conservation Emblem. Assuming his project was conservation related, is there a problem with his hours counting toward this award? Or should all his work on his Eagle project not be used for any other scouting awards?

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5 minutes ago, clarkbear said:

Asking for an Eagle Scout if their hours worked on their own Eagle project also may count to other awards, and in this particular case, the National Outdoor Achievement  Award - Conservation Emblem. Assuming his project was conservation related, is there a problem with his hours counting toward this award? Or should all his work on his Eagle project not be used for any other scouting awards?

Absolutely you can double count.  Unless the requirements specifically say otherwise.

Also, since the project was conservation related, he could use it to fulfill requirements for the Distinguished Conservation Service Award. 

https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/conservation-and-environment/conservation-awards-and-recognitions/bsa-distinguished-conservation-service-award/

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TANGENT ...  I generally really like GTA.  It's really well written.  It's our guide to consistent execution.  It's the guide for when others question our decisions.  

Section 4.2.3.6 is generally great.  I like comments like "unless it is stated otherwise in the requiurements".  Cool.   There is part of 4.2.3.6 that I don't like.  The last two paragraphs don't seem to 100% match.  It sets up the situation where the scout can be guilt tripped by his leaders.  "Hey, do you really want to be the kid who ..." ...  But if challenged say in a formal appeal, the leader would lose as it's not explicitly in the requirements.  So, the leader can't (with a knowing scout or knowing parent) do that.  

I really would have liked the paragraphs to emphasize celebrating the scout having done volunteering and celebrate how it is core to the scout oath and law.  Instead, it pushes back suggested leaders call the scout out on "maybe you should have done more".   ... Of course I'd like to see the scout do more.  I'm just not sure we should guilt trip scouts. 

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I agree with everyone above regarding the general edict from the GTA that double dipping is always allowed unless explicited forbidden.  Just as important, I would point out a few things regarding the National Outdoor Awards:

First of all, in the case of NOA Conservation, requirement #4 explicitly states that the 25 hours are "including hours worked as part of requirements 1 through 3 above." So that means including all conservation service hours applied to Trail to First Class (req. 1) and all of the related merit badges (req. 3).  There are no other limitations so it seems that the plain language of req. 4 includes ALL conservation services hours worked as a Scout, which would include Eagle project hours.

More broadly, all of the NOAs are intended to be cumulative and inclusive.  For example, ALL camping nights are counted towards NOA Camping, including the 20 nights of Camping Merit Badge but also additional summer camp nights or long term camping nights (and even Cub Scout camping nights according to some online sources, but I don't want to crack open that can of worms right now).  Hours from ALL of the aquatics activities in NOA Aquatics reqs. 2 thru 4 are included in the cumulative hours for NOA Aquatics req. 5.  NOA Riding includes not only the miles in the core activity (Cycling, Equestian, Skating) but in all other riding activities as well.  So I think the intent of the NOAs is to include and encompass EVERYTHING that the Scout has done in their Scouting career. 

As a side note:  For our Scouts, the biggest barrier to earning NOA Conservation is usually Soil and Water Conservation Merit Badge.  It can be difficult to find counselors for this one, especially since the pandemic.  After a few years most of our Scouts accumulate more than 25 hours of conservation service without even thinking about it, but in the last two years a bunch of our Eagle scouts aged out with only SAWC standing between them and the badge.

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Thank  you. I find your comment about the Soil & Water Conservation MB to be spot on. One of the districts near us puts on an annual MB event and a couple of years ago I found this MB at that event. I noticed they are offering it again this year. It is a difficult one to get, so we felt lucky to find it because as you pointed out, finding a MB Counselor for it is almost impossible. 

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