This document describes the process a Scout follows to achieve the Eagle Scout rank, including planning and execution of the Eagle Project. This is based on the Stanford District process document and is updated periodically based on council training. Process Getting Started 1. The Scout obtains a copy of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, Eagle Scout Rank requirements, and the Eagle Scout Rank Application, and reads these completely. THE EAGLE SCOUT SERVICE PROJECT WORKBOOK AND EAGLE SCOUT RANK REQUIREMENTS CONTAIN THE DEFINITIVE BSA REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EAGLE SERVICE PROJECT. 2. The Scout comes up with an idea for a project, and if possible, begins discussing the idea with the project beneficiary. 3. He contacts the Troop Life to Eagle (L2E) chair to be assigned an L2E Advisor. 4. The Scout sets up a meeting with his L2E Advisor to discuss the project idea and the process for gaining approval for the project. 5. The L2E advisor and the Scout review: a. the Scout s thoughts on and commitment to completing the project and Eagle requirements. b. BSA Eagle Scout Rank requirements, c. the Eagle Scout application, d. contents of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook e. the project idea, and process for documenting and submitting the proposal 6. It is recommended but not required that the Scout run potential ideas by the District contact for Eagle approval 7. Misc guidance a. Blood drives are not acceptable projects in Stanford District, because of restrictions related to blood drives. Project Proposal 8. The Scout begins the Project Proposal portion of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. a. Include the beneficiary name in the project title in the Project Workbook. b. Use the fillable pdf. Do not handwrite. c. Please make sure all the blanks on the contact page and throughout the document are completed and filled in. d. Please add captions to your pictures so it is clear what they are. 9. The L2E advisor meets with the Scout to review the Project Proposal. The L2E Chair may also provide input. 10. The Scout presents his Project Proposal for review and comment to: a. Project beneficiary
b. Unit Leader (Troop 37 Scoutmaster - Mr. Gray) 11. The Scout incorporates suggested input and completes the Project Proposal. 12. Project Proposal Approval. Planning and documentation work before approval is fine., but the Scout must have the Project Proposal signed before starting any physical work. The Project Proposal must be approved by: a. Unit Leader (Troop 37 Scoutmaster - Mr. Gray) b. Committee Chair (Troop 37 Committee Chair - Mr. Mihalko) c. Project Beneficiary d. District contact for Eagle Approval (see Appendix A) - the Scout calls District Eagle Approval contacts and arranges an in-person meeting to review the proposal. The council contact reviews the proposal, discusses the process for completing the service project, and approves (signs) the proposal. Fundraising Proposal 13. Fundraising Proposal a. If the Scout will be doing fundraising outside of his family, unit, chartering organization or the benefitting organization he MUST fill out the Fundraising Application b. Fundraising proposal needed even if you are getting discounts c. The Fundraising Proposal must be approved before starting the project and doing fundraising, by: i. Project Beneficiary ii. Unit Leader (Troop 37 Scoutmaster - Mr. Gray) iii. Committee Chair (Troop 37 Committee Chair - Mr. Mihalko) iv. District Executive at the Council Office Tour and Activity Plan 14. Tour and Activity Plans are no longer required, as of 4/1/2017. For more information, see the BSA National FAQ on this policy change. 15. The BSA Two Deep Leadership Policy is still in effect for Scouting activities, including Eagle work projects. a. In practice (and as stated in the policy), this means that if adults are present at the service project (e.g. to supervise the use of power tools) - A minimum of two registered adult leaders, or one registered leader and a participating Scout s parent, or another adult is required for all trips and outings. One of these adults must be 21 years of age or older. b. However, adults may not need to be present at all service projects. Also from the policy - There are instances, such as patrol activities, when the presence of adult leaders is not required and adult leadership may be limited to patrol leadership training and guidance. With proper training, guidance, and approval by troop leaders, the patrol can conduct day hikes and service projects.
Executing the Final Project Plan and Project Report 16. The Scout completes the Final Plan portion of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. a. Although not strictly required, it is strongly encouraged as this is how the Scout will be able to plan and show leadership for his project. It is also how the Eagle Board of Review will be able to see the scope and leadership of the project. b. The Final Plan should be sufficiently detailed so that someone could execute the project in your place. c. The Final Plan does not need to be approved, though it is recommended that they review with the L2E advisor. 17. The Scout completes his project. a. The Scout should record phone calls, planning time, etc. KEEP A LOG from the start of the project. b. Total hours should include the Eagle candidate s own planning time c. Include all volunteer hours, total meeting hours for ALL participants, etc. including the L2E coach. d. During the project, it is recommended that the Scout use a sign in and sign out sheet, to record accurately time that volunteers spend on the project. 18. Report service hours for the project so that Scouts get credit for service performed. a. Using the standard troop event report and email a copy of service hours to: i. t37eventreport@gmail.com (Mr. Huang - Training Records) ii. L2E advisor iii. Scoutmaster b. Event name should be [Eagle candidate name] Eagle Project and the date can be either the last date of the project or a range of dates. List all Scouts and hours performed by each Scout c. Service hours must be reported before the Scoutmaster will sign off on the Eagle Project Report 19. TAKE PICTURES DURING THE PROJECT and include these in an organized way in the project report. 20. The Scout completes the Project Report portion of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook that is done after the project. a. The Scout is encouraged to arrange all requirements neatly. It is strongly recommended that you put the Eagle Project Report in a binder. This makes it easier for the Eagle Board. b. Include pictures! Pictures in the document make it easier for the board to review, during the council Eagle Board of Review. c. In the report, don't be afraid to document changes that occurred during the project. Dealing with changes shows leadership. 21. The Scout meets with his L2E Advisor to review the Project Report. The L2E Chair may also provide input. 22. The Scout presents the Project Report for review and comment to the Scoutmaster and Committee Chair.
23. The Scout incorporates suggested input on the Project Report. 24. The Scout secures approval signatures on the Project Report from the: a. Project Beneficiary - have them sign when you finish the project; signature of beneficiary may be on a separate signature page from the Unit Leader. b. Unit Leader (Troop 37 Scoutmaster - Mr. Gray) The Eagle Rank Application 25. The Scout completes all remaining requirements for the Eagle Rank, per the Eagle Scout Rank requirements. 26. The Scout fills out completely the Eagle Scout Rank Application. a. The Eagle rank app is a fillable pdf - use the fillable pdf b. Scout should have at least 5 references i. Parent may be used if you have no religious affiliation ii. Employer is not required if you are not working iii. For school contacts, use the school address instead of a personal address. iv. However, letters of reference are not required in the Pac Sky Council c. Cross out merit badges not earned in the optional lists d. Statement of Ambition and Life Purpose - should be attached to application. i. May be a minimum of two paragraphs, but is generally 2pp double spaced. ii. The Scout can talk with the Scoutmaster or L2E Advisor for guidance. e. List of honors and awards and positions outside of Scouting - should be attached to application. Bullet points are fine. 27. The Scout reviews the application with his L2E Advisor. 28. The Scout contacts his Scoutmaster for a Scoutmaster Conference ALL REQUIREMENTS AND THE SCOUTMASTER CONFERENCE MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE SCOUT S 18TH BIRTHDAY. 29. The Scout and his L2E advisor should confirm with the Troop 37 Advancement Chair (Mrs. Baker), to confirm that all records have been input into Internet Advancement. 30. The Scout secures signatures on the Eagle Scout Rank Application from the: a. Unit Leader (Troop 37 Scoutmaster - Mr. Gray), b. Committee Chair (Troop 37 Committee Chair - Mr. Mihalko) Submission of Eagle Binder to Council and Eagle Board of Review 31. The Scout submits his COMPLETE Eagle binder to the Council Service Center - either Palo Alto or Foster City. a. See Appendix B for the suggested format of the Eagle binder. b. All Scouts Eagle binders submitted by the first of the month will be scheduled for that month s Eagle Board of Review night unless there is an issue with his Eagle binder. c. Not strictly necessary to submit by the 18th birthday, but close to it if not before. Council only has a limited time to hold an Eagle Board of Review. 32. The Eagle binder will be processed by the Council then given to the Eagle Board Chairman and forwarded to National
33. The Eagle Board Chairman will contact the Scout (usually via email) to confirm the date of the Eagle Board of Review. a. Eagle Boards of Review are generally held the third Thursday of each month at the Palo Alto Service Center. 34. Complete Eagle Board of Review Post BOR Follow up 35. Provide Troop 37 Advancement Chair (Mrs. Baker) with original paperwork received at the end of Eagle BOR 36. Email Advancement Chair with a. the date they got Eagle Project was signed off, and b. the date Eagle Scoutmaster conference was completed The Scout and his family may also wish to schedule an Eagle Court of Honor, after the Board of Review has been completed.
Appendix A: District Contacts for Eagle Approval Stanford District who may approve Eagle Projects (aka Eagle Approvers): Jon Mewes (pronounced ma-ves) northern Palo Alto 408-655-6674 Walter Underwood southern Palo Alto 650-493-5442 Brenda Brunner Sunnyvale 408-245-2040 Mark Noguchi Los Altos 650-941-3353 **** due to travel schedule, Mark prefers the initial contact be by email; he will then set up a time for the phone call. email address: noguchi.mark@gene.com The Scouts can go to anyone they want location just helps them know where they would be going. Resources: Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook (note that you have to download the document, then use Adobe v9 or greater to open the document within Adobe - clicking on the document link will not work) Eagle Scout Rank requirements Eagle Scout Rank Application
Appendix B: Eagle Scout Binder This is a suggestion for the format of the Eagle Scout Board of Review Binder. Materials should be placed in a white binder, with six divisor tabs for each of the six following sections: 1. Eagle Scout Application. Download from the Internet and print out. Complete it. 2. Statement of life's purpose. 3. Awards, honors, and leadership List all leadership positions, as well as when you earned star and life, include dates for all entries and list chronologically. The Scout can use Troopmaster reports, available from the advancement chair. 4. Project Proposal. 5. Final Project Plan. 6. Final Project Report. The final report contains: A summary (describe if each phase was carried out and if order changed, describe challenges) Any changes you made to your project, and why. Leadership (most important part) that describes how you demonstrated leadership, what kind of leadership you used, what style/ techniques, how it went, etc. Describe the hardest part of being the leader, the most rewarding part, and what you learned. Also mention materials used you didn't anticipate at first, and anything you didn't use. A list of your service hours, broken down into your hours, number of registered BSA youth who helped, their hours, other youth, their hours, registered BSA adults, their hours, other adults, their hours.
Appendix C: Notes on Leadership in Eagle Project Execution Mr. Steve Wu, May 8, 2016 I think the most important thing to focus on concerning your Eagle Project is the leadership component. Recruitment and efficient use of time are only two components of leadership. When completing the leadership sections of your report, consider these possible topics to expand upon your leadership and show to any Board of Review how you demonstrated leadership: Besides safety, how did you train the Scouts working on your project? Did they have differing skill levels? How did you divide the tasks between young Scouts, older Scouts, and adults? Problem solving: What problems came up during your project? How did you handle those problems? What would you do differently now, having seen these problems and how you had to solve them? What advice did you seek from your adult advisors? How did you incorporate that advice into the project? How did you coordinate with your coordinate and plan with your beneficiary representative? Did you have regular calls or meetings? How did you supervise the Scouts onsite? How did you keep them safe and on task? How did you delegate responsibility to others? How did you motivate Scouts to work on your project and do a good job when they were onsite? How did you give them a sense of accomplishment (and thank them) when they finished their work? Review the leadership guide on the next pages to see additional ideas for preparing your leadership comments on the workbook and your Board of Review. Remember that demonstrating leadership is the most important thing about the Eagle Project. That does not mean doing a huge service project yourself. It means leading Scouts and others to accomplish the goals of your Eagle Project. Leadership A couple of years ago, the title of the Eagle Scout Service Project was changed to the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. As stated in the BSA Project Workbook, the real purpose of the Eagle Project is to give you an opportunity to demonstrate leadership of others. This is not to say that service to the community is not important, just that leadership is equally important. Eagle Scouts are considered leaders, both in Scouting and in their community. From the time you first joined Scouting, you have been receiving leadership training. Hopefully you have been a member of a boy led troop. The Patrol
Leaders Council (PLC), which is made up of the Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leaders, and several other youth leaders should have been leading your troop: planning the troop meetings and campouts. To reach the ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle you have served in several leadership positions in your troop and most likely served on the PLC. The Eagle Project is just another chance for you to lead others in accomplishing a significant goal for the benefit to your community. This time, you get to choose the activity that interests you. So how do you demonstrate leadership of others? First, you need to establish yourself as the man in charge, the one who others look to for guidance. This means you must take the initiative to chose your project, coordinate it with the appropriate agency, and prepare the detail plan on how to accomplish the goal. Don t wait for others to do your job. This makes you the expert the man with the answers. Others will come to you to learn what they need to do to complete their task. The leader coordinates all the activities of others to make sure the final goal is reached. He considers everyone s talents and decides which tasks each member is given, and then makes sure they understand their assignment. The leader takes care of his team. He ensures they are safe and have sufficient food and water to remain healthy and productive. He makes sure they have the proper training and tools to do the job. The leader is the problem solver. No matter how well a project is planned, there will be things that don t go according to plan. When problems arise, the project leader must consider all available information and make a decision on how to resolve that problem. If it is not safe or practical to force the project to follow the plan, he may need to revise the plan, or even redefine the final goals. It is ok if your project doesn t reach all the original goals, but you need to be able to explain why and how you solved the problem. A good leader will consider advice and suggestions from others, but in the end, the leader must make the final decisions. A wise Scout would listen to his troop s adult leaders and parents because they have many years of experience to share. However, be careful that the well-meaning adults don t lead your project. Beware of a common problem, which can easily hamper your chance to lead. During projects where an adult's technical skill is required, the adults often tend take over the leadership role. Both you and your adult technical advisor should be very aware that YOU must lead the project. Your advisor should only give you guidance and suggestions, but he should not give direct instructions to your work
crew, unless you have directly assigned him to supervise a small team for a specific task. That would deny you your leadership opportunity. Hint : You and your advisor should talk this over and agree on a signal which you will politely give him if you see him taking too much control of your workers (which is a very natural thing for adults to do). For example you may agree to say something like, "Mr. Coffman, would you like something to drink?" He would get the point and agree that he was thirsty and go "get a drink." No one else would know what you were doing, but later you and Mr. Coffman can laugh about how "thirsty" he was on that workday. The leader gets the job done and keeps the group together. Getting the job done is fairly easy to understand. Keeping the group together means you help the group enjoy the activity, feel appreciated for their efforts, and earn a sense of pride in the accomplishments of the group. A leader continually encourages his workers and gives them positive feedback on what they do well. He helps his workers understand when they are doing something that does not help the group accomplish the goal and he gives them guidance on how to do the right thing. Often when workers aren t doing what the leader wants, it is because the leader did not do a very good job of explaining the task to them. Leadership is a very rewarding activity. As the leader, you should feel a sense of pride for what your team accomplished under your guidance. A well-led activity is also rewarding for those who follow. In the end, the goal is reached and the team feels good about their collective accomplishment. The leadership skills you have learned in Scouting and demonstrated in completing your Eagle Project will serve you throughout your life. Source: http://www.eaglescout.org/project/eagleprj.html