Eagle Scout Advancement Procedures and Guidelines Scope: The purpose of this document is to provide a standard set of procedures and guidelines to be used by all districts in the council. This will provide structure and a level of uniformity throughout the council as Scouts pursue their journey. Authority: The procedures listed below are in accordance with the Guide to Advancement. The authority to execute these procedures, is delegated by the council to the district advancement committee. As outlined in the Guide to Advancement, no council, committee, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to or subtract from advancement requirements. There are no camp-related exemptions except those described in Advancement for Members With Special Needs, Section 10. References: The Guide to Advancement is the official source for administering advancement in all Boy Scouts of America programs: Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, Venturing, and Sea Scouts. It replaces the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures and Advancement and Recognition Policies and Procedures, which are no longer valid. http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/guidetoadvancement.aspx Definitions: District advancement committees should consist of the following members. The descriptions below are suggested. District Advancement Chair Gives leadership to advancement in the district District Advancement Committee Dedicated to advancement and under the direction of the district advancement chair. District Eagle Coordinator Member of the district advancement committee in charge of Eagle affairs. Eagle Service Project Mentor A local advocate for the Eagle candidate and helps him through the proposal process, final plan and the end report. The Eagle service project mentor also helps the candidate fill out his Eagle application. They do not have the authority to approve a project. Instead they serve to encourage not direct the young men to make the kinds of decisions that will lead to successful outcomes. Eagle Service Project Coach - Trained member of the district advancement committee assigned to guide Eagle Candidates from Life to Eagle. The subject matter expert on the processes and standards of the service project. Helps clarify and is the voice of the District/Council when it comes to the execution of the project Sub-District References to Sub-Districts in this document refer to LDS Stakes. Page 1
Procedures, Guidelines, and Clarifications 1 Eagle Application 1.1 Merit Badge dates are obtained from the Member Unit Advancement Summary that a unit committee member retrieves from Internet Advancement. 1.2 The application must be the current version published and can be found at: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-728_wb_fillable.pdf. This is a PDF fillable form that can be saved. If the Scout chooses to print out the Eagle application, it must be filled out in black or blue ink. No pencil is allowed. When possible, the application should be double sided on a single sheet of paper. It does not need to be in color. 1.3 Join Dates on the Eagle Application should be left blank. 1.4 Requirement 2 1.4.1 Reference information must be filled out completely. The letters of recommendation need to be dated. 1.4.2 Religious: In a unit sponsored by the LDS Church, as a best practice this should be the Bishop. However, this letter does not need to be from the Bishop. This letter should not be from the Scout leader because he already signs the application. It could be from a former Scout leader or a member of the Bishopric. Whomever writes the letter needs to know that the young man is living the Scout Oath & Law in his daily life. If at any time you feel that you would like to touch bases with the Bishop, a phone call is appropriate. If one parent is the religious leader, the parent letter should come from the other parent. If the Scout is not a member of an organized religion, the religious letter should come from his parent or guardian. 1.4.3 Educational: This should be a current or very recent teacher, mentor, or seminary teacher. If he is home schooled, then the parent or guardian who is the primary source of education should be the author of the Education letter. Sunday school teachers should not provide the reference. 1.4.4 Employer: If the Scout has a job, he asks his supervisor to write a letter. 1.4.5 Two other references: As a best practice, if at all possible these individuals should not be related to the Scout. He could ask church acquaintances, his friend s parents, a neighbor, etc. 1.4.6 It is the responsibility of the district advancement chair to determine how the letters shall be requested and collected. 1.4.7 The completed letters must not be given to the Scout and he must not see their content. They are for the board of review only. Due to the sensitivity of the information in the Page 2
letters, they should never be given to anyone other than a designee of the district advancement committee. 1.4.8 It is the responsibility of the District and not the Eagle candidate to follow-up on the letters. 1.4.9 While it is discouraged, if the only method to timely send a letter is via electronic methods, the letter should be sent as an attachment so that the private information of the sender may be maintained. The last resort is getting a verbal from the reference. Note this on a sheet of paper with a name of who gave the verbal, the date and the district committee member s initials for the Board of Review 1.4.10 The letters shall stay with the Eagle Packet and be submitted to the council. 1.4.11 If a board of review is not approved, the letters remain with the Eagle packet. 1.4.12 If after a reasonable effort no response can be obtained from any reference, the board of review must go on without it. The district has 3 months to hold a board of review once the youth turns 18. 1.5 Requirement 3 1.5.1 The Scout should coordinate with his unit advancement chair to obtain a Member Unit Advancement Summary from Internet Advancement. This report will show all of the merit badges (and other awards, including most rank advancements) recorded at the council. 1.5.2 It is important to realize that once a Scout is registered as a Venture Scout, the Member Summary Report may not reflect rank advancements of First Class and before. 1.5.3 Dates must be checked to ensure that four required and two elective merit badges were earned for the Star rank. Then an additional three required and two elective merit badges were earned for the Life rank. 1.5.4 Dates must also be verified that there are 4 months between First Class and Star, and 6 months between Star and Life. 1.6 Requirement 4 1.6.1 Positions of responsibility, after he has his Life board of review, need to correspond to the Boy Scouts of America terminology. They are limited to those outlined on the current Eagle Scout Rank Application. 1.7 Requirement 5 1.7.1 For Clarification on this see below. 1.8 Requirement 6 1.8.1 For clarification on the unit leader conference, refer to Topic 4.2.3.5 of the Guide to Advancement. 1.9 Personal Statement 1.9.1 While not an officially numbered requirement, this is a critical reflection for the Scout. 1.9.2 The Scout should be able to produce a well-written, detailed statement 2 Eagle Project (Requirement 5) 2.1 The most current workbook must be used. It can be found at: http://www.scouting.org/home/boyscouts/advancementandawards/eagleworkbookprocedures.asp x 2.2 This is a PDF fillable form. If you choose to print it out and fill in the form, you must do so in blue or black ink. No pencil is allowed. 2.3 Refer to Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and Guide to Advancement Topic 9.0.2.0. Page 3
2.4 Mentoring 2.4.1 An Eagle service project mentor is a registered Scouter and familiar with the process of the Eagle Project 2.4.2 The district advancement chair is responsible for maintaining, coordinating, training, and working with Eagle Mentors. 2.4.3 As a best practice, the council recommends at least one mentor be identified and trained locally in support of each Unit. 2.4.4 For further explanation and description of an Eagle service project mentor, refer to the Guide to Advancement, Topic 9.0.2.9. 2.5 Proposal Development, Presentation, and Approval 2.5.1 Each unit should designate someone to assist Scouts as needed. This is the Eagle mentor. 2.5.2 Once the Scout identifies a need that he wants to develop into an Eagle project, he should contact the beneficiary and discuss the possibility of doing a project. He does NOT get approval at this point. At this point the candidate should give to the beneficiary the Navigating the Eagle Scout Service Project handout. 2.5.3 Once the beneficiary agrees that the project is viable, the Scout shall write up the proposal using the current Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. 2.5.4 The Eagle service project mentor and the boy discuss the proposal and work towards developing it. The Scout collects the comments from his Eagle service project mentor and leaders to develop the idea into a proper Eagle project. (See Guide to Advancement, Topic 9.0.2.1) 2.5.5 The boy should then meet with the beneficiary and receive their approval. It is critical that we honor the beneficiary with the opportunity to review a fully developed proposal as opposed to trying to have them sign off on an idea or concept only. 2.5.6 When satisfied with the proposal, the unit leader and unit committee should sign with their approval. 2.5.7 When the proposal is sufficiently ready and all three signatures have been obtained, the boy shall request and appointment with the district for approval. 2.5.8 The Scout shall present his proposal where he should be prepared to verbally discuss the written document. He should bring his leader, parent, or Eagle service project mentor with him. 2.5.9 It is preferred a Scout be in full field uniform for any Eagle proposal. He should wear as much of it as he owns, and it should be as correct as possible, with the badges worn properly. 2.5.10 A proposal may be approved if it meets the five tests outlined in the Guide to Advancement, Topic 9.0.2.7. 2.5.10.1 The project provides sufficient opportunity to meet the requirement. 2.5.10.2 The project appears to be feasible. 2.5.10.3 Safety issues will be addressed. Page 4
2.5.10.4 Action steps for further detailed planning are included. 2.5.10.5 The young man is on the right track with a reasonable chance for a positive experience. 2.5.11 Approval should be in one session. If he needs to add anything, he should do it then. 2.5.12 Guidance from a mentor maximizes the opportunity for completion of a worthwhile proposal. If requested by the Scout or his parent or guardian, an explanation of a proposal rejection will be provided in writing, with a copy sent to the council advancement chair and staff advisor. 2.6 Coaching 2.6.1 After the proposal is approved, the mentor may recommend a Coach to the Scout 2.6.2 An Eagle service project mentor is a registered Scouter trained by the council and district advancement committee, and acts under the direction of the district advancement chairman or his/her designee. 2.6.3 The district advancement chair is responsible for maintaining, coordinating, training, and working with Eagle Mentors. 2.6.4 As a best practice, the council recommends at least two to four mentors be identified and trained in each sub-district. 2.6.5 This is someone with specific knowledge pertinent to the successful execution to the project 2.6.6 The Eagle Coach will be the voice of the District/Council 2.6.7 The Coach will work to maintain the standards of the Eagle Project 2.6.8 In many instances the Mentor and the Coach will be the same person. In this instance, the Scout should be encouraged to consider any advice given from both perspectives. 2.7 Execution 2.7.1 The responsibility for success or failure of the project belongs to the Scout. 2.7.2 Once the proposal is approved only the Eagle service project coach is involved, not the district or the council. 2.7.3 The Scout may, at any time, and is encouraged to, consult with his leaders, mentor and/or coach for insight, guidance, and opinions that may help him make decisions that affect the planning, execution, or outcome of the project. 2.8 Evaluation after Execution 2.8.1 For more information on boards of review see below. 2.8.2 A good test of any project is to evaluate its complexity. In the case of a blood drive, for example, elements of challenge and complexity should be added so there is a clear demonstration of planning, development, and leadership. 3 Fundraising 3.1 The page after the Fundraising Application in the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook provides details surrounding fundraising. 3.2 Projects may not be fundraisers. In other words, the candidate may not stage an effort that primarily collects money, even if it is for a worthy charity. Fundraising is permitted only for securing materials and otherwise facilitating a project. And unless it involves contributions only from the beneficiary, or from the candidate, his parents or relatives, his unit or its chartered organization, or from parents or members in his unit, it must be approved by the local council. (See Guide to Advancement, Topic 9.0.2.10) 3.3 Only the district advancement chair or designee or council advancement chair may sign the Fundraising Application (Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook) on behalf of the council. Page 5
3.4 Any effort expected to raise less than $500 does not require a fundraising application. 3.5 If a potential donor (such as Walmart or Lowes) asks for a tax exempt ID number so they can use the donation as a tax deduction, the project beneficiary provides the number. 3.6 For Eagle Projects, the benefitting organization is not the Boy Scouts of America; therefore no BSA tax exempt ID number can be used for this purpose. 4 Boards of Review 4.1 Read Guide to Advancement, Section 8.0.0.0. 4.2 The Board of Review is conducted ONLY under the direction and authority of the council advancement chair and/or district advancement chair. 4.3 Within Utah National Parks Council, Eagle boards of review are held at the district level. Eagle boards of review are not held at the unit level. In those districts where travel would be a hardship, Eagle boards of review may be held at the sub-district level; however, this must be approved by the council advancement committee. 4.4 All paperwork should be reviewed by a member of the district advancement committee for completeness and accuracy before the paperwork is submitted for verification by the council. Specific attention should be paid to the following: 4.4.1 All dates must be correct. This includes rank advancement dates and merit badge dates. 4.4.2 The Scout should not fill in the join dates initially. This information will be collected by the district (not the Scout) from the Verified Application form from the council. Once the district receives this form from the council, the district will transfer the join dates from the Verified Application to the original Eagle Application. 4.4.3 All signatures must be from current registered Scouters. 4.4.4 The positions of responsibility must coincide with the appropriate registered unit. (Troop, Team, or Crew). For instance, the Scout should use Senior Patrol Leader only for time that he is registered in a troop. This position or responsibility is since he reached the rank of Life Scout. 4.5 After all Paperwork has been completed and verified for accuracy, in order to comply with National standards (see Guide to Advancement, Topic 8.0.3.0.4), the following procedure must be followed: Page 6
4.5.1 The Eagle application must be scanned and emailed to your assigned district staff person at the council office. She/he will verify all pertinent information that is on the front and back of the Eagle application. 4.5.2 Then she/he will scan and send back a Verified Application form. This form must accompany the original Eagle application and be returned to the Scout office after the Board of Review is held. 4.5.3 Once you have received the Verified Application form with a verification date on the back, you may schedule the Eagle Board of Review. A Board of Review must not be scheduled until this is received. 4.5.4 If there are issues on the Eagle Scout Rank Application form, the district staff at the council office will return the application to the district to correct any issues and re-submit the application. 4.5.5 Council approval for the district to hold a specific Board of Review will not be given until an application has been successfully verified. 4.6 It is preferred a Scout be in full field uniform for any board of review. He should wear as much of it as he owns, and it should be as correct as possible, with the badges worn properly. (see Guide to Advancement, Topic 8.0.0.4) 4.7 The Scout should be presented by his unit leader. The unit leader is allowed to remain in the room only for any clarification that may be needed. 4.8 To approve awarding the Eagle rank, the Board of Review must agree unanimously. 4.9 If a board does not approve, the candidate must be so informed and told what he can do to improve. Most Scouts accept responsibility for their behavior or for not completing requirements properly. If it is thought that a Scout, before his 18 th birthday, can benefit from an opportunity to properly complete the requirements, the board may adjourn and reconvene at a later date. (See Guide to Advancement, 8.0.1.5) 4.10 Appealing a decision please see Guide to Advancement, Topic 8.9.4.0. 5 Submitting completed packets to the Council 5.1 The district Eagle coordinator is responsible for finalizing and submitting paperwork to the council. 5.2 As boards of review are completed, paperwork should be compiled in the following order: 5.2.1 First page shall be the most current Eagle statistics form filled out completely. This is to be done by a district representative. 5.2.2 If a project is to be considered for Eagle Project of the Year, or Conservation Project of the Year, it should be so indicated. 5.2.3 The second page should be the Eagle application. 5.2.4 The next page should be the Verified Application form obtained in 4.5.2, above. Page 7
5.2.5 Next should be the copy of the Scout s Member Unit Advancement Summary. 5.2.6 The next pages should be the letters of recommendation, in the order that they are listed on the application. 5.2.7 The Statement of Goals and Ambitions should be returned to the Scout at the completion of the Eagle board of review along with the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. 5.2.8 Paperwork shall be consolidated in a paper folder, or paper clipped together. Please do not use staples, glue, or a binder. 5.2.9 The completed, organized packet should be submitted to the council no more than one week after the board of review. Page 8
Special Project Considerations Blood Drives o In the Guide to Advancement, Topic 9.0.2.3, it states: It is important not to categorically reject projects that, on the surface may not seem to require enough planning and development. o The Utah National Parks Council has met with blood bank official representatives and we have worked out approaches that can comply with the Eagle Scout service project requirement. There is a minimum of donors that need to participate. The project should include the following: The Scout does all the planning (i.e. setting the date, the place). The Scout contacts and works directly with the organization that is going to draw the blood. The Scout does not use the organizations pre-planned or canned approach. The Scout leads the advertising effort. The Scout expands the collection of donors to beyond his sub-district. The Scout attracts an agreed upon number of donors. The Scout teaches and trains all other volunteers on their functions and what he wants them to do. The Scout develops it beyond a simple blood drive and adds depth and complexity to the project. o The above suggestions are provided for reference only. Following these recommendations does not guarantee approval. Because each Scout is unique and each project is evaluated based upon the Scout, the Scout should seek out ways to develop his project in his own specific way. o A blood drive may take 6-8 weeks to complete and may need to be repeated to attract sufficient donors. o See the Council s Blood Drive Standard Operating Procedures. Go to www.utahscouts.org, then across to advancement, then to the information drop down bar and look for SOP s. Page 9
Special Project Considerations Fire Hydrant Painting o The project must allow a Scout to demonstrate creativity, planning and leadership of others. An example of fire hydrant painting that would NOT qualify as a good Eagle project would be one that is sponsored and organized by a government agency who then passes the administration of the project to a Scout. This breaks several requirements: The Scout is not able to plan, develop, and give leadership to others. The Scout is doing routine labor something that the agency would have otherwise assigned to an employee to do. o An example of a fire hydrant painting project that would better qualify as a good Eagle project would include: The Scout does all the planning (i.e. setting the date, the place, the scope of the project, and coordinating with city departments or local businesses to get needed supplies). The Scout contacts and works directly with the governmental agency and verifies himself that all of the legal requirements are being met. The Scout does all the advertising for volunteers and notifying community members that the painting will be done so that all can be prepared. Scout teaches and trains all volunteers on their functions and assignments. The Scout expands beyond simply painting fire hydrants by doing things such as: o Taking GPS readings of fire hydrants to aid fire crews in finding hydrants. o Plans a nursery for children of volunteers that bring their children. o Applies reflective tape/painting a large white arrow on the street in front of the hydrants to assist in locating the hydrants. o Performs a neighborhood awareness campaign concerning home fire safety, hydrant safety and legal requirements concerning parking and maintenance. o Paint curbing with red paint on each side of the fire hydrants. o Performing a project similar to this and following the above described ideas does not guarantee approval by the District Approval Committee or acceptance by the Board of Review. Page 10
Special Project Considerations Collecting projects o It is the opinion of the Council that almost anything can be developed into a viable Eagle Project. That being said, projects whose primary function is the collection or gathering of items such as supplies, clothing, food, toys, fabric, and the like pose a specific challenge to the boy to demonstrate development, leadership, and impact sufficient to qualify as an Eagle Project and, as such, are discouraged. o If a Scout chooses to undertake this type of project, he will need to very clearly demonstrate how his project satisfies Requirement 5. Specifically, the Scout will need to demonstrate, prior to approval, how he will be able to satisfy the requirements to show development, leadership, and impact. The Scout should be prepared to demonstrate how he will provide quality leadership that satisfies the requirement. Additionally, the Scout will need to specifically demonstrate how he is able to significantly develop the project to the quality and caliber of that commensurate with the rank of Eagle Scout. This development can be in the form of size, scope, quantity, or breadth of the project. The Scout should expect to provide specific, detailed information about the beneficiary, specific goals, and how they will provide a specific impact and how the project would be for the maximum benefit of the beneficiary. The Scout should refer to the Guide to Advancement, Section 9.0.2.3 ( Plan, Develop ) and Section 9.0.2.11 (Routine Labor) for additional clarification. o If the Scout sets out to merely facilitate the collection of any item or items which are then turned over to another organization for processing, packaging, and distribution, the project would likely not meet the above standards. It is acceptable to partner with another organization in ways that expand the reach of the Scout s efforts so long as he remains in charge of the project and the partner does not take over the project. An example of this type of a project would be a book or clothing drive where the Scout and his volunteers drop off a flyer making a donation request. The Scout then sets up a drop off location and/or goes back at an appointed time to pick up whatever donation has been set out. This type of project is an excellent Troop project or project for Star or Life rank, but would not satisfy the requirement for an Eagle Project. o Because this type of project is the most misunderstood and, therefore, the most improperly executed, the following details are offered below. In order for a project of this type to be acceptable, the Scout is expected to do the following: o Identify a need and then meet with the beneficiary and explain how he sees the need and how he intends to fulfill this need. o He should outline what the requirement and expectation of an Eagle Project is and he should discuss with the beneficiary what an acceptable goal would be. o He should discuss with the beneficiary how he could provide for their maximum benefit by expanding the scope to the project to include more than just collecting items. Page 11
o If, after meeting with the beneficiary, the Scout is not able to agree upon the size, scope, and impact that would be commensurate with an Eagle Project, he may need to do significant research and counsel with his leaders, Eagle service project mentor, parents, and others in order to develop his project appropriately. o One way to enhance a project and to increase the leadership opportunity is to increase the impact by increasing the area of advertising. In any project of this type, the expectation would be that the Scout should normally include the majority, if not all of his city, town, or municipal community. Merely involving his neighborhood, or sub-district would not meet this requirement. o Another way to make the project meet the size and scope of an Eagle project is to alter the goal to a more significant quantity. This should be a substantial goal and should significantly challenge the Scout. National has given examples that collection projects should result in many truckloads of donations. o A third way to improve the project is to learn much more about the organization and discover previously unknown ways in which it benefits the community. Then, create a public awareness campaign that could include the following: Publishing flyers. Contacting local television, radio, and print media and describe the benefits of the organization. Creating websites and other advertising and awareness publications. o The Scout can also add to his project by increasing his involvement in the collection process in the following manner: Organize, train, and lead the volunteers as they sort, clean, repair, repackage, or otherwise further handle the items and assist the beneficiary prior to delivery of the items. o Many times, this type of project cannot, and should not, be completed in a short amount of time. This should not be considered a get it done type of a project. Usually, projects like this will take weeks, if not months to complete properly. Once the Scout identifies the goal, he should work on the project until the goal is met or exceeded. o As each project is evaluated independently, performing a project similar to this and following the above described ideas does not guarantee approval by the Committee or acceptance by the Board of Review. Page 12