The Eagle Scout Service Projector more simply the Eagle Scout Project, is the opportunity for a Boy Scout, Varsity Scout or qualified Venturer in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of his community. This is the culmination of the Eagle Scout candidate's leadership training, and it requires a significant effort on his part.[1] The project must benefit an organization other than the BSA, but it cannot be performed for an individual or a business, be solely a fundraising project, or be commercial in nature.
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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.) The project plan must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 512-927, in meeting this requirement. [2]
A written plan must be submitted using the BSA Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook and be pre-approved by the benefiting organization, the Scout Leader, the unit committee, and a district representative, before work on the project can begin. After the project is complete, the Scout will update the workbook where he will discuss the methods in which he gave leadership, ways in which the plan may have had to change and the benefits of the project to the community.
Examples of Eagle Scout service projects include: constructing park benches, running a blood drive, constructing a playground, building bat houses for a local park, refurbishing a room at a church or school, resetting stones at a cemetery, planting grass for erosion control, or organizing a dinner, interviewing American veterans for the Library of Congress, and collecting necessities for the homeless.[3]
The merit badges required for Eagle have been a requirement since the inception of the award. A Scout's "record of satisfactory service" with his troop was first added to the Eagle requirements in 1927. [4] This changed in 1952 to "do your best to help in your home, school, church or synagogue, and community." This vague statement was refined to "plan, develop, and carry out a service project" in 1965. [4]. In 1972 a leadership component "give leadership to others" was added. [4]
The idea for a project may be an original one or one already done by someone else. In either case, the Scout must plan, develop, and lead others in doing the project. There is no numerical minimum amount of time or requirement for the length of time in which the project needs to be completed, but that it be enough to "demonstrate leadership.[5] The exact implementation of requirements varies among different districts and councils.
The rigorous nature of the required service project is a major step in the completion of the Eagle rank. [4] Very often, the Eagle Project is what highlights the full impact of the Scouting program to the community at-large. [6][7][8]