1 Eagle Project Resource Guide University of Scouting 2016

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Contact Information John Entsminger –Troop 330 Chartered Organization Representative –Riverside District

References BSA Handbook, No Guide to Advancement 2013, No * 2014 Boys Scout Requirements* Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, No * Navigating the Eagle Scout Service Project, No * * Found on

Course Purpose For mentors, Scoutmasters, and Assistant SM wishing to know the “How To’s” of an Eagle project. This course will help identify potential project benefactors and whom to contact. It will also give some potential ideas on how and whom to contact to possibly help provide some of the required project resources.

Objectives To help the mentor or SM/ASM understand the Eagle Scout service project requirement. To help identify potential Eagle Scout service project benefactors and whom to contact. To help identify potential sources for funding the Eagle Scout service project.

Eagle Project Requirement 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, BSA publication No , in meeting this requirement. –BSA Handbook Eagle Requirement #5 –Guide to Advancement # –Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook

Choosing the Project There are thousands of possible Eagle Scout projects. Some involve building things, and others do not. –There have been all kinds: making birdhouses for an arboretum, conducting bicycle safety rodeos, constructing park picnic tables or benches, upgrading hiking trails, planting trees, conducting well-planned blood drives, and on and on. Other than the general limitations noted later, there are no specific requirements for project scope or for how many hours are worked, and there is no requirement that a project have lasting value. What is most important is the impact or benefit the project will provide to your organization. In choosing a project, remember it must be something a group with perhaps limited skills can accomplish under the leadership of your Eagle Scout candidate. If your Scout is to fulfill the requirement, he must be the one to lead the project. It is important you work with him and not with his parents or leaders.

Project Restrictions and Limitations Fundraising –Only permitted for facilitating a project. Efforts that primarily collect money, even for worthy charities, are not permitted. Routine labor –Typical service a Scout may provide as part of his daily life such as mowing or weeding a church lawn, is not normally appropriate. However, if project scale and impact are sufficient to require planning and leadership, then it may be considered. Commercialization –Projects are not to be of a commercial nature or for a business, though some aspects of a business operation provided as a service, such as a community park, may qualify. Responsibility –The Scout is not responsible for any maintenance of a project once it is completed.

Choosing the Benefactor Projects may not be performed for the Boy Scouts of America or its councils, districts, units, camps, and so forth. The unit's chartered organization, however, is certainly a good candidate, as are other youth organizations such as the American Heritage Girls or the Girl Scouts of the USA. The scout should think about organizations which provide a service to the community, either as a NPO or GSA.

Potential Befactors Local Community County State Federal 11

Local Community Chartering Organization Schools Town Government (Parks, etc.) Civic Groups Private Help/Aid Organizations

Within the County County Government (Parks, etc.) Wildlife Agencies (Zoo’s, etc.)

State Agency State Recreation Areas State Forests

Federal Agency National Parks National Forests

Finding the Physical Resources The other Eagle Scout project aspect for the scout will be funding the project. –Can be in the form of cash donations or material donations. Cash donations can be from select groups or through fund raising (fund raising requires council approval). Material donations can include raw building materials, food, design services.

Financial Fund Raising –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. –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. –The Scout must make it clear to all donors or event participants that the money is being raised on behalf of the project beneficiary, which will retain leftover funds. –Should any donors want documentation of a gift, this must be provided through the project beneficiary, not the Boy Scouts of America. –For additional detail see "Procedures and Limitations on Eagle Scout Service Project Fundraising," found in the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, No , on the reverse of the Eagle Scout Service Project Fundraising application.

Grants Matching grants can help maximize your fundraising. –The Dr. Phillips Charities Eagle Scout Project Matching Fund Matching Grant Central Florida Council grant will match 100% of all funds raised, including the value of in- kind contributions of materials and supplies (excluding Lowe’s Eagle Scout Project Gift Card) up to a maximum of $ Service-Project-Grant-Application.pdf

Grants Lowes Eagle Project Impact Grant Application –$100 Eagle Scout service project grant – content/uploads/2013/09/LowesGrantApplication20131.pdf

Materials Home Improvement Stores Nurseries Grocery Stores

Home Improvement Stores Home Depot, Lowes, Builders Square, etc. –Normally corporate sponsored –Monthly allocations for 501(c) projects –Bring 501(c) paperwork –Early in month is best –Gift card –POC: Bookkeeper / Manager

Nurseries Most will be independent May be hit or miss Bring 501 (c) paperwork POC: Owner / Manager

Grocery Stores / Chains Publix, Winn Dixie, etc. –Ask for water, snack, sandwich fixings to feed hungry scouts doing a good deed –POC: Store Manager Chain Restaurants –Ask for donuts, pizza donations, burgers/fries to feed hungry scouts doing a good deed –POC: Store Manager

Addressing Common Misconceptions No unit, district, council, or individual shall place any requirement or other standard on the number of hours spent on a project. The Boy Scouts of America is concerned with hours worked on Eagle Scout service projects and collects this data only because it points to a level of excellence in achieving the BSA aim related to citizenship. Eagle Scout service projects are individual matters. No more than one candidate may receive credit for working on the same project. There is no requirement a project must have lasting value. Any final plan that is completed after the project proposal has been approved by the council or district is between the Scout and the beneficiary.

Questions?

Chartering Organization Check with your chartering organization first, they usually have some kind of project work needing to be done –Should be more than the routine service project the troop does for the CO –Don’t be tied to property maintenance type projects, how else do they provide assistance to others? –POC: COR

Schools Public/Private Schools –Butterfly gardens, planting beds, etc. –Safety fairs, bicycle fairs, etc. –POC: Principal

Town Government (Parks) Most local communities have some sort of public land –Routine maintenance and upkeep is responsibility of the town –Think of adding additional value (new play equipment, benches, etc.) –POC: Recreation Mgr / Building Mgr / Clerk

Civic Groups American Legion, VFW, Shriners, Masons, etc. –Usually have ties to charitable community groups –Run their own charity / benefit programs that could use help –POC: Commander / Secretary

Private Help/Aid Organizations Early Intervention Centers, Day Cares, Battered Spouse / Child Centers, Homeless Shelters, etc. –Usually have limited budgets, so will almost always have projects which they can’t immediately fund –POC: Manager

County Government (Parks, etc.) Most county governments have some sort of public land –Routine maintenance and upkeep is responsibility of the county –Think of adding additional value (new play equipment, benches, etc.) –POC: County Recreation Mgr / Building Mgr / Clerk

Wildlife Agencies (Zoo’s, etc.) Zoo’s, Animal Rescue Shelters, etc. –Think shelter rehab / improvement or food drives –POC: Director / Manager

State Recreation Areas State Parks, State Forests, State Monuments, etc. –Routine maintenance and upkeep is responsibility of the state –Think of adding additional value (new play equipment, benches, etc.) –POC: State Park Ranger

National Parks National Parks, National Forests, National Monuments, etc. –Routine maintenance and upkeep is responsibility of the federal government –Think of adding additional value (new play equipment, benches, clearing / maintaining hiking trails, etc.) –POC: Park Ranger