Getting Ready for Eagle Project Approval


Important:  You must use the current Eagle Project Workbook.  It must be kept together ... every page.  Do not separate any part.  Do not alter any pages. Do not import it into a word processor for editing; you should use the editable PDF by saving it to disk and then editing it using the latest version of Adobe Reader DC®. You may attach items at the end of the workbook, e.g., diagrams, photos, receipts, etc., rather than inserting them into the spaces provided in the workbook. (This will keep the filesize small.)  

 



Choosing a Project

The Eagle project must have enough planning and leadership on the Scout’s part. If an organization has a project, the plan, and supplies, but they just need some workers to do the labor, then that does not qualify as an Eagle project! That is the organization’s project … not the Scout’s. The project does not have to be a physical construction but still must have enough planning and leadership. Projects for which the Scout will have more pride usually involve construction of a permanent object. Contact a member of the District Advancement Committee if there is a concern about meeting the requirements of planning and leadership. Generally blood drives, collecting things in the neighborhoods, painting parking lot strips, and gluing tiles for the street department do not qualify. However if there are extra activities attached to that activity that require the Scout to do more planning and leadership, then it may pass and be approved. Please discuss the project with us ahead of time so we can see if it might work. 

There is no requirement for any certain number of hours that must be spent on a project. Each project will be different. An Eagle candidate should include all the time he has spent thinking about, planning, discussing, and documenting his Eagle Scout Project in addition to the time he and the co-workers he recruits actual spend executing his project plan. Documenting the results after project completion count towards hours spent on the project, too! 

The Scout will fill out the first section of the Eagle Project Workbook down to the five signatures on page 2-4. It is a brief overview of the project and not detailed (yet). After the project is approved by District, then the Eagle Coach from the Troop will help the Scout finish the plan in more detail in the second half of the workbook. 

The only thing in the second half of the workbook that must be filled out for the initial District approval is the application for fundraising on page 3-7. Circle Ten Council gave Western Horizon District permission to approve these, so we will sign them at the time of the District project approval. Fund raising means any money or materials that the Scout gets donated by sources other than family, Troop, or benefiting organization. This includes asking stores like Home Depot to donate items like lumber. You may list fundraising events that you might perform but may not end up doing. You do not have to do the fundraiser, so put all fundraising activities that you might possibly do. It will just be a possibility and the Scout does not have to do it if the money is not needed. This page does not have to be completed if there is no fundraising necessary.  Remember that extra money left over after completion of the project should be donated to the benefiting organization.

Signatures:  The Scout signs the form on page 2-4. It says: “On my honor as a Scout, I have read this entire workbook”. S/He needs to read the whole thing. There are four signatures that must be signed before starting the project. The three non-District signatures are signed in any sequence but the District signature must be last.

The first half of the workbook does not have to list how many nails, boards, etc., but must give the impression of what is needed to complete the project. So all materials, items, tools, etc., must be listed. Also there should be a complete list of safety issues, even though a more complete description will be included in the second half of the workbook. The second half of the workbook is for the Scout and Eagle Coach to complete so that the Scout can accomplish the project successfully. There is no requirement to fill out every section or line. In the past, the District Committee made sure the plan was complete and detailed enough to be successful, but now that responsibility is shifted to the Troop’s Eagle Coach. If the Troop wants the District to go over their planning in the second half of the workbook we will be glad to critique it. If the Troop does not have any Eagle Coaches, we will be glad to assist the Scout in filling out the detailed plan.

After the Scout finishes his Eagle Project, pages 4-1 to 4-4 must be filled out completely and signatures obtained. There is a chart that lists the time spent on planning and performing the project. Please have the Scout put the hours he planned the project in the margin for his Eagle Board of Review. His hours reported in the chart is the total hours of planning and executing the project, both by him and by the co-workers (youth and adult) that he recruited to work on his project. 

The project does not have to benefit only non-profit organizations. In rare circumstances a project may be approved that is for a private company or individual. The BSA Guide to Advancement mentions this:

 Normally “your community” would not refer to individuals, although a Council or District Advancement Committee may consider scenarios where an individual in need can affect a community. An example might involve elderly persons able to live at home but unable to maintain their property, with the result being an “attractive nuisance” or related dangerous situations, or even an eyesore — something that raises concern to more than that of just an individual. If it can be determined it is the community that benefits, then it is a matter of identifying who will provide approvals. They must come from a source representing the “community,” such as a neighborhood association, watch group, homeowners association, or perhaps a division of a town or county. 

 Another example might be a flag pole outside a nursing home that is for-profit. Please contact one of the District Advancement Committee members if the beneficiary is in this category, to discuss the feasibility of the potential project before a lot of time is spent writing the project up.

The Eagle Project Workbook must be kept together in its entirety and not split up or altered in any way. The Scout may attach photographs, diagrams, or type-written pages at the end of the workbook and write in areas of the workbook: “see attached”. 


 
Finishing Your Eagle Project Workbook After District approval:    

  • You should at some point, before doing the project, finish the second half of the workbook with the help of your Troop's Eagle Coach.

  • Be sure to have a list of all equipment needed for the project … down to how many hammers or wheelbarrows you will need and where you are acquiring the material. Every list should include a first aid kit, water, cups, and a cell phone (for emergencies). This is a list of all materials like tools, water, and cups, as well as boards, nails, and actual materials to build the project. This needs to be everything you will need that day (or longer) to make this project happen.

  • IMPORTANT! List and describe the possible safety hazards that are anticipated in the project and how you are going to attempt to avoid them. For example goggles are needed to avoid eye injuries. Do not just explain how you are going to treat injuries. A first aid kit should be on all lists of materials for every project and we assume you can treat injuries. We hope you never have to treat any! Examples:

      1. Eye injuries: wear goggles during hammering.

      2. Dehydration: water breaks every hour

      3. Back injuries: instruction on lifting with bent knees instead of bending over with stiff legs

      4. Caustic clue: wear non-permeable gloves when using glue

      5. Power tools: age-appropriate guidelines for power tool usage will be instructed and obeyed

      6. Etc.: etc.

  • To help you with safety issues (e.g., which age Scout may use which kind of tool), use BSA's Guide to Safe Scouting, which may be found at a link presented here. There are several sections which help with Eagle Scout projects, including Age Guidelines for Tool Use and Work at Elevations or Excavations and Service Project Planning Guidelines, among others. You may download a PDF of this manual and print the relevant sections for use in planning your Eagle Scout Project.

  • Make sure you make a list of all time spent on planning. That is, every time you talk on the phone, meet with people, type up proposals, and even the times you plan in your head on what you are going to do. The total needs to be put into the workbook later, so be sure to keep track of it as you go. (For example, if you are talking with a school principal about your project at the school, you would need to count your time as well as the principal’s time, too.) Also have all persons who are working on the project sign in and sign out while working on the project. You will need to have a total on how long each person works on the actual project and the total amount of time all workers spent on the project. 

  • If there is any question whether a project might not be adequate, call or e-mail the District Advancement Committee's Vice-chair for Eagle Issues so you can get a pre-approval on its worthiness. The email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Note: Be sure to take pictures of before, during, and after the project to include them in your Eagle Project Workbook. You may put pictures, diagrams, spreadsheets, etc., after the workbook rather than inserting them into the provided spaces if you prefer (that way the file doesn't become too large to email). 

After finishing the project, go ahead and get the signatures you need: yours, that of any Adult from the Troop who was at the project, and the benefiting organization contact person's signature in your workbook. Do this right away!

You will bring your completed Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook with you to your Eagle Scout Board of Review, where it will be discussed in detail.