The Eagle Scout Service Project, or simply Eagle Project, is the opportunity for a Scout (Scouts, B.S.A.), or qualified Venturer or Sea Scout in the

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

(B.S.A.) to demonstrate

leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...

of others while performing a project for the benefit of their community. This is the culmination of the Scout's leadership training, and it requires a significant effort on his or her part. The project must benefit an organization other than the B.S.A., and it cannot be performed for an

individual An individual is that which exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of being an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) of being a person unique from other people and possessing one's own Maslow ...

or a

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for pr ...

or be

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

in nature. Completing an Eagle Project is a requirement in order for Scouts to attain the Eagle Scout rank.

Requirement

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A written plan must be submitted using the B.S.A. Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook and be pre-approved by the benefiting organization, the

Scout Leader A Scout leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit. Roles There are many different roles a leader can fulfill depending on t ...

, the unit committee, and a district representative, before work on the project can begin. After the project is complete, the Scout updates the workbook where they discuss the methods in which they gave leadership, ways the plan may have had to change, and the benefits of the project to the community. Examples of Eagle Projects include constructing

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, running a

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, constructing a

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

, building bat houses for a local park, refurbishing a room at a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

, resetting stones at a

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

, planting

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for

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control, organizing a

dinner Dinner usually refers to what is in many Western cultures the largest and most formal meal of the day, which is eaten in the evening. Historically, the largest meal used to be eaten around midday, and called dinner. Especially among the elite, ...

, interviewing American veterans for the

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, distributing emergency medical information kits, and collecting necessities for the

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History

The merit badges required for Eagles 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. 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. In 1972 a leadership component "give leadership to others" was added.

Impact

The idea for a project may be an original one or the candidate may model their project on another Scout's. 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 time in which the project needs to be completed, but it must be enough to "demonstrate leadership." The exact implementation of requirements varies among districts and councils. The rigorous nature of the required service project is a major step in the completion of the Eagle rank. Very often, the Eagle Project is what highlights the full impact of the Scouting program to the community at-large. In 2012, the National Eagle Scout Association researched the number of volunteer hours spent on Eagle Projects and it came a total of more than 100 million hours of service. Each year, new Eagle Scouts are adding more than three million more hours.

References

External links

* * * * * * {{cite web , url=http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Eagle_Scout_Rank , title=Eagle Scout requirements & resources , publisher=MeritBadge.Org , access-date=February 12, 2009 Boy Scouts of America Leadership training of the Boy Scouts of America

Requirement

History

Impact

See also

References

External links