Life to Eagle Seminar

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Life to Eagle Seminar

• The steps to becoming an Eagle Scout

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In Memory of Stuart Bergwall Eagle Scout
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Be Aware.

• This presentation is NOT an official publication
  of the Boy Scouts of America or the South Florida
  Council of BSA. It was prepared to assist
  Scouts, parents and Scout leaders. April, 2002
• Original by Dr. David F. Bergwall, Member South
  Florida Council Advancement Committee, Updated
  April 2002 by the members of the South Florida
  Council Advancement Committee, Dr. Elliot S.
  Grossman, Chairman.

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Introduction

• Earning the rank of Eagle Scout is a special
  event. Fewer than 3 of the scouts in the South
  Florida Council earn this distinction each year.
• In the history of the United States of America,
  1,423,920 Scouts have earned the Eagle Rank.
  (1912-1996)

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Eagle Scouts in South Florida
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To Achieve the Eagle Scout Rank a Scout Must

• Earn six prior Scouting Ranks
• Meet 60 achievement requirements
• Satisfactorily complete 1,255 different tasks
• Be reviewed by adult Scouters at a unit,
  district, council and national level at least 70
  times

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Advancing from Life to Eagle...

• ...Is a journey from the beginning of a boys
  Scouting career
• ...Is one normal step in a boys Scouting career
• ...Is special, but not exceptionally difficult

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Purpose of this Seminar

• Review the 12 steps from Life to Eagle
• Review the Requirements for Eagle Scout
• Explain the procedures used in South Florida
  Council
• Review the Eagle Service Project Requirements

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Target Audiences

• Life and Star rank Boy Scouts
• Parents
• Scout Leaders
• Scoutmasters
• Advancement Chairs
• Committee members

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Your GOAL is...
to soar as an Eagle.
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Who Sets Eagle Requirements?

• Set by BSA National Committee
• South Florida Council Advancement Committee
  implements policies and procedures
• Council Life to Eagle Chairman leads at the
  Council level.
• District Advancement Chairman at the District
  level

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The Seven Eagle Requirements (April 2002)

• Be active for six months after Life rank
• Live by the Scout Oath and Law
• Earn 21 merit badges
• Hold a position of responsibility
• Complete an Eagle Service Project
• Take part in a Scoutmaster conference
• Successfully complete Eagle Board of Review

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No council, district, unit or individual has the
authority to add or subtract from any BSA
advancement requirements.
Be Aware ..
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How Do I Get From Life to Eagle?
It takes 12 steps
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12 Steps From Life to Eagle

• Complete Requirements as specified
• Complete Service Project - Use workbook
• Do 12 before 18th birthday
• Fill out Eagle Scout Application Form
• Obtain most current application from Council
• All dates must be correct
• Must be completely filled out
• Copy attached to Workbook

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12 Steps Continued

• Unit representative submits Application and Eagle
  Project Workbook to Council (get receipt)
• Application is verified by Council within 48
  hours
• Council informs unit representative and District
  Advancement Chairman that application is ready
• Board of Review is authorized
• Unit representative picks up material
• Board of Review arranged by District
  Advancement Chairman

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12 Steps Continued

• Board of Review is held
• Board of Review signs-off if the candidate is
  passed
• Application and Document for requirement 6 is
  taken to Council for processing and include the
  Advancement Form
• Application sent to National which verifies and
  authorizes award (6 weeks)

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Soar as an EAGLE...
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Requirement 1 Be Active

• Be active in your troop, team, or crew for a
  period of at least six months after you achieve
  the rank of Life Scout.
• Any six month period, not necessarily consecutive
• Use Troop standard for active as long as it is
  stated and known

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Requirement 2Live by Oath Law

• Demonstrate that you live by the principles of
  the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life.

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Live by the Scout Oath and Law

• This is not Troop Spirit
• This is not wearing the uniform
• This is about everyday life
• Do you abide by the principles of the Oath and
  Law?
• Ask individuals if you can list them as a
  reference for you Eagle Application

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Requirement 3 Earn 21 Merit Badges

• Earn a total of 21 merit badges (10 more than you
  already have), including the following
• First Aid
• Citizenship in the Community
• Citizenship in the Nation
• Citizenship in the World
• Communications
• Personal Fitness

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Earn 21 Merit Badges, Continued ...

• Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, (You must
  choose only one of these two merit badges. If you
  have earned more than one of the badges listed,
  choose one and list the remaining badge to make
  your total of 21)
• Environmental Science
• Personal Management
• Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling, (You must choose
  only one of these three merit badges. If you have
  earned more than one of the badges listed, choose
  one and list the remaining badges to make your
  total of 21)
• Camping
• Family Life

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What About the Badges Our Troop Requires?

• No district, unit or individual has the authority
  to add to, or to subtract from, advancement
  requirements.
• Any ten additional merit badges means any ten
  additional merit badges!

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Merit badges must be...

• Approved in advance by the unit leader
• Earned with approved merit badge counselors
• Reported to Council by the Unit representative
• KEEP YOUR MERIT BADGE ADVANCEMENT CARDS - They
  are proof!

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Merit Badges and Scouts with Disabilities

• There are special exceptions for Scouts with
  disabilities
• Contact the District Advancement Chairman for
  guidance

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Requirement 4Position of Responsibility

• While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period
  of six months in one or more qualified positions
  of responsibility. List only those positions
  served after your Life board of review date.

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Boy Scot Troop Eligible Positions

• Patrol leader
• Assistant senior patrol leader
• Senior patrol leader
• Troop guide
• Order of the Arrow troop representative
• Den chief

• Scribe
• Librarian
• Historian
• Quartermaster
• Junior assistant Scoutmaster
• Chaplain aide
• Instructor

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Varsity Scout Team Eligible Positions

• Captain
• Co-captain
• Program manager
• Squad leader
• Team secretary
• Order of the Arrow troop representative

• Librarian
• Historian
• Quartermaster
• Chaplain aide
• Instructor
• Den chief

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Venturing Positions of Leadership

• President
• Vice-President Administration
• Vice-President Program
• Treasurer
• Secretary

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Serve Actively in your Position of
Responsibility...

• You will be asked to demonstrate that you have
  actually done your best to fill this position.
  It is not enough to merely be elected to the
  position
• You do not have to hold one position for six
  months
• You do not have to hold the position for six
  consecutive months
• You may meet this requirement any time while a
  Life Scout

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Performance in the Position of Responsibility

• A Scout may not be held to an extraordinary
  standard of performance
• The standard of performance used to measure this
  requirement shall be the same as that applied to
  other Star, Life or Eagle Scout candidates

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Performance in the Position of Responsibility

• Each unit shall have a clearly prescribed
  standard of performance that is known to each of
  its Scouts
• Otherwise, the Eagle candidate shall be presumed
  to have satisfactorily fulfilled this requirement
  
• Unit leaders may not expect any Scout to meet an
  undefined or unknown standard of performance

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Requirement 5 Eagle Service Project

• 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.
• Much more on this later.

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Requirement 6 Scoutmaster Conference

• Take part in a Scoutmaster conference with your
  unit leader
• A Scoutmaster conference is a positive
  experience, the objective of which is to help a
  Scout evaluate his accomplishments and set new
  goals
• A Scoutmaster conference may be conducted any
  time after achieving the rank of Life Scout.
  You do not need to wait until all other
  requirements for Eagle Scout have been completed

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Scoutmaster Conference

• A Scoutmaster conference may be conducted at the
  request of an Eagle candidate, or be initiated by
  the unit leader
• When there is a reason to believe that an Eagle
  candidate will not be qualified to achieve the
  Eagle Scout award within the six month period
  prior to his eighteenth birthday, the unit leader
  is obligated to initiate a counseling session, on
  a timely basis, so as to give the Eagle candidate
  every reasonable opportunity to become qualified

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What if I have a problem?

• Get HELP
• Talk to your Scoutmaster or Venture Crew Advisor
• Talk to your advancement chairperson
• Talk to your committee chairperson
• Talk to your District Advancement Chairperson

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Having a Problem?

• What can I do if I am having a problem with my
  Scoutmaster or other adult leader?

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Having a Problem continued

• All Scouts have the right to appeal any decision
• If you think you are not being treated fairly or
  that you are being held to extraordinary
  standards, contact the district advancement
  chairperson or the district chairperson
• Do not delay, the more promptly problems can be
  resolved the better

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Requirement 7-Board of Review

• 3 to 6 members over 21 years - 1 district or
  council member if a unit review
• Unanimous decision
• If the candidate is not approved then an appeal
  process is available

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Keep your eye on your goal...
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Requirement 5 againEagle Service Project

• While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give
  leadership to others in a service project helpful
  to any religious institution, school, or your
  community.

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Start planning as soon as you reach Life rank

• You may start planning your Eagle Scout Service
  Project just as soon after achieving the rank of
  Life Scout as is practical
• All work on your Eagle service project must be
  undertaken while you are a Life Scout and
  completed before your eighteenth birthday

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Eagle Project Requirements

• Significant effort
• Measurable goals or defined objective
• Thoughtfully planned and developed
• Opportunity for you to give leadership to
  others
• Performed for a qualified beneficiary

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1. Your project must be a significant effort.

• A service normally rendered is not an acceptable
  for your Eagle service project
• There is no minimum or maximum number of
  volunteers, or hours of work, needed to carry out
  your Eagle service project
• The definition of significant effort will vary
  based on the candidates abilities

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You must do your own project.

• A candidate may not use his participation in the
  service project of another Eagle candidate to
  satisfy the Eagle service project requirement
• You may not copy or otherwise share your
  responsibilities for planning, developing or
  providing leadership to others

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2. Have Measurable Goals.

• You should measurably set forth the goal or
  define the objective of your Eagle service
  project
• Measurement helps show the significance of the
  effort
• Your goals will be used by the board of review
  to evaluate your project

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3. Plan, Develop, Carry Out

• You are expected to "....plan, develop and give
  leadership to others..."
• Determine what kinds and quantities of materials
  and/or supplies are needed
• Their costs and how they will be acquired,
• Keep accurate inventory records and a log of work
  activities
• Manage the resources and, purposefully direct the
  project to its completion

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What if things go wrong?

• Even the best planned activities sometimes need
  change. You will not necessarily be penalized if
  you had to vary from your plan. On the other
  hand, if your project did not substantially
  follow your plan, then have you truly
  demonstrated the leadership skills expected of an
  Eagle Scout?

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4. Opportunity to Show Leadership

• The board of review will expect your Eagle
  service project to be helpful and of significance
  to the beneficiary for whom it is undertaken
• It must have been sufficient to have demonstrated
  your leadership skills

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Who can help?

• Other scouts, family, friends and classmates of
  any age or type may volunteer they do not have
  to be scouts
• You should recruit, train, organize and schedule
  the personnel needed

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What about adult supervision?

• An Eagle service project is not an official unit
  activity, therefore, neither adult supervision
  nor a local tour permit are required.
• Proper planning, however, includes preparing for
  appropriate adult participation and safety
  concerns.

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5. A qualified beneficiary

• Service to others is an important philosophy to
  the Eagle service project. Therefore, your Eagle
  service project must be done outside of Scouting
• Projects can not be done for your troop, or the
  District
• You can do a project for your troop sponsor if it
  meets other requirements

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5. A qualified beneficiary, continued

• Your Eagle service project may not be performed
  for a business, or be of a commercial nature, or
  be a fund-raiser
• Fund raising is permitted only for the purpose of
  acquiring the materials and supplies needed to
  carry out your project

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5. A qualified beneficiary, continued

• Your Eagle service project may be performed for
  the benefit of any religious institution, any
  school or your community
• A community organization is defined as any
  government agency, or an institution qualified,
  under Section 501(c)3 of the US Internal Revenue
  Code, as a not-for-profit charitable, educational
  or religious organization

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What your Beneficiary wants

• Your Eagle service project must conform to the
  wishes of those for whom it is undertaken
• The detailed plan for your Eagle service project
  must be approved by and a signature obtained from
  a proper official of the beneficiary, before it
  is submitted to your Scoutmaster, troop committee
  or the district advancement committee

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Eagle Project

• Some examples

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"Develop a ten mile Historical Trail to benefit
the Historical Society of Deerfield Beach"

• This example is a worthy project because it is a
  significant effort, with a measurable goal and a
  defined objective, that requires thoughtful
  planning development, provides an Eagle
  candidate with an adequate opportunity to provide
  leadership to others, and is undertaken for a
  qualified beneficiary.

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"Develop a new hiking trail at BSA Camp Seminole"

• This example is not an acceptable project because
  it does not set forth a measurable goal, and is
  to be performed for an unqualified beneficiary

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"Install 1,000 Sea Oat plants and rehabilitate
the beaches of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, from
the effects of shoreline erosion"

• This example is a worthy project because it is a
  significant effort, with a measurable goal and a
  defined objective, that requires thoughtful
  planning development, provides an Eagle
  candidate with an adequate opportunity to provide
  leadership to others, and is undertaken for a
  qualified beneficiary,

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"Clean up and remove the trash at Crandon Park"

• This example is not an acceptable project because
  it is not an extraordinary effort, does not set
  forth a measurable goal, requires no meaningful
  planning or development, and can be performed by
  an Eagle candidate without any need to give
  leadership to others

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Use the Workbook

• You may use the Eagle Service Project Workbook in
  meeting this requirement.
• Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook
• No. 18-927

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Workbook Sections

• Cover page
• Name, Unit, District
• Plan
• Identify beneficiary
• Describe project broadly

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Workbook Sections, continued

• Develop
• Create a detailed plan
• Material, time, labor
• Leadership
• Carry out
• Describe results
• Show logs of your efforts
• What happened

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Workbook Signature Page

• Before you can start the Eagle project
• Scoutmaster
• Beneficiary
• Troop Committee Chair
• District Advancement Chair
• After the project is completed
• Only you sign

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Complete the Eagle Award Application

• Fill it out completely
• List references as requested
• Be sure all dates are correct
• Include unit numbers for merit badges
• List only 21 merit badges
• Complete and sign the back side
• Attach to your project workbook

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Your Life Ambitions

• Attach to your Eagle Scout Award Application a
  statement of your ambitions and life purpose and
  a listing of positions held in your religious
  institution, school, camp, community or other
  organizations during which you demonstrated
  leadership skills. Include any honors and awards
  received during this service.

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Eagles are always alert to what is happening...
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The Dreaded 18Th Birthday Problem
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If You Are 17 PAY ATTENTION
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Your 18th Birthday!!

• Most people receive about 18 years advanced
  warning of the date on which they will turn 18.
  It is not an emergency or an unexpected event.
• You know the date.

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You Must Do the Following BEFORE Your 18Th
Birthday

• Complete all your merit badges
• Complete your Eagle Service Project
• Complete your Scoutmaster conference
• Be active as a Life Scout for six months
• Serve actively in a position of responsibility
  for six months while a Life Scout

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You CAN DO the Following AFTER Your 18Th Birthday.

• Submit your final Eagle Scout Application
• Have your Eagle Scout Board of Review
• Have your Eagle Court of Honor

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Can I Get a Time Extension to Complete My Eagle?
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Can I Get an Extension?

• You may file a petition in writing for special
  permission to continue to work toward the award
  after reaching age 18
• But...

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Extensions...

• The petition must show good and sufficient
  evidence and detail extenuating circumstances
• Extenuating circumstances are defined as
  conditions or situations that are totally beyond
  the control of the Scout or Explorer

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If You Are Almost 18...

• Work hard to complete your requirements
• Talk to your leaders NOW so that they can help
  you and warn you of problems
• Remember that adult leaders have busy lives.
  Dont ask a leader to give up a vacation because
  you forgot your 18th birthday
• Know your deadlines in advance

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In summary ...
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Your GOAL is..
to soar as an Eagle
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Keep your eye on your goal...
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Accomplish your goal...
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Plan Ahead and You Will Soar as an EAGLE...