Service is one of the most important values we have in Scouting. The Scout Oath calls on us all to “help other people at all times.” The Scout Law says a Scout is Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind. These are maybe the most important ideas a young person takes away from their time in our program, no matter how long they’re with us. It is so important, that our later ranks (Star, Life, and Eagle Scout) have specific requirements for the Scout to participate in service projects approved by the Scoutmaster.
About Eagle Scout Projects
Requirement 5 for the Eagle Scout Rank states:
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 the Boy Scouts of America.) A project proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and unit committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 512-927, in meeting this requirement. (To learn more about the Eagle Scout service project, see the Guide to Advancement, topics 9.0.2.0 through 9.0.2.15.)
Eagle Scout projects are different that other service projects. These projects must be planned, led, and coordinated by the Eagle Scout candidate and may take an extended period of time to come to completion. Additionally:
- Troop 457 may not have an Eagle Scout candidate at the time you submit your request.
- Eagle Scout projects must be approved by the Scoutmaster, Unit Committee, and Council before they are started.
- Fundraising is permitted only for facilitating a project. Efforts that primarily collect money, even for worthy charities, are not permitted.
- Routine labor, like a service Scouts may provide as part of their daily lives 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.
- 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.
- The Scout is not responsible for any maintenance of a project once it is completed.
Request Assistance
Does your organization have a service project opportunity or a potential Eagle Scout project? Contact our Troop leadership using the form below to let us know how we can help! We cannot guarantee that your project will fit our needs or our schedule, but we will do our best to provide resources to help you.