Eagle Scout Service Project

File:Tekesta Park Fountain Tallahassee, Florida.jpg

{{blockquote|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,{{cite web | url = http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-927_fillable.pdf |title = Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook|publisher = B.S.A. publication No. 512-927}} in meeting this requirement.The official source for the requirements shown in this article is: {{cite web | url = http://www.scoutstuff.org/2011-boy-scout-requirements-book.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120122102713/http://www.scoutstuff.org/2011-boy-scout-requirements-book.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-01-22 | date = 2012-01-22 |title = Boy Scout Requirements |edition =2011}} — B.S.A. Supply No. 34765|Scouts BSA Handbook}}

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

Image:Eagle Scout project completed at the local YMCA in Corcoran, California.jpg in Corcoran, California]]

Examples of Eagle Projects include constructing park benches, running a blood drive,{{cite web | url = http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/05/01/eagle-blood-drives | title= Ask the Expert: Are blood drives and other drives acceptable Eagle projects?|date=2018-10-03}}{{cite web | url = http://www.scouting.org/Home/GuideToAdvancement/EagleScoutRank.aspx | title= 9.0.1.0 The Eagle Scout Rank Application Process |date=2018-10-03 }} constructing a playground, building bat houses for a local park, refurbishing a room at a church or school, resetting stones at a cemetery, planting grass for erosion control, organizing a dinner, interviewing American veterans for the Library of Congress, distributing emergency medical information kits,{{Flickr-inline2 |photos/judyjacobs_16ld/8113346914 |David Lowe, Eagle Scout}}, Troop 170, Syosset, October 20, 2012 and collecting necessities for the homeless.{{cite web | url = https://eagleprojects.boyslife.org/tag/homeless-shelter-projects/|work = Boys Life| title= Eagle Scout Project Showcase |date=2018-10-03}}

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.{{cite news|first=Robert |last=Peterson |url=http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0211/d-wwas.html |title=The Way It Was: Evolution of the Eagle Scout Award |publisher=Scouting |date=November–December 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625225229/http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0211/d-wwas.html |archive-date=June 25, 2006 |df=mdy }}

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."{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Peterson|url=http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0003/a-trae.html |title=Last Step on the Trail to Eagle |publisher=Scouting |date=March–April 2000}} 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.{{cite web |last=Elson |first=Martha |date=January 28, 2008 |url=http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/NEWS01/801260442/1008|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119193830/http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/NEWS01/801260442/1008|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 19, 2013|title=Blind-school Scout earns Eagle rank |publisher=The Courier-Journal |access-date=January 29, 2008}}{{cite news |first=Julia |last=Campbell |url=http://www.hvjournal.com/articles.php?id=2209 |title=Eagle Scout Project to Preserve HHS History |publisher=Hurricane Valley Journal |date=September 21, 2005 |access-date=January 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070519012148/http://www.hvjournal.com/articles.php?id=2209 |archive-date=May 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}{{cite web |first=Jennae |last=Phillippe |url=http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sg072601.htm |title=Eagle Scout project makes local history |publisher=Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society |access-date=April 9, 2007}}

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.{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Malone|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303933704577533561616246168 |title=A Century of Eagle Scouts |publisher=The Wall Street Journal|page=A13 |date=August 1, 2012}}

• Advancement and recognition in Scouting America

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{{commons category|Eagle Scout Service Project}}

{{Wikibooks|Scouting|Eagle Service Project}}

• {{cite web |url=http://www.nesa.org |title=National Eagle Scout Association |publisher=}}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/512-72825-Eagle-Scout-Application.pdf |title=Eagle Scout Rank Application (for after project is finished)}}
• {{cite web |url=http://usscouts.org/eagle.asp |title=Eagle Scouts |format=|publisher=U.S. Scouting Service Project |access-date=June 8, 2006}}
• {{cite web |last=Smith |first=Randy |url=http://www.flash.net/~smithrc/eagleprj.htm |title=Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Planning Guide |work=Unofficial, but very helpful guide to planning and carrying out the project |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031204190824/http://www.flash.net/~smithrc/eagleprj.htm |archive-date=December 4, 2003 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{cite web |url=http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Eagle_Scout_Leadership_Service_Project |title=Eagle Project Checklist & sample projects |access-date=February 13, 2009}}
• {{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 |archive-date=July 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701025757/http://www.meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Eagle_Scout_rank |url-status=dead }}

Category:Boy Scouts of America

Category:Leadership training of the Boy Scouts of America