Selecting Leadership Service Projects
Leadership service projects shall be meaningful service not normally
expected of a Scout as a part of his school, religious, or community
activities.
Second Class
For the Second Class rank, a Scout must participate in a service
project or projects approved by his Scoutmaster. The time of service must
be a minimum of one hour. This project prepares a Scout for the more
involved service projects he must perform for the Star, Life, and Eagle
Scout ranks.
Star and Life Ranks
For Star and Life ranks, a Scout must perform 6 hours of service
to others. This may be done as an individual project or as a member of a
patrol or troop project. Star and Life service projects may be approved
for Scouts assisting on Eagle service projects. The Scoutmaster approves
the project before it is started.
Eagle Rank
While a Life Scout, a Scout must plan, develop, and give leadership to
others in a service project to any religious institution, school, or
community.
As a demonstration of leadership, the Scout must plan the work,
organize the personnel needed, and direct the project to its
completion.
The Eagle service project is an individual matter; therefore, two Eagle
candidates may not receive credit for the same project.
Eagle Scout leadership service projects involving council property or
other BSA activities are not acceptable for an Eagle service project. The
service project also may not be performed for a business, be of a
commercial nature, or be a fund-raiser.
Routine labor, or a job or service normally rendered, should not be
considered. An Eagle service project should be of significant magnitude to
be special and should represent the candidate's best possible effort.
The scout must submit his proposed project idea and secure the prior
approval of his unit leader, unit committee, and district or council
advancement committee, or their designee, to make sure that it meets the
stated standards for Eagle Scout leadership service projects before the
project is started. This preapproval of the project does not mean that the
board of review will accept the way the project was carried out.
Upon completion of the project, a detailed report must be submitted
with the Scout's Eagle application to include the following information:
- What was the project?
- How did it benefit others?
- Who from the group benefiting from the project gave guidance?
- Who helped carry out the project?
- What materials were used and how were they acquired?
Although the project must be approved before work is begun, the board
of review must determine if the project was successfully carried out.
Questions that must be answered are:
- Did the candidate demonstrate leadership of others?
- Did he indeed direct the project rather than do all of the work
himself?
- Was the project of real value to the religious institution, school
or community group?
- Who from the group benefiting from the project may be contacted to
verify the value of the project?
- Did the project follow the plan, or were modifications needed to
bring it to its completion?
All the work on the project must be done while the candidate is a Life
Scout and before the candidate's 18th birthday.
The variety of projects performed throughout the nation by Scouts
earning their Eagle Scout Award is staggering. Only those living in an
area can determine the greatest value and need for that area. Determine,
therefore, whether the project is big enough, appropriate, and worth
doing. For ideas and opportunities, the Scout can consult people such as
school administrators, religious leaders, local government department
directors, or a United Way agency's
personnel.
