Navigang the Eagle Scout Service Project
Informaon for Project Beneciaries
Thank You and Congratulaons
Congratulaons on your selecon as an Eagle Scout service project beneciary, and thank you for the opportunity you
are making available to an Eagle Scout candidate. Support from community organizaons is important to Scoung—
just as important as Scoung’s contribuons are to the community. Scouts provide important services, and beneng
organizaons such as yours provides a vehicle for personal growth.
The Eagle Scout Rank and the Service Project
Service to others is an important part of the Scout Oath: “... to help other people at all mes.” Each year tens of
thousands of Scouts strive to achieve the coveted Eagle Scout rank by applying character, cizenship, and Scoung
values in their daily lives. One of the rank requirements is to plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service
project helpful to any religious instuon, school, or community. Through this requirement, Scouts pracce what they
have learned and gain valuable project management and leadership experience.
Typical Projects
There are thousands of possible Eagle Scout projects. Some involve building things, and others do not. There have been
all kinds: making birdhouses for an arboretum, conducng bicycle safety rodeos, construcng park picnic tables or
benches, upgrading hiking trails, planng trees, conducng well-planned blood drives, and on and on. Other than the
general limitaons noted below, there are no specic requirements for project scope or for how many hours are worked,
and there is no requirement that a project have lasng value. What is most important is the impact or benet the project
will provide to your organizaon. In choosing a project, remember it must be something a group with perhaps limited
skills can accomplish under the leadership of your Eagle Scout candidate. In order to fulll the requirement, the Scout
must be the one to lead the project. Therefore, it is important that you work with the Scout and not with the Scout’s
parents or leaders.
Project Restricons and Limitaons
• Fundraising is permied only for facilitang a project. Eorts that primarily collect money, even for worthy charies,
are not permied.
• Roune 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 sucient 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 operaon 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.
Approving the Project Proposal and Project Scheduling
Once a potenal project is idened, you must approve your Scout’s proposal. Regular communicaons with the Scout
can make this quick and easy, but be sure you have both discussed and considered all aspects of the project to ensure
your Scout has a clear understanding of your expectaons and limitaons. Keep in mind the Scout’s proposal is merely an
overview—not a comprehensive plan.
Some projects may take only a few weeks or months to plan and carry out, while others may take longer. Scouts working
toward the Eagle rank are typically busy, so scheduling exibility may be important. The proposal must also have several
approvals, besides yours, before project planning occurs and work begins. Therefore, if a proposed project must be
completed by a certain rapidly approaching date, it may be a good idea to consider something dierent. Remember, too,
that all work must be completed before the Scout’s 18th birthday.
Approving Project Plans
Aer the proposal is approved by the BSA local council, your Scout must develop a plan for implemenng the project.
Before work begins, you should ask to see the plan. It may come in any format you desire or are willing to accept. It
could even be a detailed verbal descripon. That said, the BSA includes a “Project Plan” form in your Scout’s Eagle Scout
Service Project Workbook, and we recommend that you ask your Scout to use it. If in your plan review you have any
concerns the project may run into trouble or not produce the results you want, do not hesitate to require improvements
before work begins.
Permits, Permissions, and Authorizaons
• If the project requires building permits, etc., your Scout needs to know about them for planning purposes. However,
your organizaon must be responsible for all perming. This is not a duty for the Scout.
• Your organizaon must sign any contracts.
• If digging is involved, it is your responsibility to locate, mark, and protect underground ulies as necessary.
• If you need approval from a commiee, your organizaon’s management, or a parent organizaon, etc., be sure to
allow addional me and let the Scout know if their help is needed.
Funding the Project
Eagle service projects oen require fundraising. Donaons of any money, materials, or services must be preapproved by
the BSA unless provided by your organizaon; by the Scout or the Scout’s parents or relaves; or by the Scout’s unit or its
chartered organizaon. The Scout must make it clear to donors or fundraising event parcipants that the money is being
raised on the project beneciary’s behalf, and that the beneciary will retain any leover funds. If receipts are needed,
your organizaon must provide them. If your organizaon is not allowed to retain leover funds, you should designate a
charity to receive them or turn them over to your Scout’s unit.
Supervision
To meet the requirement to “give leadership to others,” your Scout must be given every opportunity to succeed
independently without direct supervision. The Scout’s unit must provide adults to assist or keep an eye on things, and
your organizaon should also have someone available. The Scout, however, must provide the leadership necessary for
project compleon without adult interference.
Safety
Through the proposal and planning process, the Scout will idenfy potenal hazards and risks and outline strategies to
prevent and handle injuries or emergencies. Scouts as minors, however, cannot be held responsible for safety. Adults
must accept this responsibility. Property owners, for example, are responsible for issues and hazards related to their
property or employees and any other individuals or circumstances they would normally be responsible for controlling.
If during project execuon you have any concerns about health and safety, please share them with the Scout and the
unit leaders so acon may be taken. If necessary, you may stop work on the project unl concerns are resolved.
Project Compleon and Approval
Aer the project has been completed, your Scout will ask for your approval on their project report. The report will
be used in the nal review of the Scout’s qualicaons for the Eagle Scout rank. If the Scout has met your reasonable
expectaons, you should approve the project; if not, you should ask for correcons. This is not the me, however, to
request changes or addions beyond what was originally agreed.
The Eagle Scout service project is an accomplishment a Scout will always remember. Your reward will be a helpful project
and, more important, the knowledge you have contributed to a young Scout’s growth.
510-025
2019 Printing
Boy Scouts of America
1325 West Walnut Hill Lane
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, Texas 75015-2079
www.scouting.org