Lessons Learned and Hints for Success

The Lifeto-Eagle Trail:

Presented By Dennis Horwitz, ASM, Troop 103, dennishorwitz@gmail.com, Matilija District Merit Badge Round-Up, October-2009

There is a lot of work ahead of you! Why Do You Really Want This?
You are here This is the goal!

Eagle Rank Requirements:

Before you turn 18 years old, complete these requirements:
1. Be active in your troop, team, crew, or ship for a period of at least six months after you have achieved the rank of Life Scout. 2. Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. List the names of individuals who know you personally and would be willing to provide a recommendation on your behalf, including parents/guardians, religious, educational, and employer references. 3. 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 Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving Environmental Science Personal Management Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling Camping Family Life

4. While a Life Scout, serve actively for a period of six months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility: Boy Scout troop: 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, or instructor. Varsity Scout team: Captain, cocaptain, program manager, squad leader, team secretary, Order of the Arrow team representative, librarian, quartermaster, chaplain aide, instructor, or den chief. Venturing crew/ship: President, vice president, secretary, treasurer, boatswain, boatswain's mate, yeoman, purser, or storekeeper. 5. 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 should benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) The project plan must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 512-927 , in meeting this requirement. 6. Take part in a Scoutmaster conference. 7. Solicit Letters of Recommendations 8. Turn in your completed Eagle Scout Application and Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook to the Council office BEFORE your 18th birthday. 9. LAST STEP: Bring all of your sealed Letters of Recommendation to the Eagle Scout Board of Review. Successfully pass the BOR. 10. Celebrate at your Eagle Court of Honor. Be an inspiration to the other Scouts!

First Focus On The Requirements That Demand Long Term Commitments

1. YOUR FIRST PRIORITY should be the Service Project. 2. When is the next Troop election? You need a responsible leadership position lasting at least 6 months. 3. Be active in the Troop for at least 6 months. 4. Merit Badges that require logging information over time:
Personal Fitness (12 weeks) Personal Management (13 weeks) Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling (Do Swimming MB at Summer Camp) Camping (20 nights outside limit to one week of long term camp) Family Life (90 days)

The Service Project: What To Do?

The project should represent a capital improvement, not purely maintenance unless major structures need to be repaired or rebuilt. You (nor your parents) are responsible for planning, directing and following through to the projects successful completion. What do you like to do? Hiking Consider a trail building/improvement project, erosion control Camping Information kiosks or other structures Conservation Recycling, erosion control Construction Barn owl homes, kiosks, sun shelters, lighting Sports Replace/refinish bleachers, new snack bar, etc. Schools or Day Care Build new tables, storage cabinets, etc.

The Service Project: Who To Ask?

You could contact: Your Church or Synagogue Your School Charitable organizations City Parks & Recreation Department (Ventura, Camarillo, TO, etc.) City Public Works Departments State Parks (San Buenaventura Beach SP, etc.) National Park Service (Santa Monica Mtns RA, Thousand Oaks Visitor Center) National Forest Service (Los Padres NF, Ojai Ranger Station) Conservation Groups (Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, etc.) Trail Conservancies (Conejo, Friends of Los Padres

The Service Project: Documentation

You need to be detail oriented and keep records/receipts If you are computer savvy, download the WORD version of the Workbook. Its easier to enter/edit text and insert photos rather than physical cut-andpaste. It also looks better. You can add more pages easily. But dont modify a page after it has been signed. www.nesa.org/trail/18-936.doc Determine a potential project. You may need to go back and forth with the benefiting organization, your scoutmaster, troop committee and Swabby Simmons until you find the right project that meets all of the requirements. Eagle Advancement Chair Swabby Simmons must approve and sign the workbook before you can start work. His telephone number is 6466287. Call to make an appointment. Complete Pages 7-8: Project description, How it benefits the group and Scoutmaster signature. Complete Page 9: Project details, Before photos and signatures (Scoutmaster, Troop Committee, Beneficiary representative and Eagle Advancement Overseer)

Signature Cycle
Start Here

Get an Idea

Discuss with Scoutmaster

Not OK

OK

Swabby s Verbal OK
Not OK

OK

Sponsor Signature

Scoutmaster Signature

Work Detail Plans

Present to Committee
Not OK

OK

Committee Signature Swabbys Signature

Start Project

Planning
What materials do I need? Be specific record SKUs/part numbers/size for specific hardware. What is the cost? Where do I get them? What tools do I need? Who has them? Do I need to rent them? Need big construction equipment? Consider involving the Navy SeaBees! Break the project down into the individual steps/tasks and create a timeline/ schedule. Think how some things can be done in parallel other tasks in series. Record all of your time and itemize how it was spent! Development of concept, planning, prototyping buying, supervising, etc. How much labor do you need? Estimate # of people required and hours per person for each task? You also need to supply food and drink for your help. Factor in the quantities and costs too! Swabby will emphasize water and healthy stuff only! No soda, candies, donuts, etc. Take pictures both Before, During and After

Sample Project Schedule

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Draw plans Sponsor approval Troop Committee approval Get District Eagle Chair approval Announce Project at Troop meeting Develop Raw Material List Get Volunteers at Troop meeting Develop Task List Get Volunteers at Troop meeting Buy Raw Material Get Volunteers at Troop meeting Build project Final Report Start June 15 July 1 July 18 July 25 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 8 Aug 15 Aug 22 Aug 27 Aug 29 Sep 3 Sep 10 Finish June 30 July 15 July 29 Responsibility Me & My Mentor Me & Sponsor Rep. Me & SM Me & Mr. Simmons Me Me & SM Me & Dad Me Me & Dad Me Project Team Me

Aug 10 Aug 19 Aug 28 Sep 5

Financing
How can I raise money? Options include discounts (Home Depot), donations (money and material), fundraisers (car washes, special fundraiser nite at Rubios/Snapper Jacks/etc., garage sale, etc. If I need to buy materials, rent Parents cannot pay for the project. You have to find ways to finance the project

Execution
Arrange for the materials, tools, equipment and your help labor. Remember that the dates/times of the work are determined as much by your schedule as that of your volunteers. Consider holidays, religious events, school vacation, etc they can work for or against you. When it come to the actual work, YOU function solely as the leader and supervisor. You supervise the volunteers, make sure everyone understands their tasks, oversee the work and keep things running smoothly. Adults should be there largely as consultants. However, they may assist in the more difficult or dangerous tasks (electrical work) but the real workers are your fellow Scouts and other youth who come to help. Remember to clean-up the work area when done. Be sure all tools and equipment are returned to owners. You might be able to return unused material for refund. Collect and dump all trash. Record all of your time and itemize how it was spent! Have a sign-up sheet for the volunteers and record their individual hours as well. Take pictures During the job.

Final Documentation
Complete Pages 11-14: Carrying Out the Project Remember that the Your hours Name of each volunteer, date worked and # of hours Detailed list of materials-food-other purchases and costs Changes made to the original project After photographs Approval signatures by Scoutmaster and Beneficiary Representative It would hurt to have Swabby come down and inspect afterwards. Dont lose the Workbook. You will turn it in with your Application.

Your Eagle Court of Honor

There is no standard ceremony or script, you and your parents choose how simple or elaborate you want it to be. A video or slide show of your adventures from Cub Scouts through Boy Scouts helps non-Scouts see what adventures Scouting has to offer! One of the main purposes of the Eagle COH should be to inspire the attendees: Wow! Look at all those fun, cool things they do in Scouts! Inspire parents and younger kids to join Cub Scouts Inspire Cubs Scouts to bridge to Boy Scouts Inspire fellow Boy Scouts to advance and become Eagle Scouts You are now everyones role model! Live up to it! Pay back your Troop and Community! A lot of adult leaders and fellow scouts invested time and energy into helping you get to this point. You now have an critical advantage on College applications, Scholarship competitions and applying for Jobs. But you need to live up to the expectations! You can print your own COH Invitations and Programs

Online References
www.scouting.org www.nesa.org www.eaglescout.org www.macscouter.com www.meritbadge.com

Just google eagle scout anything