Work with Eagle Scout Coordinator before Project Proposal

Scouting can offer many things to the youth who join Scouting, some of these are activities that spark interest in the outdoors, camping, learning new skills, making new friends, achieving goals, and earning awards and ranks.  

The highest pinnacle of the scouting rank is that of Eagle Scout. When the youth start working on this achievement the scout unit leaders are supported by the District and Council leaders. In

this way, the scout is learning to work outside of their unit and utilizing other adults that will also help guide them to this highest rank. The scout begins to see beyond their own unit and meet others who become another level of support.

As the scout begins seeking a project that excites them to use as their Eagle Scout project, they

should include the Eagle Scout Coordinator. The Eagle Scout Coordinator helps the scouts from approving the Eagle Scout project to being prepared for their Eagle Scout Board of Review. The Eagle Scout coordinator receives guidance from the Council in their monthly meetings. They receive knowledge from the Council in helping the scouts meet the guidelines of having a project that is worthy of an Eagle Scout.

As the ES coordinator and District Advancement committee approve the project and prepare the

scouts for their Eagle Scout Board of Review. (ESBOR) We have identified a few things we would

like to focus on this year. We will address each one of them in greater depth in future Newsletter articles to help the unit scout leaders help us in achieving them.

Here are the top five areas we will be addressing as we start our year:

1. Contacting the Eagle Scout coach of a scout working on their Eagle Scout Service Project workbook, before they turn it in to the coordinator. This will help to ensure that basic information is in place. This helps the scout receive the Eagle Scout project approval quicker.
2. Selecting Eagle Scout Coaches from the unit leadership to help guide scouts that understand the process of the trail to Eagle.
3. Knowing the order and importance of having all signatures and dates of the Eagle Scout project proposal and project report.
4. Understanding the importance of the whole Eagle Scout service workbook and why it needs to be completed and given to the Eagle Scout coordinator before the Eagle Scout Board of Review.
5. Why Scouting has an Eagle Scout project and the importance of stating a project goal in the proposal.

We look forward to learning together how we each can improve our performance of, On My

Honor I Will Do My Best, as we serve perspective Eagle Scouts.

Why Probing Questions are Necessary for Eagle Service Projects

In the Eagle Scout Service Workbook on page 4 it says:

“Questioning and probing for their understanding of the project, the proposal, and what is to be done, shall be conducted in a helpful, friendly, courteous, and kindhearted manner. We will respect the Scout’s dignity. Scouts will be allowed, if they choose, to have a parent, unit leader, or other adult present as an observer at any time while they are discussing their proposal or project with someone who is reviewing it.”

Also, on page 2 it reads under The Project Plan:

“Your project plan can also be important in showing your Eagle Scout board of review 
that you have planned and developed your project as required.”

The questions the unit leaders, district and council ask are to help the scout be successful with their project. Everything they have been working on up to this point in Scouting leads to the Eagle Scout service project. Merit Badges like communication, personal management, and having scout leadership roles all prepare them in leading a group of volunteers in serving the community with the Eagle Scout service project they have chosen.

The questions asked should be helpful for the scout in doing the following:

1. Help them know their project meets the requirements of an Eagle Scout Project
2. Helps the scout be forward thinking in seeing all aspects of the project, not just getting the job done. That means, having all materials, supplies, tools, and meeting safety issues while doing their project. The workbook helps scouts think through this process by filling out all sections
3. Questions help scouts develop their Eagle Project in depth by seeing phases that need to take place in an orderly manner to be effective. It teaches them how to plan large projects and see them be successful in a safe framework of scouting
4. These probing questions also help the scouts work through problems that might arise during the project. With guidance of adult leaders, the scout can put into place safety help they might have not seen

We hope this information is helpful to Eagle Scout coaches, scoutmaster and parents who help guide the scouts through the Eagle Scout process.

Eagle Scout Service Project Contact Page Pitfalls

Our tip for this month is to help our unit leaders, old and new, to avoid common pitfalls while helping our scouts complete the contact page in the Eagle Scout Service Project workbook. This information helps the scouts to know who will help them receive signatures, get answers to questions about the project and to prepare for their Eagle Scout Board of Review.

We hope this information will be saved by all unit leaders helping their scouts with the Contacts page.

The following areas are often left blank when workbooks are submitted to us:

• The date they earned their Life Scout rank must be typed in
• All information for the scout's unit leaders should be typed in, including:
• Address
• Phone number
• Email. The scout needs to be able to find you if needed.
• The beneficiary is the organization the scout is serving. Information should include
• Name 
• Organization address
• The beneficiary representative is the person the scout contacts in behalf of the beneficiary organization. They should provide
• Address
• Phone number 
• Email
• The council information is:
• Crossroads of the West,
• Phone 801-479-5460 
• Address: 1200 East 5400 South Ogden, UT 84403 
• Email address is : programoffice@scouting.org . All of this information needs to be listed.
• The council or district representative is:
• Debra Henrie
• Phone: 435-512-5905 
• Email: dafhenrie@gmail
• Address: 100 Pinewood Drive Logan, UT 84321 
• This address will be needed for the Eagle Scout recommendation letters needed for their Eagle Scout Board of Review

We encourage unit leaders to save this information and give it to their scouts as they are filling out their Eagle Scout Service workbook.

We look forward in serving your scouts as they prepare to become an Eagle Scout.

Eagle Scout Board of Review reminder

We wanted to remind our Troop leaders of when Eagle Scout Board of Reviews are held and how their scouts are to prepare for them. Sometimes scouts think that giving us their Eagle Scout service workbook is the only document needed to hold their Eagle Scout Board of Review. 

The Eagle Scout service workbook is one of four documents that are needed. As we receive these documents, we send email updates to the scout and their unit leaders. The following documents are needed in order t0 schedule a scout’s ESBOR.

1. Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook completely filled in including the signatures of completion by the scout, the beneficiary, and Unit Leader.
2.  Four to five letters of recommendation for the scout to become an Eagle Scout. (These are mailed directly to the Eagle Scout Coordinator NOT to the Scout or unit leader
3. A statement of ambitions and goals of the scout.
4. An Eagle Scout Application that has been signed by the Ogden Scout Office, verifying that all requirements have been completed.

Our District holds Eagle Scout Boards of Review twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday. We can have up to three scouts in an evening. Because we cover a large area, we would like to arrange to have at least 2 scouts come for their boards. If that is not possible because of the time commitment of the family members etc. we will hold an Eagle Scout Board of Review for one scout.

We hope you find this helpful as you work with your scouts in preparing for and having this important Board of Review.

Eagle Scout Coach Training

University of Scouting is offering a class for Eagle Scout Coaches. We encourage all units to have a member of your Troop committee that helps Eagle Scouts, to attend one of two sessions. This class will help them work with scouts in preparing Eagle service project proposals and get them ready for the Eagle Coordinators to review. The date of University of Scouting is March 11, 2023. It is a full day of classes for all scout leaders to assist in offering an excellent scouting program to the youth. To register, go to the Council page and click Trainings, click University of Scouting and find out more about this great training event.