Carrying Out Your Eagle Leadership Service Project

Once you have received all the approval signatures, you are ready to carry out your project.

While you are working on the project it is important to keep records daily as the project moves forward.  These records will be an important part of your final report.

Each day, before you start working on the day's tasks, be sure you have thoroughly reviewed the plan for the work.  Review the following questions about what you plan to accomplish that day:  

  • Do you have firm commitments for the number of people you need to accomplish the day's tasks, and have you confirmed that they will show up when you expect them?  

  • Do you have all the materials needed to build what you are building that day?  

  • Do you have the expendable supplies that you need?  

  • Do you have the tools needed for the tasks and number of people for that day?  

  • Have you gone over in your mind each step, and how you will explain it to your workers?

  • Have you reviewed the safety issues that may apply to the day's work, and are you prepared with instructions, procedures, and a first aid kit to minimize any risk?

  • Have you arranged for the registered adults required by BSA policy to be present, and explained to them that their responsibility is limited to the specific tasks they must perform due to safety requirements, but that you and the Scouts (or other youth you have recruited) will be carrying out the project?  BSA regulations require that 2 registered adults be present at all Scouting activities..

At the work site, keep a log of who comes, when they arrived, and how long they worked.  This will be needed for your report.  A sign-in sheet (name, time arrived, time left) on a clipboard with a pencil tied to it with a string is a good way to collect this information.  If the weather is questionable, clip a plastic sheet protector over the sign in sheet to protect it.  A suggested log form that you may use is available at http://www.eaglescout.itgo.com/SignIn.xls.

Take Pictures, before, during, and at the completion of the project.  Be sure to include pictures before you start, pictures of the work progressing, pictures of your crew, and pictures of the finished product.  You might want to assign one of the adults present the job of being the official photographer. One interesting idea might be to create a video of your Eagle project. See http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/04/17/golden-eagles/ for some samples and suggestions from Scouting Magazine editor Bryan Wendell.

Each day when you get home, sit down and make some notes about the day's work.  What went well?  What problems came up and how did you handle them?  What adjustments to the next day's plans need to be made based on what you learned today?

Keep very careful records of anything you bought, all money spent, and any money received.  If you are not sure how to keep accurate financial records, contact your personal management merit badge counselor in advance for advice.  It is very important that you be able to accurately account for any money advanced to you, or for expenses that you expect someone else to reimburse you for.

Remember that the project must be carried out with you providing leadership to a group of youth providing the service.  Do not let the project turn into you, maybe with the help of your father or one other scout, carrying out the project.  You should do very little of the “work” of the project.  At each work session you should be providing leadership to two or more individuals.  Adults must handle dangerous power tools, especially power saws, and of course will be necessary to provide transportation and safety.  Other than that their involvement should be minimized to allow/require you to provide the leadership.  Suggest that they bring a lawn chair and a good book (this time should not be listed in your log).  Don’t let them take over your project while trying to be helpful.  Remember that if this is to be YOUR Eagle project, YOU must be in charge and providing the leadership.

Changes After Approval

As you work on carrying out the project, you will probably have to make some changes from your plan.  That is normal, and expected.  The changes should be documented in the notes of the journal you are keeping along the way.  If the changes are significant enough that they change the scope of the project or the magnitude of the leadership you must provide, you should check with the four people who approved the project plan originally.  You do not want to get to the Board of Review (who must approve the project as carried out) that you have done a nice community service project but it no longer qualifies as an Eagle Scout Service Project.

Links to Pages Around This Web Site

HOME       7 REQUIREMENTS       PROCESS       PARENTS GUIDE    HANDBOOK/WORKBOOK     LIFE TO EAGLE SEMINARS       FIND PROJECT     PLAN PROJECT     MATERIALS   CARRY OUT PROJECT     WRITE UP     OTHER REQUIREMENTS     APPLICATION     SUBMIT PAPERWORK     BOARD OF REVIEW     COURT OF HONOR     SCHOLARSHIPS     CONTACTS     EXTENSIONS      

If you have comments or questions about this website, send me an e-mail.

This web site is a work-in-progress.  If you find any mistakes, links that don't work, typos, or other inaccuracies, please let me know.  If you have any suggestions of additional material that would be helpful to Scouts in earning their Eagle rank, I would always appreciate your input (Tom@Stalnaker.com).

Web site last updated 11/3/2022