[Rhodes22-list] Eagle Scout

[Roger Pihlaja]

Will,

I had no idea you were so young.  I don't know how Eagle Service Projects
are handled in your troop.  However, in my troop, each Eagle Scout candidate
is "joined" to an Eagle Advisor adult leader.  The Eagle Advisor cannot be
the Scoutmaster or one of the Scout's parents.  These pairings are arranged
& agreed to personally between the Scout & the adult leader.  The Scout is
told he must find an Eagle Advisor at his Life Scout Board of Review.  Then,
during the Court of Honor (CoH) wherein the Scout is awarded his Life Scout
badge of rank, there is another brief ceremony right after the Life Scout
rank is awarded.  The requirements for Eagle Scout are reviewed & the Scout
is asked to publically commit to achieving these requirements.  The Eagle
Scout candidate then renews his vows by individually repeating the Scout
Oath & Law in front of the whole CoH.  Then, the Eagle Scout candidate & the
Eagle Advisor are each asked in turn if they are willing to help + give/take
advice re the Eagle Service Project.  After they both officially &
publically commit to this endeavor, the Troop Committee Chairman gives the
Eagle Scout candidate his Life-To-Eagle packet.  In my troop, it is
considered an honor for a Scout to want you as his Eagle Advisor, a sign of
respect & trust.

So, my 1st question is: Do you have an Eagle Advisor?  If not, then you
should find one.  This relationship doesn't have to be formally consumated
like we do it in my troop.  This is a tradition I started back in 1995 when
I became Scoutmaster.  My little Scout troop hatches Eagle Scouts at about
5X the national average rate.  One of the things that makes our Eagle
program so successful is that our entire rank advancement program is sharply
focused on keeping the concept of being an Eagle Scout always out there in
front of every Scout.  Seeing the Eagle Scout candidates publically commit
to this big Eagle Service Project in front of the entire troop, the adult
leaders, & all their parents at a CoH makes a lasting impression on the new
Scouts.  It also makes them want to be involved, which helps the Eagle Scout
candidate find volunteer labor to work on his project.

Politically, it's always a good idea to see if your troop's charter sponsor
has any projects that need doing.  Doing their projects helps keep the
relationship between the troop & charter sponsor strong.  The requirements
for the Eagle Service Project preclude me from doing too much for the Eagle
Scout Candidate.  It's supposed to be a demonstration of the Eagle Scout
Candidate's organizational & leadership skills.  However, here are some
suggestions for other organizations to check with for suitable projects:

Local Chamber of Commerce
Local School Board
Local Unit of Government (City Council, Township Board of Directors, County
Board of Commissioners, etc.)
Local Dept. of Parks & Recreation
Local Churches
State Dept. of Natural Resources
Local Historical Societies or Local Museums
Local United Way Organizations
Local Service Organizations (Moose, VFW, Eagles, etc.)
Local Indian Tribal Council

An Eagle Service Project is especially satisfying if it can be combined with
one of your own personal interests or life's ambitions.  So, what do you
like to do &/or what would you like to be as an adult?

Good Luck!

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: "William P. Barry, III" <wp.barry@att.net>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 4:29 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Eagle Scout


> Roger:
>     Throughout the past few years, I have seen you write stories about
multiple trips and camps that you and your Boy Scout Troop have attended. I
am reaching the point where I must begin the traditional Eagle Scout project
in order to fulfill the requirements of my next advancement. As I have had a
few ideas, but not many resources to base them on, I was wondering if there
is any particular area that you send your troop to in order to further
investigate the possibilities. I would really like to get a few more ideas
before I take my current ones and place them out for approval.
>     Thanks,
>             Will Barry
>
>
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