Milton district guidelines for eagle project proposals

1. 
   The Life to Eagle Guidebook may be helpful, as the booklet provides a step-by-step guide that walks the Eagle Candidate through the Eagle Process as well as the Project Proposal preparation process. The Workbook itself is available either in hard copy from the Atlanta Area Council or on-line as a downloadable .PDF or .RTF (Rich Text Format) document from the Milton District Website (www.miltonbsa.org). Go to Milton District Web site, then to Advancement Header then to Eagles Nest.
   

B) Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook (printed by BSA National; grey cover). This booklet is the format for submitting an Eagle Project to the Milton District for approval. It contains all the sections that must be considered for an Eagle Scout Project proposal to be considered complete. The District uses this format in reviewing project proposals. This Workbook itself is available either in hard copy from the Atlanta Area Council or on-line as a downloadable .PDF or .RTF (Rich Text Format) document from the Milton District Website (www.miltonbsa.org). Go to Milton District Website, then to Advancement Header then to Eagles Nest. A scout may download this document and work on it via his computer. Please note that for some odd reason other scout web sites have different varieties of this workbook. Using other varieties on this workbook will be a disadvantage to the Eagle Scout Candidate because many important items that need to be included are not on the other templates. To avoid this issue, and rejection of the written proposal, Milton District insists that the scout use the National official workbook that is on the Milton District Web site (www.miltonbsa.org).

These are held the same night as Eagle Scout Board of Reviews, which is usually the fourth Thursday of the month (except November/December) at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, at 7:00pm. Scouts attending must be in scout uniform and be prepared to take notes. Attendance at this seminar is not mandatory, HOWEVER it is STRONGLY SUGGESTED that the scout attend because it is a tremendous aid to those scouts writing their Eagle Scout Project proposal.

4. 
   Milton District also supplies a document titled “Quick and Easy Guide to the Eagle Scout Leadership Workbook.” This document is a sample Eagle Scout Project Workbook, that has been filled in with all the required items, special considerations, rules and regulations regarding the Eagle Scout project, or items discussed at the Life to Eagle Seminar. Scouts should download this and compare it with their proposal to ensure all required items are included with their proposal.
   

In addition to these resources, the Milton District has established several guidelines of its own for Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Proposals. These are intended to help the Eagle candidate plan and execute the project in a way that is consistent with BSA’s Safe Scouting principles, and are summarized below. It is essential that every Eagle Candidate incorporate these guidelines into his Project Proposal to the greatest extend possible, within the constraints of the project.

1. 
   First of all, the Candidate must ensure that his project will not be performed for a business or be of a commercial nature, or be solely a fundraiser. Note there is no requirement to determine if the organization is a “for profit or nonprofit type of organization, however when dealing with “for Profit” organizations the scout must be very careful of some fine line limitations. If the scout’s program directly benefits the for profit organization, or if it enhances the value of the business or it will make money for the business, it is prohibited, but if it helps the environment, community or community members rather than the for profit organization, his project is allowable. Such examples of this are:
   
   1. 
      Building erosion dams to prevent erosion from the for profit organizations property running off into a river or community park (providing the "for profit" organization hasn’t been cited by the courts to fix the problem.
      
   2. 
      Assisted Living Homes: Running or performing programs helping the residents while not replacing or taking the place of jobs that should be performed by the paid staff.
      
   3. 
      Building or creating an item that the for profit organization would not normally create, e.g. a butterfly garden or meditation garden or vegetable garden on the property, which the residents would enjoy, but not really enhance the physical worth of the property---be careful for this walks a fine line. Say you build a nice garden with a waterfall and the ”for profit” organization charges wedding parties to have their picture taken in front of your garden, your project is not allowable.
      

2. 
   If there is a question of the allowability of a project, contact the Milton District Advancement Chairman for guidance
   

3. 
   In the Workbook section on “Helpers and Workers”, the Eagle Candidate should try, to the extent possible depending on the specifics of his project, to use the “Patrol Method” in organizing his helpers. That is, he should designate several older Scouts as “Patrol Leaders or Team Leaders” for specific tasks or work shifts on the project, and train them to supervise the other helpers doing that task or working that shift. A Quartermaster or Quartermaster Patrol should also be utilized, whenever possible. Leadership is not only in building a project but also in, obtaining tools to be borrowed, purchasing materials as well as transporting materials. The Eagle Candidate himself takes on the role of “Senior Patrol Leader” for his project, and focuses his supervisory efforts on ensuring that his “Patrol Leaders” are leading their “patrols” appropriately, the Quartermaster team has the appropriate materials and supplies on site. This has the benefit of simplifying the Candidate’s work during the execution of the project, as he should not have to supervise all of his helpers but can focus his attention on his “Patrol/Team Leaders”. It also provides a deeper leadership training experience for the Candidate and for the “Patrol Leaders”, and it builds on the established leadership structure of the Troop or Venture Crew. The words “I will” should be replaced with “we will,” or “I will lead”!
   

4. 
   In the section on “Adult Supervision”, the Candidate must state that “at least two adults (defined as over the age of 21) will be present at all times during the work on the project, and at least one of these adults will be BSA Youth Protection Trained.” Unit Leaders are nice to have present but not a requirement for an Eagle Project.
   

5. 
   In the section on “Transportation”, the Candidate has two choices.
   
   1. 
      A Tour Permit; in which the candidate has also taken on the responsibility of arranging transportation for the helpers and materials
      
   2. 
      Or if transportation is not the concern of the Eagle Candidate then he must state and follow, “all helpers under 18 years of age will be driven to and from the work site(s) by their parents/ guardians and/or as arranged by their parent/guardian
      

It is unacceptable for the Candidate to simply state that the helpers will make their own arrangements to get to and from the work site – this conjures up images of Scouts hitch-hiking on GA 400 to get to the project!

6. 
   Please be sure that any documents listed in the section on “Written/Printed Information”, such as fliers (advertising the project or soliciting volunteers to help you) , letters soliciting donations, blank sign-up sheets for fund-raisers and for the project, special forms required to carry out your project such as tour permits, county permits, log sheets for tracking the time spent on the project by the Candidate and by his helpers, are TITLED, LABELED, REFERRED to in the text of the project and actually attached to the end of the Proposal as an Appendix.
   

7. 
   Maps: The area the project is occurring needs to be identified with maps—
   
   1. 
      A map of where the location is in relation to streets (a zoomed in city map showing actual location with an address and major streets and cross streets)
      
   2. 
      A map of where the exact location of the project is on the campus, park, or property. If the project is in a building show where the building is located on campus and where the room of the building is located, so a stranger, unfamiliar with the area, can find the exact location of the project.
      

8. 
   Financial considerations: Scouts must raise funds for the project. A scout may not have his Parents, family or himself donate funding to the project. A scout can not use babysitting or lawn cutting money he earned himself, BUT if he organized scouts to cut lawns or baby-sit and the money was turned over to him, then that is allowable, since leadership was involved. Fundraising can be accomplished by several methods.
   
   1. 
      Soliciting donations/funding from the recipient of the project: If this method is used it is highly suggested that he go in uniform and make a formal presentation
      
   2. 
      Utilizing a fundraising event such as a car wash, candy sale, etc. Door to door seeking donations: It is suggested that the scout wear a Scout Uniform and seek donations.
      
   3. 
      Other methods approved in advance, by the District Advancement Chairman
      
   4. 
      Setting up a booth with a display and ask for donations for his project.
      

9. 
   The Eagle Scout candidate needs to add a Safety Section. In this section the he discusses any safety considerations his project requires. Examples of this are POWER TOOLS. Older scouts defined as sixteen years or older may operate power tools such as Power saws (except chain saws), tillers etc. The only Power tools youths can not operate are Chain Saws and Log Splitters. Those tools are adults only. The Eagle Scout Candidate must ensure that all preventative safety gear are present at the project, such as eye protection, masks, work gloves, safe cutting area (same rules as knife, axe saw safety in Second Class or totin chit). The Scout must also have the ability to summon help in an emergency such as knowledge of the closest hospital, cell phone or telephone access on site.
   

10. 
    After the Proposal has been approved by the organization that will benefit from the project and by both the Unit Advancement Chairman (and/or designated Unit Committee Member) and the Unit Leader, it must be approved by the Milton District Advancement Chairman. Whenever possible, this process can be facilitated by submitting the proposal for review electronically as an email attachment (complete with all diagrams, plans etc as well as a copy of the approval page described above) before the hard copy is submitted. This simplifies communication and provides the opportunity for final corrections before the hard copy is “locked in”. All correspondence should come from the Eagle Scout Coordinator for the Troop, Crew or Ship, not the Scout. The Unit Eagle Scout Coordinator should review the proposal and have the scout correct it as needed before submitting to the District Advancement Chairman for review. The scout needs to submit a copy of his Life to Eagle Seminar Attendance Certificate. If a Certificate of Attendance is not included with the proposal, it shall be assumed that the scout did not attend the Life to Eagle Seminar.
    

11) Scouts unable to submit an electronic version of the proposal may submit a hard copy, along with two complete copies of the Proposal, including all drawings, photographs, signatures, and attachments. The scout needs to submit a copy of his Life to Eagle Seminar Attendance Certificate. If a Certificate of Attendance is not included with the proposal, it shall be assumed that the scout did not attend the Life to Eagle Seminar. The Unit Eagle Coordinator should review the proposal and have the scout correct it as needed before submitting it to the District Advancement Chairman for review.

A self-addressed, stamped envelope should also be included if the signed original is to be returned by mail after approval.

12. 
    Once the Eagle Scout Project Proposal is received, by the District Advancement Chairman, copies will be sent to other members of the District Advancement Committee, for review. Usually it will be two other members of the District Advancement Committee, in addition to the District Advancement Chairman. A consensus review will be sent to the Life to Eagle Coordinator, of the unit, to be relayed to the scout. The Unit Life to Eagle Scout Coordinator will work with scout to make any necessary revisions and then resubmit to the District Advancement Chairman.
    

12. 
    When the project is approved, the approval will be sent to the Unit Life to Eagle Coordinator to be relayed to the Scout. At the discretion of the District Advancement Chairman, the approved Proposal package may be:
    
    1. 
       Mailed (only if a stamped envelope is included in the proposal packet)
       
    2. 
       Delivered in person to a Unit Representative. Methods of delivery may include; delivering it at a Thursday District event such as Roundtable, Commissioner’s Meeting, District Committee Meeting, District Advancement Committee Meeting or Eagle Board of Review (the preferred route).
       
    3. 
       Delivered in person to a Unit Representative at a District Activity event such as Scout Expo, District Camporee etc.
       
13. 
    Home deliveries (other than U.S Postal Service) to the District Advancement Chairman to review a project or deliveries of accepted Eagle Scout Project proposals to the Unit Life to Eagle Scout Coordinator’s home (other than U.S Postal Service) are NOT generally accepted procedures.
    

12. 
    Contact the District Life to Eagle Coordinator or District Advancement Chairman for any questions or issues regarding an Eagle Scout Project proposal not covered in these guidelines.