m. After You Are Approved

This page highlights suggestions that you should consider while you work on you project and other advancement requirements necessary to earn Eagle.

It is your responsibility to complete all Eagle Rank Requirements (one day) prior to your 18th birthday. Most Scouts find it takes from 2 to 9 months to complete an Eagle Scout Service Project. If you only have a few months left then you will need to be very focused and carefully manage all aspects of your project to be successful. You must be registered through the time you complete Eagle rank requirements but need not be registered thereafter or when your board of review is conducted.

Eagle rank requirements that must be completed before your 18th birthday deadline are listed in your hand book and include: 21 merit badges, Eagle Scout Service Project including Final Report and signatures, active participation in your unit, Scout spirit, and position of responsibility. The unit leader (Scoutmaster) conference must occur before the 18th birthday, though it need not be the last item accomplished.

Don’t jeopardize all of your hard work by waiting until the last minute. Plan ahead; give yourself some extra time, as you don’t want a simple problem to cause you to miss the deadline. The Board of Review may be conducted up to 3 months after your 18th birthday however it is not wise to wait that long.

Suggestions provided by the your unit leader, your project coach and district (those provided to you in the #4 email) are intended to help you complete the Final Plan, help you avoid pitfalls, complete the project execution phase and write the Project Report successfully.

Be careful; to not jeopardize your Eagle rank by failing to follow the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, No. 512-927, and Section 9 of the Guide to Advancement 2019guidelines. The following tasks are listed in the approximate order you will follow.

□ Be sure to schedule a formal advancement records review with your unit Advancement Chair to determine what other rank advancement requirements you need such as merit badges, position of responsibility or time in rank. You may begin working any outstanding requirements immediately.

□ Complete all items in the ‘Final Plan’ section of your workbook before you start implementing the project. Planning and development require forethought, effort, and time—sometimes more than for project execution. Be thorough with completing the ‘Final Plan’ section of your workbook. This phase satisfies two key parts of the rank requirement “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.” You should ask for guidance from others, share ideas, seek plan reviews, and go through the processes that professional project planners might use. Ultimately any design issues are between you and the beneficiary.

□ As you work on your Final Plan, communicate frequently with your Eagle Project Coach and schedule a meeting after your Final Plan is written to assure and that you have done enough planning to successfully execute your project. You are also encouraged to review the Final Plan with your project beneficiary and to give them a copy. Conducting a thorough review at this phase of your planning should help you assure that no one is surprised by your detailed plan or end product or service.

□ Complete the ‘Project Report’ section of the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook. Attach any “before,” “during,” and “after” photographs. Attach letters, maps, handouts, printed materials, correspondence, expenses or similar items that might be helpful to your Board of Review.

□ When you have completed your workbook, make a presentation to your Project Coach then schedule a meeting with your Unit Leader. They will review the contents of your workbook and attachments to make sure that your write-up is complete, accurate and that it meets all the requirements. Obtain your unit leader’s signature. Your leader also attesting with his signature that your project was planned, developed, and carried out by you, the Eagle candidate. If you would like an advanced review please email a copy of your completed workbook to the District Committee at advancement.chair@gmail.com. Include sketches and pictures or any other attachments.

□ Obtain the benefiting organization signature. While it is not required, most benefiting organizations will write a complementary letter thanking you for your service. If you receive such a letter add it to your Eagle board of review binder. It will satisfy another key part of the rank requirement “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.” If the beneficiary does not provide a letter then the board chair will need to contact them to inquire about your project.

□ Once you have obtained the required signatures, please contact the District Coach that approved your project so they can schedule a visit to observe your finished work. This will give the District Coach that sits on your board of review firsthand knowledge of your project.

□ Completing your project does not mean that it will automatically be accepted by the board of review members. Eagle Scout projects must be evaluated primarily on impact; the extent of benefit to the religious institution, school, or community, and on the leadership you provided. There must also be evidence of planning and development. This is not only part of the requirement, but relates to practicing our motto to “Be Prepared.” However, in determining if your project meets requirement 5, reviewers must not require more planning and development than was necessary for you to execute the project. These elements must not overshadow the project itself, as long as the effort was well led, and resulted in otherwise worthy outcome acceptable to the beneficiary.

□ Request letters of reference as indicated on the Eagle application. Request a Scoutmaster conference with your unit leader, request that they complete a Unit Leaders Comments form.

□ Complete the official Eagle Scout Rank Application, No. 512-728 editable form. Use the Completing Your Eagle Application page to verify that the form is complete.

□ Prepare and deliver a ‘Proof of Advancement Package’ to the Baltimore Area Council Help Desk. Note: this paperwork should not be submitted to the Dorsey Road Scout Shop or to the District. You should retain your original blue cards, project workbook, project documentation, and Scout Handbook. Please make a copy of the signed Eagle Application. Documents submitted to Council will not be returned. The Proof of Advancement Package should contain:

o The original Eagle Scout Rank Application completed and signed. [Note: The BAC Ambition and Life Purpose Form, part 6 of the application is submitted to district not council.]

o Copies of the signed and dated merit badge Blue Cards for the 21 merit badges listed on the application. Signatures and sign-off dates must be legible.

o Copies of the First Class, Star, and Life advancement requirement pages from your Boy Scout Handbook. Signatures and sign off-dates must be legible.

Note: If you have misplaced these documents you should work with your Unit Advancement Chair to prepare alternative records of your advancement history. The Managing Documentation page provides additional guidance to your unit regarding any missing paperwork.

If there are problems with your package the Help Desk will contact you and your unit. Please email advancement.chair@gmail.com if you have any questions.

After your advancement requirements are verified, council will send the original ‘Verified Eagle Application’ to the District Advancement Chair and will send you a post card indicating that the Approved Application has been issued.

□ Prepare two ‘Eagle Scout board of review binders’ for the district board. Please retain your original binder and deliver the second binder to the district advancement chair. This will include 3 documents:

o The completed and signed Eagle Scout workbook, with attachments

o The BAC Ambition and Life Purpose form which documents part 6 of the Eagle application

o The BAC Eagle Information form

After the original documents are complete please make a copy for the district. Insert the copied documents into a 3-ring binder. Add a cover sheet to the Eagle board of review binder showing your Name and Unit Number and deliver the binder to the District Advancement Committee Chairman at 12 Fisk Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401. Simply wrap the binder in a plastic bag and place it inside the screen door. The binder is needed before scheduling your board of review occurs. The District Project Approval Representative that sits on your board will return the binder to you.

Please place your original documents in a second binder and bring that binder to the board. Your unit will bring letters of recommendation and additional documentation.