GREATER HUDSON VALLEY COUNCIL
GUIDELINES FOR THE STEPS FROM LIFE TO EAGLE
The Greater Hudson Valley Council is excited when Scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout. This information should help Scouts and their families understand our Council’s processes related to the Eagle Rank.
OVERVIEW
To begin, there are three documents every Scout must use and reference:
- Eagle Scout Rank Application (#512-728)
- Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook (#512-927)
- Guide to Advancement (#33088). This answers common questions about the rank and the project.
- Note: Only the most current version of the Application and Workbook will be accepted by Boards of Review and the Council. They can be obtained at https://www.scouting.org/advancement.
The Greater Hudson Valley (GHV) Council has established a few local procedures. The procedures vary slightly by District; however, all of this is done in harmony with the official sources mentioned above.
Our Council does not require that you use an Eagle Mentor (who advises on the whole Eagle process) or an Eagle Project Coach (who advises only on the Project). Many troops use Mentors and Coaches actively while others do not. Speak with your Scoutmaster to decide whether to use one. Our Council does not require Mentors or Coaches to submit applications to serve, but those individuals must comply with all Youth Protection Guidelines.
We generally refer to Scoutmasters in this document, but if you are a Sea Scout you should substitute Skipper and if you are Venturer then we mean Crew Advisor.
COMPLETE ALL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EAGLE RANK
- Requirements 1 – 6 on the Eagle Rank Application, which includes the Scoutmaster conference, must be completed before a Scout’s 18th birthday and can be worked on in any order.
- A Scout must be registered through the time the Scout is completing requirements but need not be registered thereafter or when their board of review is conducted.
- Requirement 2, Letters of Reference
- All six (five if not employed) references must be listed. If you are not affiliated with an organized religion, your parent provides this reference.
- Anyone of any age may be listed as a reference.
- You will request letters from these people at a later time.
- More information on Letters of Reference is below.
- Requirement 4, Position of Responsibility
- The only acceptable positions are those listed on the Eagle Scout Rank Application.
- Only list positions that related to the unit where you were active at the time you were registered (e.g., Senior Patrol Leader would not be used by a crew member unless he/she was also registered in a troop)
- The six-month element of the requirement may be met through a combination of non-concurrent positions served in a troop, crew or ship.
- Requirement 5, the Eagle Scout Service Project
- This creates lots of questions, so we provide detailed information below.
THE EAGLE SCOUT SERVICE PROJECT (EAGLE SCOUT RANK REQUIREMENT #5)
The Eagle Scout Service Project - Project Proposal
Scouts should read the Service Project Workbook and then fill out the Project Proposal. The most important guideline that an Eagle candidate must follow is to get approvals on their Project Proposal before beginning detailed planning and work. If you start work without approval, you may be required choose a new project. The process and the approvals take lots of time. Plan ahead! Do not get close to your 18th birthday to start planning.
Write up your proposal and consult with a parent, relative, Scoutmaster and/or a Project Coach before you submit it for approval with your signature. To be approved, a Project Proposal requires signatures from:
- Your unit leader (Scoutmaster, Skipper or Crew Chief)
- Your unit committee (typically Committee Chair)
- Beneficiary (a representative of the organization that will benefit from your project)
- Your District’s Eagle/Advancement committee or an officially appointed District representative. The other signatures can be obtained in any order, but this one must come after the others.
The procedures for the District project approval vary by District. Consult with your Troop’s Scoutmaster or official District representatives for advice.
The District Eagle Chairs are:
District | Contact | |
Algonquin |
Yzette Swavy-Lipton |
|
Hudson-Delaware | Jim Steinberg
and Bob Stuercke (monitors the heritage e-mail and his personal e-mail for all Eagle in Heritage) |
jsteinberg5@hvc.rr.com
|
Dutchess | Ken Maurer | dutchess.eagle@gmail.com |
Manitoga | Jay Gussak | manitogaadvancementchair@gmail.com |
Mohican | George Peborde | gpeborde@gmail.com |
Muscoot | Joe Greenfield | yussel3@comcast.net |
Rockland | Anne Martel | rockland.eagle@gmail.com |
Once your project proposal has been approved by your officially appointed District Representative or District Advancement Committee, a copy should be sent to your Scoutmaster, Troop Advancement Chair, the Eagle Chair (if your unit has one) and your unit’s Committee Chair, so they are aware that your project proposal has been approved.
The Eagle Scout Service Project - Fundraising
See attachment here for full Fundraising Guidelines -Dated March 2023
If fundraising will occur, you must submit the fundraising application. We only accept the most current version of the fundraising application. The application is in the Project Plan section of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. Read Procedures and Limitations on the form for details and exceptions to this requirement.
- Only submit a fundraising application after your project is approved as outlined above
- If raising less than $500, your District Committee or District Advancement Chair will approve
- Amounts over $500 require Council Advancement Committee approval. In this case, send the project proposal and fundraising application to the Council Service Center Email: ghv.eagles@Scouting.org
The Eagle Scout Service Project - Prepare Your Project Plan and execute your project
Only after receiving the District approval described above on your Project Proposal, complete the Project Plan and then execute your project. During the project, keep records of dates, times, names of helpers and when they worked, supplies, costs, challenges and successes, etc. Don’t forget to take before and after photos.
The Eagle Scout Service Project - Prepare the Eagle Scout Service Project Report
After completing your project, complete the report section of the Workbook. Document any changes from your plan. Proofread it carefully as your Board of Review will read it. Sign and date the Candidates Promise on the Project Report Page and get signatures from the Benefactor and your Scoutmaster.
FINALIZE AND SUBMIT YOUR EAGLE SCOUT RANK APPLICATION
- You must complete requirements 1-6 (which includes the Scoutmaster conference) by your 18th birthday.
- You may gather signatures on your application and submit it after you turn 18 but please don’t wait.
- Carefully read and complete all sections. You must submit a 100% complete application. Many Scouts have their approval delayed because they’ve submitted an incomplete application.
- You must:
- Ensure accuracy of all dates by matching dates in official Scoutbook records, working with troop leadership as needed. Use Scoutbook to prepare the Eagle Applications. This can be done by the Scout or Troop Leadership. Log into Scoutbook /Go to the Scout's Profile/Scroll down to Reports/Click on Eagle Application. -It will pre-populate the application with all Rank Dates Merit Badge Dates/Profile/Position Dates
- Be certain your phone number and email address on the application are accurate so Council can contact you if problems arise.
- Have applicant, Unit leader and Committee Chair signatures (can be dated after 18th BD)
- As noted on the application above the Scouts Signature Line "Certification By Applicant" Include your statement of ambitions and life purposes AND a listing of positions held in your religious institution, school, camp, community, or other organizations, during which you demonstrated leadership skills. Include honors and awards received during this service.
- You do not need to submit any of these with your application:
- your Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook (this is for your Board of Review)
- Reference letters (these are for your Board of Review; more info below)
- blue cards / Scoutbook records as proof of merit badge completion, but you may be asked to submit them later if something is missing in the digital records
- Submit the application for GHV Council verification by emailing a single, consolidated SCANNED PDF ATTACHMENT *Council needs to be able to print this as a clear copy that will be signed and used at the future Eagle Board of Review (do not send in photos) Best if done from a Computer Scanner. Other Helpful Scanning Options: How to Scan to PDF from i-phone: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210336 from Android: https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9308884?hl=en
- Send e-mail to GHV.EAGLES@scouting.org
- Council will review your application for completeness and will verify all dates.
- Once Council signs off that the requirements have been met, a verification letter along with the Council signed application will be sent to the Scoutmaster and the District Eagle Coordinator (or Advancement Chair in districts without an Eagle Coordinator). Only then will the District begin to work with your Scoutmaster to schedule your Board of Review.
- You must:
LETTERS OF REFERENCE FOR THE BOARD OF REVIEW
- The Scout or a designated individual in the troop may hand deliver or mail requests for confidential Letters of Reference to the people listed on the Eagle Scout Rank Application under Requirement #2. Scouts are not responsible for follow-through or any other aspect of this process.
- Sample Templates that may be used can be found here.
- Sealed letters are returned to a designated representative of the Board of Review. Different Districts handle this differently, so speak with your Scoutmaster or District Advancement Chair/District Eagle Chair.
- The only people authorized to view references are members of the Board of Review. Once the Board of Review has been held, the letters should be destroyed by the Chair of the Board of Review if the Scout earns the Eagle Rank. If the Scout does not earn the rank, the references must be returned to the Council office so they are available in case the Scout appeals.
- Email references are permissible but are strongly discouraged because it is harder to avoid them being shared inappropriately and harder to ensure they are destroyed after the BOR is complete.
- If, after a diligent effort, no response is received on a reference request, the BOR proceeds without it.
BOARD OF REVIEW
- Only after the Council Service Center representative signs your application to verify it is complete, speak with your Scoutmaster about the scheduling of your Eagle Board of Review.
- The Board of Review may occur, without special approval, up to 24 months after the Scout’s 18th birthday.
- Scouts (or troop designees) should request the letters of reference. See the next section for details.
- Scouts should bring copies of their Eagle Service Project Workbook – fully signed Proposal, the Plan, the signed Fundraising Application (if applicable) and the Project Report (which should include pictures, logs, etc.). The District Advancement Chair will determine how many copies are required. Discuss expectations with your Scoutmaster and the Chair of the Board of Review.
AFTER THE BOARD OF REVIEW
- If the Scout earns the rank of Eagle Scout, the Chair of the Board of Review and the Council/District Board Representative sign the application
- As the Eagle application only has space for those two signatures, but since rank advancement (Boards of Review) requires three signatures, the Chair of the Board of Review should also fill out the “Advancement Report #34403” and gather the three signatures. If the meeting was conducted remotely, the board chair may write in the other names. The form is here.
- In addition, so it is recorded and known who was part of each Eagle Board of Review....on the advancement report in the middle section on any of the lined spaces…PRINT full name of those that conducted the Eagle Board with relevant registered position or other title; example: District Member at Large or Community Representative or Troop Parent ,
- The District Chair of the Board of Review returns the signed application to the Council Service Center so the Scout Executive can sign it. This can be a PDF scanned in copy e-mailed to GHV.Eagles@scouting.org or it can be mailed or dropped off to the Council Service Center.
- The Council sends the application to the Scouts BSA National Office for certification. National verification, including the receipt of credentials and congratulatory letters may take 2-3 weeks from when the application is returned to the Greater Hudson Valley Council Service Center.
- Once the Eagle Credentials arrive from National to the Council Service Center, an email will be sent to the Scoutmaster and Committee Chair asking if they want to come and pick up or have mailed.
- A Scout is not officially an Eagle Scout until the National Certification is complete
EAGLE COURT OF HONOR
- An Eagle Court of Honor should be scheduled only after the candidate has successfully completed the Eagle Board of Review.
- As noted above, a Scout is not officially an Eagle Scout and no credentials or congratulatory letters will be available until the National Office certifies the application. The Court of Honor must not be held until credentials are received from National.
- Eagle packets are created by Council and picked up by or mailed to a Troop representative. With that in hand, troop leadership can purchase Eagle Kits (medal, patch and pins) from a Scout Shop.
- The Eagle Court of Honor is planned by the Scout and his or her unit.
QUESTIONS?
- Contact Council representatives at GHV.Eagles@Scouting.org or call 845-566-7300.
- The Council office is located at 18 Westage Drive, Fishkill, NY 12524