.--. .--. .--. .--. .--. .--. .--. :::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\ ' `--' `--' `--' `--' `--' `--' DATE : 2019.04.04 TIME : 20:19 AUTHOR : SNOWCRASH@SDF.ORG MOOD : TIRED TITLE : AN EAGLE STARTS TO FLY .--. .--. .--. .--. .--. .--. .--. :::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\::::::::.\ ' `--' `--' `--' `--' `--' `--' Yesterday my son's Boy Scout Eagle project was approved to move forward by his scouting Eagle review board. I thought I would write a little about the effort that brought him to this point. Of boy scouts, a very small percentage ever make it to the rank of Eagle scout, I believe the number hovers around three percent. A youth achievements go, its probably one of a handful of things a person can put on their resume from their childhood as adults. The Eagle project is the final achievement that stands on the shoulders of earlier accomplishments, it's a project that must help the community in some way and is expected to be run like a real project the scout might expect to see in the working world. There is an emphasis on planning, delegation, documentation and time management. It starts as a plan that must be approved, and is then moves into the project execution phase, and finally the documentation and presentation of the results. After which a board decides if the scout has achieved the rank of Eagle. For my son's project he has been working to get the project plan put together since last October. His idea was to do a conservation project at five local public schools (outdoor bat houses). He wants to study forestry and did something similar in a club he is in. His first step was to present his project idea to the school district administrator. This person would be the official beneficiary. In most Eagle projects getting a beneficiary is a one and done process. In my son's case, the administrator provided board approval, but my son would need to get individual school principals to agree to participate. For his initial foray he contact five schools that had the best geographic factors for bats. He offered them two options -- An Outdoor install (preferred) and an Indoor Teaching aide. The thought was that schools not interested in doing an outdoor install might be open to receiving a free teaching aide and a PowerPoint presentation about bats to show to the kids. Initial results: 4 NO, 1 Indoor teaching aid. Ooof. That was a bit of a disappointment. So we talked and he decided to expand the offer to all the remaining school districts. As the end he had 4 outdoor, 1 indoor an bunch more NO's and surprisingly over ten schools that flat out never responded at all after multiple email tries. After a bunch of time planning out supplies, getting estimated costs, meeting with the principals he was ready to present to a three person board last night. And he was feeling nervous. You see he did this once before about a year ago for a potential project with a forest preserve and was denied. I wasn't there, and his Scoutmaster didn't attend. At the time he was very dejected. It wasn't until I attended a Eagle Board of Review (the after project presentation) that I realized how intense these reviews are. I am still pissed that his Scoutmaster wasn't with him. Fast forward to before last night, I was there, his new troop eagle coach was there and the board was there. The meeting was 1.5 hours. It started with him telling them about his project, I could tell he was nervous. And then they started asking details questions. He wavered between having good answers and trying to think of an answer for some things he didn't know. Did you consider this type of treated wood for X? What direction were you planning on have these facing? All the time the coach and I had to remain absolutely silent. We could not help him remember details or offer assistance. As a Father it was rough. What I started to realize after about the first hour is that he was over the hump, he didn't realize it, but I could tell that there was a switch in their questions, they were starting to ask questions to help him think about items he had no experience in that would help him. I know it didn't feel that was to him at the time. But in the end they approved his project. He has a number of updates to make, and a lot of work to do over the next two months but if he does, and we will be nudging him all the way he should reach his goal and make Eagle. In the end I think it will be a good experience. Well that's it. -Snowcrash ¯\_(ツ)_/¯