He needs to pick a project that has more meaning than "replacing a few Dog Dishes" for Eagle Scout.
Sorry Scouting is about "People" not dogs.
Fixing a couple of freaking dog dishes doesn't even rate as a project for Eagle Scout, unless they have lowered the standards to the point where buying a homeless drunk a beer elevates us all to The Sainted Mother Theresa.
If I am wrong, so be it, at least I am Honest enough to tell you about it.
TT
I understand your feelings on this but it is possible the full scope of his project is not reflected in the story. His troop committee and the district advancement committee should provide firm guidance on the scope and complexity of the project so it upholds a strong "Eagle Scout" standard while also presenting a challenge for his personal growth as a leader.
My son earned his Eagle at age 17, is now 25 and sits on a district advancement committee to provide guidance to Scouts on the Trail to Eagle. He recently made remarks similar to yours about a project he helped review and I had to remind him that was why they asked him to serve on that committee. I also had to remind him of how many times I returned home from such meetings (when he was still a teen) where the committee revised/upgraded potential projects and he would remark about how high our standards were. It was kind of one of those Mark Twain moments where the child suddenly saw how much the old man really knew.
I agree with you. The project is supposed to be about people. I know enough devoted dog people that would use such a place, that it would qualify as helping people. I know enough psycho dog people that it would make him eligible for a Nobel dog prize. I am a one dog man by the way...
I disagree. It sounds like a good project to me. Dogs donot go to the park alone. They are taken there by people...
<"Sorry Scouting is about "People" not dogs.
Fixing a couple of freaking dog dishes doesn't even rate as a project for Eagle Scout, unless they have lowered the standards to the point where buying a homeless drunk a beer elevates us all to The Sainted Mother Theresa.
If I am wrong, so be it, at least I am Honest enough to tell you about it.">
It IS about people and the pets they love. I have two mini dachshund pups. I have no fenced yard and I walk them on a leash.
I took them for the first time to the dog park where they could run free with me. It was a highlight in my life to watch them race across the grass and love the freedom they never experienced in their little lives.
I was a den mother and had an Eagle Scout who faithfully worked with our boys each week. I commend this young man for choosing this as his project.
To bring up buying a homeless drunk a beer to compare what he is doing is beyond belief!! Clean water is a necessity in a dog park.
Either the city should not have the dog park or it should be properly maintained. The young man made the right choice in my opinion.
Lighten up, Francis. The Eagle project is about public service. Dogs don't go to the park by themselves.
If he thinks of, plans, and executes a project that benefits the public...more power to him.
What was your project?
In the interest of full disclosure, I was a Life Scout, two merit badges and an Eagle project away from Eagle when my father left us. I quit. I regret it every day. I wish I had that accomplishment to point to when admonishing my sons to stick with things and succeed.
Here's what I see:
1) Removing the current dog dishes.
2) Installation of a watering trough.
3) Re-engineering of the existing water supply to supply the new trough.
4) Fill in holes in the ground.
5) Design, make, and install leash holders.
6) Repair a number of concrete tables.
7) Paint them.
8) Run fund-raising events to pay for it.
Sounds like a fine Eagle project to me. I'd approve the concept in a minute.
Understand that the purpose of an Eagle project is not to save Western civilization. The idea of an Eagle project, in order of importance, is to 1) have the Scout demonstrate planning and leadership skills by 2) running a service project that benefits the community.
This Scout is going to have to work out the details of all these things. He's going to have to plan the tasks that need to be done, the materials and tools needed to do them, and the people necessary to do the tasks. He's going to have to schedule the whole thing. He's going to have to write the whole plan up and present it to and get it approved by the local Scout Council and the Park Department. He's going to have to recruit the people he needs, get the materials bought and delivered to the site, direct the work, and get the place cleaned up and any waste and demolished materials disposed of. Doesn't sound so simple now, does it?