Life to Eagle

Life to Eagle briefings for Troops are available upon request from Bruce McGurk brucemcgurk@comcast.net or Marie Mlynek brionesadvancement@gmail.com . Please contact them to schedule a 45-minute session for your Troop’s Life Scouts. Additional information can be found here!

Eagle Project Proposals

Eagle Project Proposals need to be reviewed and approved by either Mr. Chris Kolm (Lamorinda) (cjkolm@hotmail.com) or Mr. Mark Paulson (eagleworkbook@gmail.com) (Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill) prior to any work other than planning being done on the project. They will sign in the “Council or District Approval” section on Proposal Page H in the Workbook: https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/eagle-scout-workbook/

Flag drop boxes will no longer be allowed as an Eagle Project. The area has adequate numbers of them, and they are too often very small Projects that are done with very few leadership hours.

Eagle Scout Project Fundraising Application is only needed if the fundraised amount is higher than $1,000, and donated  funds will not come from family members or from a Scout Troop’s parents. If a Scout needs to complete an Eagle Scout Project Fundraising Application (Page A in the Plan Section of the Workbook), the “Authorized Council Approval” is the Briones Advancement Chair, Marie Mlynek, brionesadvancement@gmail.com , who will sign the application after signatures of the Beneficiary and Unit Leader are received. Please have the Scout email Briones Advancement Chair and make sure to include at least one other adult in that email. 

Eagle Board of Review

Several aspects of the Eagle Scout Rank process have been missed by many of our Scouts lately. Please read them below and share the information with your Unit Leadership and Eagle Scout Candidates.

If the Scout needs to have an extension of time, please follow instructions described at https://eagles.goldengatescouting.org/life-to-eagle-trail/#extension  . Scouts will have to complete form 11.2.2.0 Request for Extension of Time and send it to extensions@ggacbsa.org  and cc brionesadvancement@gmail.com .

Please note that our Council can only grant up to a six-month extension. Any time beyond that needs to be approved by our National Office. Also, our Council Advancement Committee only meets once per month to discuss extensions. Please make sure to have your Scout complete the extension form and turn it in at least a few weeks before their 18th birthday. They are to continue to work towards completing their Eagle Rank even if they have not heard back from the Committee about their extension.

An Eagle Scout Rank Application must be downloaded from ScoutBook with all the dates preloaded into the correct fields. Scouts should ask the Scoutmaster or Advancement Chair for help with the download. Each line on the application must be completed through the signature of the Unit Committee Chair on page two. if the Scout has not been employed, that Reference line may be blank.
All information for each reference must be included: name, address, telephone, and email. Note that Scout’s Scoutmaster and their Committee Chair cannot be listed as references. Scout’s parents are also highly discouraged from being references.

The Grand Total of hours under Requirement 5 on page two is the total number of hours the project took to complete, counting everyone’s involvement, not just the Eagle Candidate. Please encourage your Scouts to start this tally of hours as they are starting to research Project ideas.

Once the Eagle Scout Rank Application is complete, it should be sent it to the Council office, eagleapplications@goldengatescouting.org , for the Council Verification step on page two. This process may take up to 3 business days, depending on workload, vacation schedules, etc.

After the verification has been completed, eagleapplications@goldengatescouting.org will email a scan of the verified application back to the candidate.

Scouts can then schedule their Eagle Scout Board of Review with Ms. Marie Mlynek (brionesadvancement@gmail.com) for the Lamorinda Area, or Mr. Gordon Bell (gordon.ed.bell@gmail.com) for the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill areas.

Eagle Binder Submission

There are two procedures in Briones:

Lamorinda:

the Scout should scan their:

• Council Verified Eagle Application

• 4-6 pages of Eagle Project photos

• Statement of Ambitions

• Personal Data Sheet (see the bellow link for the form)

and email them to Ms. Mlynek by the third week of the month before their Board. Binders are then delivered to Ms. Mlynek (1233 Warner Ct, Lafayette) to process for the Board of Review.

Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill:

• Troops working with Mr. Bell scan their entire Binders and provided digital copies to Mr. Bell at least a week before the Eagle Board.

Reference letters can be submitted by the Scoutmaster or Eagle Coach in digital form OR be included in the Binder in sealed envelopes.

Before a Scout turns his Binder in to Mrs. Mlynek or sends information to Mr. Bell, the Scout must fill out and insert the Personal Data Sheet (link below) near the front of the Binder. After the Board of Review is complete, paperwork is sent to our National Office for final certification. About 3-4 weeks later, the Eagle Scout’s National Certificate and final paperwork are mailed back to our Council Office. Once they are received, the Scoutmaster or Committee Chair will be notified that the Eagle credentials and Award Kit is available for pick up.

Please remind your Scouts to always include at least one other adult while emailing any of the people mentioned above. This keeps everyone within Youth Protection and CyberChip guidelines.

Eagle Board Scheduling

For Eagle Boards of Review in Lamorinda, Scouts may contact Ms. Mlynek for scheduling. Boards are held the first Tuesday of each month at St. Monica’s Church, 1001 Camino Pablo, Moraga. Scouts in the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill areas may contact Mr. Bell for Boards of Review. Mr. Bell’s Eagle Boards of Review are held on the third Wednesday of each month at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2100 Tice Valley Blvd. in Walnut Creek.