National Eagle Scout Association

The Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams
National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award

The National Eagle Scout Association has established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award to recognize valuable service of an exceptional nature by a Scout to a religious institution, a school, community, or other entity. The award recognizes the Scout for his Eagle Scout service project, which is part of the requirements for earning the Eagle Scout Award. Each local council will choose a council-level winner, and from that pool each region will pick a region-level winner. From the four regional finalists, an overall winner will be selected.

Annually, on or before January 21, an Eagle Scout, his parents, or any registered BSA volunteer (with the Eagle Scout’s permission) may submit his Eagle Scout service project for consideration. The Scout must have passed his Eagle board of review in the prior calendar year (January 1–December 31). The nomination shall be submitted to the NESA committee of the council in which the service project was completed. The submission must include the application (found on www.nesa.org), the name of the project, and the Eagle Scout’s contact information. A complete duplicate copy of his Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook (previously submitted by the Scout to his Eagle board of review committee) must be attached to the application.

Each local council NESA committee shall, on or before February 28 each year, select one service project of the year from among those submitted, as described above. Evaluation criteria for this award should include consideration of at least the following:
• The project planning required
• The effort to develop the project
• The extent and character of the leadership provided by the Scout
• The extent of achievement of the planned result, including changes or modifications required to complete the project
• The project’s impact on the beneficiary and/or on the community at large
• The originality of the project
• The scope of the work
• The time and materials contributed
• The level of skill employed to complete the project

These and other factors are all appropriate for consideration by the committee in selecting the winners.

Eagle Scouts who are awarded the Council Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award will receive a framed certificate and a bronze(1) Eagle Scout Knot device from the National Eagle Scout Association. Presentation should take place at an appropriate occasion by the council NESA committee. In addition, each winner’s name will be added to a perpetual plaque located in the council service center or other prominent local council facility.

NESA will fund the framed certificate and the council NESA committee will fund the plaque, which will be designed by the National Eagle Scout Association. Once awarded, councils are encouraged to distribute a press release to local media using the form provided by NESA. The announcement should focus on the award and the value of all Eagle Scout service projects performed within the council area during the past year. Inclusion on the council’s Web site and other council

publications and communication tools also is encouraged.

Each council should forward the complete application, including attachments, for its winning Eagle Scout service project to the National Eagle Scout Association on or before February 28 of each year. Applications received will be considered for selection of the Regional Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award winner. The regional NESA committees shall be composed of three or more Eagle Scouts, preferably Distinguished Eagle Scouts. Regional NESA committees will select one winner for each region on or before March 31 each year.

Regional award winners will be considered for the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. One winner will be selected by April 15 of each year, in time for presentation at the NESA Americanism breakfast at the National Annual Meeting in May.

The national award winner will receive a plaque, a silver(1) Eagle knot device, and a cash award of $2,500 to be available for the Scout’s future educational purposes or for him to attend a national or international Scouting event or facility. (Eagle Scouts may be asked to provide an accounting of the funds spent, if requested by the Adams Trust.) The national award winner’s local council will also receive a $2,500 award.

The Service Project of the Year Award winner and his parents or guardians will be invited to the National Annual Meeting as guests of NESA and at NESA’s expense. They will attend the award presentation at the Americanism breakfast.

With the exception of the regional winner selected as the national award winner, all regional winners will receive an award of $500 each to be available for their future educational purposes or to attend a national or international Scouting event or facility. The regional winners will also receive a framed

certificate and a gold(1) Eagle Scout knot device. The local councils of these regional winners also will each receive a $500 award.

The application and additional information about the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award can be found on NESA’s Web site, www.nesa.org.

(1) Knot devices are silver for best, then gold, and finally bronze, as is the order for the Eagle Palms.