Is anybody here an Eagle Scout?

I designed and built all the signage for a national park. I cut the planks to make trail signs, used a wood router to engrave the names, then painted the signs, applied the waterproofing, and put them up around the park. At the park entrance I built huge a master map based on aerial topography.

Being in the Scouts really didn't work where I lived. It was a small town/rural area. We joined the Scouts, but all we did was sit in a classroom one night a week--while we were surrounded by woods, lakes and rivers.

And when we would be taken out, we found it to "organized." Most of us realized that we could simply go camping on our own. There were no rules. We were free to curse like sailors, and smoke and drink (I'm not saying those are good things).

On the other hand, I have a cousin who was raised in the Metro Detroit area. He made it up to Eagle Scout. But due to geography, he didn't have the easy access to the outdoors that we had. Being in the Scouts was the only way he could get out there.

The easiest thing to do is just to blow tha pack leader. Then most other things are not needed. Every leader in the Scouts will accept this form of bribery. That is why they are in the scouts in the first place - to be with boys.

I designed and built training obstacles for the Sheriff's office k-9 unit so they could train their dogs. I can't remember much about the paperwork (my parents helped with this at the time, also it was over 10 years ago for me). But after the project, it wasn't very hard. Not sure what you mean by "the benefits", but pushing yourself to get Eagle Scout will have an impact later on down the road. For me, it helped with college applications, job applications, etc. You'll be proud you stuck it out.