Eagle Project - The Thank-You
| Category: | Advancement |
|---|---|
| Notes: | For an Eagle candidate who has just finished their project, or as a reminder before the final report. Pairs well with the Eagle Court of Honor minutes and the mentor-pin tradition. Part of a series - see also eagle-project-choosing-your-project, eagle-project-leading-not-doing, and eagle-project-when-it-falls-apart. |
The project is done. The last board is in place, the last tool is put away, and everyone has gone home. You're tired, and you've earned it. But there's one more step before it's really finished.
Say thank you.
Think about how many people it took. The volunteers who gave up a Saturday. The parents who drove, and the ones who brought donuts. The store that gave you a discount. The people at the beneficiary who met with you, answered your questions, and trusted a teenager with their building, their park, or their land. Your Eagle coach. Your family, who probably heard about this project at every dinner for months.
None of them had to help. They chose to, because they believed in you.
So write real thank-you notes. On paper, by hand, with something specific in each one. "Thank you for helping" is nice. "Thank you for showing my crew how to use the post-hole digger when we were all stuck" is something a person keeps.
Here's something else. Years from now, you'll drive past whatever you built. Maybe with your friends, maybe with your own kids. You'll point and say, "I did that." And you'll know you didn't do it alone.
Don't wait until then to say thank you. Say it now.