Req 8 — Pick Your Geocaching Project
8.
Do ONE of the following:
You must choose exactly one of these four options. Each one teaches something different. One focuses on Scouting service history, one on trackables and long-term logging, one on the responsibility of owning a cache, and one on conservation leadership.
Your options
- Req 8a — Cache to Eagle Service Stops: Visit caches connected to Eagle Scout service projects and explain how the series shares Scouting service with the public. This option is great if a Cache to Eagle® series exists in your council and you want to connect geocaching with community impact.
- Req 8b — Travel Bug Mission: Design a Scouting-themed Travel Bug®, release it, and monitor its journey for 30 days. This option is best for Scouts who enjoy creativity, tracking progress over time, and keeping a good log.
- Req 8c — Hide and Maintain a Cache: Create a public cache, make a three-month maintenance plan, monitor it, and archive it when you can no longer care for it. This option is for Scouts who want the deepest look at how responsibility and stewardship work in geocaching.
- Req 8d — Cache In Trash Out Leadership: Practice CITO and then either create CITO containers or host a cleanup event. This option is strongest for Scouts who like service, environmental action, and leading other people.
How to choose
Choosing Your Option
Compare what each path asks you to do and what you gain
- Time required: Req 8b and Req 8c both include a 30-day monitoring period, while Req 8a may be completed more quickly if the series exists nearby.
- Location needs: Req 8a depends on local Cache to Eagle opportunities. Req 8c needs a legal, appropriate place for a cache. Req 8d works well wherever a cleanup need exists.
- Main skill you build: Req 8a builds observation and interpretation, Req 8b builds tracking and recordkeeping, Req 8c builds ownership and maintenance habits, and Req 8d builds service leadership.
- Best fit for your style: Choose 8a if you like learning from real places, 8b if you like following an ongoing story, 8c if you want to build something for others, or 8d if you want to improve a place directly.
Whatever option you choose, pick the one you can actually complete well. This is not about choosing the flashiest project. It is about choosing the path that lets you learn, stay organized, and show your counselor the full experience.