I realize that this forum hasn't had a reply for a little over a year, but I found this and read through the majority of it. Towards the end, I felt the need to post a reply on here. I hope someone will read this.
Unlike most of you (I think, as I am new to this site and I am just geussing), I'm still a boy scout. I'm 16 and am 2 merit badges away from eagle.
Troy, I think that the decision about the knot has probably been made by now, but I hope they like it.
Now here is an opinion from someone who is currently a scout. I have read many posts arguing about whether or not encouraging kids to earn loads of merit badges is right or wrong. It's somewhat both. Kids should be encourged to earn as many merit badges as they can, as long as they are having fun along the way. For example, right now I am working on a couple; family life, cycling, and theatre. Family life I am only working on because once I EARN it, I will be eagle. But theatre is fun. While working on it, I've met an adult who also shares an intrest in theatre and learned things from him. I've shown people something I like through requirements. And I've thought over my experiences in theatre. But I've had fun. So encouraging scouts to earn badges is good, so that they can do something they like. Another example from my scouting career is astronomy. My first year as a scout I went to a summer camp (which I know work at now). I took astronomy hoping to have fun. Not only did I have fun, but I've learned about the stars and developed an intrest in a new hobby. So for the adult leaders here, tell scouts to earn badges, but don't make them do ones that they might not enjoy. Learning a new skill and earning some badges to earn the rank of star, life or eagle is fine, but I think that there is more to that. Think about it.
Now back to the knot. I have thought about earning every badge before, so one day I sat down and looked through the requirements for certain badges. I found out that there are a lot of badges that seem quite boring. So I made a new goal, to earn as many as I can that intrest me.
But that's my opinion. There are many scouts that would work on a badge just so they can say that they have earned 60 or 90 or 25. and that's their opinion. For the people that have earned all 121 merit badges, they had their own reasons to do so. In the end I believe that they deserve some bragging rights. This is where the knot comes in. It's simple. Convinient. It is something you can display with out having to where 3 sashes. early today I read an article on a boy who earned his 121nd badge 2 days before his 18th birthday. He got to show it off for 2 days and then was not obligated to wear the sash because he is an adult. The knot, whoever, (I think) you can wear even as an adult. And there is the benefit of having a better place to hold your palms.
Now Bob. Not gonna lie, you complain a lot. I'm all for being open minded and fair in regarding the say that you have in this forum. But seriously, we get the point that you're against the fact that you think Troy just wants to be ELITE and ego crazy and maybe even cocky. But you just keep attacking him. Maybe the knot was intended a bit for him, but not 100% for him.Complain at me all you want, but remember to stay friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, and prepared( haha I just wanted to throw that in).
And for those of you who say that Troy is simply making the knot to make money, I highly doubt that.
