Major_Dad

To that I will only add that a boy usually joins Scouting looooong before he ever even considers a driver's license (approximately 11 years old...4 years prior to learaner's permitin most cases). Semper Fidelis.

Gentlemen...Gentlemen...Gentlemen...I never intended my point to get far. I only wanted to point out that motivating a Scout to complete his Eagle...'for the RIGHT reasons'...is something we should all be attempting. The experience is truly something that changes some of them for life. As for me and mine, we very effectively use motivators to get our children to accomplish things that, as children, they may not see any value in doing. A young man often does not see the long term effects of getting good grades in school, or learning responsibilities, OR earning Eagle. It is usually not until they are married with children of their own that they realize the value of those thing they have or were made to endure as a young boy/young man. HOWEVER, if you are not having any success with holding incentives out to achieve a desired end state with your son, daughter, Scout, then you might be giving up too early. Remember, kids today have a network! They talk about what their parents do to them, require of them, etc. They console each other and motivate each other to hold out against their parents' desires for them...th world ios daily telling our children that their parents do NOT know what's best for them. We as parents need to tow the line and stick to our guns. My 16 year old Life Scout right now daily reminds me of my promise. I then remind him of the prommise I made to him. When we was a First Class Scout for over 3 years and he turned 15 and wanted his 'Learner's Permit,' I calmly informed him that if he would put forth the effort and complete his Star Scout requirements that I would, the very next day, take him to the DMV nd let him test for his Learner's...which I did. However, a word of caution, if the promises are hollow, our children very uickly see right through them. Sticking to your guns and your promises will not only maintain the respect of your children, but also instill in them similiar honorable and noble values...raisse up a child in the way they should go, and they will not soon part from it. Semper Fidelis. YiS, C.E. MARTIN aka Major_Dad

Bottom-line...we should be a very integral part of the development of these young men as Scouts and Citizens per the Scoutmaster Handbook. Semper Fidelis.

Gunny...Here here! I appreicate your E-mail too! I am dead set against 'Eagle Mills!' If the Scout puts forth the effort and 'does' constantly demonstrate Scout Spirit, they deserve the advancement. However, I have literally had parents, under their breath but in ear shot of other Scouts make statements like, "I don't know why he just doesn't sign off on [that requirement]" while referencing Merit Badge Requirements, etc. This atitude unnerves me. I believe that education bout the Bo Scout program is the critical piece. All parents should be brought in as early as possible in their sons' Scouting endeavors and fully briefed on the expectations and the differences between being Cub Scouts/Webelos and Boy Scouts. Semper Fidelis.

All righty then...just one hot secondI have only read through a few of the posts here, but I see an alarming trend forming. Folks, there are many reasons a boy joins Scouting. Personally, I have been involved with Scouting on and off since I myself was a Boy Scout. I dropped out of Scouting after only a few years as a boy. I dropped out when I had no one taking an interest in my being a Scoutmy mom was a single parent who worked all the time. Now that I my children have brought me back into it, I enjoy it and all the wonders it brings. We take these young boys and mold and develop them into the future citizens of our Great Nation. My greatest joy is seeing a young boy develop into a responsible young man and good solid citizen almost right before my very eyes! Our focus as adult leaders should be helping them attain the goal of Scouting. For MOST Scouts, that goal is Eagle Scout. The fringe benefits these young men receive 'reaching constantly' for that lofty goal far outweigh any negative motivations which may be laid before them to complete the task they started. Isnt life itself full of similar situations? Our young men must be taught, mentored, guided to understand that they should never be willing to quit just because something becomes or seems too hard to do. By constantly presenting them with greater and greater challenges or constantly raising the bar they almost instinctively rise to the occasion to meet those challenges. However, we as adult leaders CANNOT do it for them! I now have 4 sons and a daughter. Having been an active duty Marine throughout most of their young lives, I have been home on a hit and miss basis. When time allowed, I involved myself in whatever they sought to dobaseball, football, Scouts. My oldest son joined Scouting of his own desires when a recruiting effort introduced him to it at school. He remained in Scouting right up until his 18th birthday. He chose to join Boy Scouts and stick with it through good times and bad. I believe that experience helped shaped him into who he is today...a solid citizen willing to serve others. However, he only made Life Scout. He did not have any stipulations placed on him to encourage him to finish the task. He now regrets not completing Eagle. He joined the Marine Corps shortly after his first year of college. Not making Eagle hit very close to home when the Marine Corps Recruiter informed him that had he finished Eagle Scout, he would have received an automatic meritorious promotion going in. He is now serving his country in what I would consider the highest calling one could answer. My next son joined Scouts and had a rough go of it and quit early. My third son is steadily pursuing his Eagle Scout. And, yes, he has a requirement before him to attain Eagle before he can receive his driver's license. He is the first of my sons so far to have that requirement. Something my oldest son told me he wished I would have done to him. However, I do not consider this goal to be the only reason for Beaus being in Scouting since HE chose to join in his brothers' footsteps. He is now quite the avid and 'expert' camper who other Scouts in his Troop seek out for guidance. He has been a constant inspiration to those around him. He has served in a variety of Troop Leadership positions and is now the SPL. He attended Summer Camp this past year and still returned to be part of the Camp Staff. He wants to be Camp Staff again this year. The form of nudging and proding (motivation) varies from family to family and Scout to Scout. Who better knows their Scouts than the parents? For some Scouts, they have needs to demonstrate a greater responsiblity to their parents before their parents will grant them the 'priviledge of receiving a full driver's license' and then the keys to a 1+ ton vehicle. Remember, driving is a priviledge not a right! So, all said and done, I firmly believe that holding a parallel goal in front of a young man such as a drivers license, driving priviledges, completing their chores, participating in family events, etc., is not something that is malicious or mean. It is how are suppose to 'raise' them. Ultimately, in this situation, who wins? Ummmmthe Scout? Nothe Eagle Scout! Semper Fidelis.