vancescouting

Welcome to the "club"! I am the "Para-pro" for four schools in their after school program. I've done this for three years now. The program helps are GREAT! I can't believe that National is doing away with them! Of course several of the ideas or activities don't work for my type of program. We have many restrictions from the school district. My main goal has always been to get the boys to earn their Bobcat. We accomplish that using the monthly themes and having fun! My boys have been sitting in school all day and aren't interested in a lot of "book" work. I have been very frustrated in not being able to get my boys to advance in rank but as you said its VERY difficult with the age range of boys and NO parent support. I have one teenage helper provided by the school to assist. He or she has had no scout training. We have just started a lot of flag work so that some of the more experienced boys can provide acolor guard for PTA meetings etc. Additionally, we work on belt loops that are "good" for any rank.

Our Eagle Board Chairman resigned rather than fight the "EBOR is only a formality-everyone passes" mentality. Our district has boys coming for EBOR who have NOT lived the Eagle path. Gotten caught having sex at a scout function, selling drugs at school and other equally non-scout like behavior. I personally know one of these boys, he transferred from my son's troop. What can be done? I really feel that if these boys and others like them "earn" Eagle that it is belittling the title Eagle Scout. Being an Eagle Scout is not just a "scout thing"