OldGreyEagle

If a scout is helpful, friendly, courteous and kind why not just return lost items to the rightful owner with ? Having a scout "perform" required behavior to get his gear back is wrong and I say if not hazing, is inappropriate and definitiely unscoutlike

We have been down the road of "paper Eagles" before, rather than cover old ground, I have a question, what can be done to either "prevent" or at least lessen the number of "undeserved Eagles"?

Two questions to begin, has anyone talked to the leader in quesiton about these concerns AND Could you give us a few examples of what constitutes "bas chemistry?"

Sheila, here is two links to some BOR resources: http://www.usscouts.org/clipart/scoutdoc/advance/borguide.pdf http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/7919/bor_ques.htm this will give you a starting place(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I dont think you can be Committee Chair and ASM at the same time, but I will beleieve whatever Bob White says. The important point I want to make is that if he becomes CC and HAS to resign being ASM, who cares? He can still come on campouts as CC, he will still be counted as a registered Adult leader, the only thing that really will change is the position patch he wears and now he can sit in Board of reviews.

I am not going to give you a straight answer, but it is how I feel. A scout should receive his Eagle Rank when he earns it. No chronological limit is specified nor do I think it should be. If a scout meets all the requirements and along the way, passes through boards of review, scoutmaster conferences and has 21 merit bdages with the appropriate mix earned and an Eagle project, then the boy deserves to be Eagle. Now, if you say that "others" passed the boy along, turned a blind eye and deaf ear to behavior problems and therefore the boy doesnt deserve to be Eagle, its the "others" fault and not the boy's. In this case its not a case of the boy earning Eagle too early, but the adults not following the program. I realize this may be a fine distinction, but all to often I see young eagles lambasted on here for not being Eagle material. I would ask, if the boy slips through the system or figures the system out and is awarded the rank, is it his fault or the people who award him the rank? As a member of the district advancement committee I know we have had some Eagles who were about 17 years, 364 days and 18 hours old when they handed in the final paperwork at Council. I dont know the youngest Eagle we have done as that is irrelevant to the process. (BTW the only reason I know the age of the under the wire Eagles is they say it up front and then have to run around getting signatures before their birthday, we dont bend out standards, but we will sign if the paper work is presented to us) (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Good for you Mom, and son I guess this Boy Scout organization for all its perceived faults and foibles has value after all.

Check Ebay and like auction sites, I got a whole lot of old stuff that way

At a time like this I wish I had something poignant to say, but may your summer be all you wish and then a little bit more...

As deserved as it may be, the Eagle Rank is not something that may be withdrawn. The Eagle is awarded for work done prior to being awarded the rank, though as you have shown, much is expected of the scout afterwards as well. I assume you have discussed your observations with the scoutmaster and he will do a thorough investigation of the matter. If he doesnt get back to you, dont be afraid to bring it up again. Appearances may be deceiving (As an Eagle myself I hold out hope that your observations were all a misunderstanding)but then again, everything may be as you state and regardless such behavior has to be looked into. And while the Eagle rank is rarely rescinded, an Eagles roster spot is not guranteed when his behavior is "rotten"

As much as the lawyering profession gets it loads of abuse (some quite deservedly I may add), this is one case where I would say fly to the cloesst attorney. (Oh, and try to be sure he will do this pro bono, or "for free") A local troop in a similar situation a few years back set up a private, not for profit corporation that owns a fairly good sized campground that was left to them. The organizaiton that owns the land is not boy scout related in any way. The Campground is open to any youth group that wants to use it as well as boy scout troops, troops and other youth groups pay the same rate. Because it is a not for profit organization, many improvements to the area are Eagle projects that could not have been such if the area was Boy Scout owned, just a thought...(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Sounds simple enough, our Council just got a new executive within the last year. Seems like a nice guy, but I dont remember a call going out to form the interview/selection committee, is that a formal process? Who gets to select the selection committee, and then, if the local "committee" gets disenchanted with an Executive, then what?

Bob, As the hiring of the Council Executve is very important to the direction a Council takes, could you explain this process? While I knew some of the workings, I would like to get an authoratative explanation

As I understand it, A Venture Patrol is part of a Boy Scout troop. A Venture Crew is a separately chartered organization independent from a Boy Scout troop. To wear the Venture Uniform, the members need to be part of a Crew, not part of a troop. In some Scout Stores you can find khacki "Venture" strips which go on the right side of the unifrom just above the BSA strip.

VH_50, I think you misunderstand my point. I dont see how you can teach critical thinking abour history without the facts of what lead up to the event. To discuss the dropping of the atomic bomb in Japan, you have to understand the American mindset and what events lead up the Attack on Pearl Harbor, how the depression shaped values and ideas. I think your four points on teaching history are very valid, I just dont see how you can dismiss teaching facts as irrelevant, unless I misunderstood you.

Rooster, I am really glad we can always argue over Reagan cuz being at Summercamp is another thing over which we are in complete agreement. We always encourage our scouts to be active, to go on the scheduled activities if they dont have a merit badge class or go to the waterfront or something. One rather precoscious scout wanted to know why he had to be active when I spent thursday afternoon in my tent "resting my eyes". I told him he should rememner he was at Boy Scout camp and I was on vacation. Except this year our camp week includes our 25th Wedding Anniversary. I may not make the entire week

Rooster, it was a work of art, metallic blue with huge fins, a grill that was real chrome, and not painted plastic with little lamps hung on an actual metal bumper for directional signals. A hood that took a grunt or two to hoist up and an engine space that featured a clear look at the ground unobstructed with wires etc. Wonderful "three on the tree" transmission with gauges for oil pressure and amperage and not idiot lights with a toggle switch for the headlights and an infinte number of reclining seat positions. I wish I still had it but I had to sell it when I got married as I could not afford to keep two beauties at one time.

I agree you dont "NEED" a uniform to be a scout, but also believe the line in the handbooks is for economically "challenged" families. But that doesnt seem to be the case here. Its tough to argue the economics of scouting uniforms when talking to a scout sporting designer 'shades, skateboard helment, gloves, elbow pads, and knee pads with a specially designed skateboard backpack holding a skateboard that is more technologically advanced then the first car I owned (Studebaker Silverhawk, it was gorgeous thank you) Not that I dont think you need the safety equipment, but the brand new $100 sneakers did me in. I will rail against unform costs as much as anyone (Wal-Mart sells wonderful shorts for less than 20 dollars while Venture Crew Shorts are over 50)but sometimes its time to choose your poison

Speaking of John Wayne, I have used this to good effect for Court's of Honor and closing ceremonies http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning/quotes.html#anchor161351

George Washington, not because he was a brilliant general, which he was: not because he was the first president and a brilliant leader who inspired those about him, which he was; but because he left politics when he could have been "King" becasue he beleived in serving his country and not that he deserved to be served by his country Martin Luthur King, who had a dream of racial equality Bobby Kennedy, who while others asked "why?", he asked "why not?" Arthur Ashe, who always bore himself with grace and dignity even as he faced his greatest trial through no fault of his own OOps, that was supposd to be this past century.... But I cant erase George now...(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Well, Jimmy Carter is proof positive you cant send an honest man to Washington. He expected elected officials to have the public good at heart and he expected wrong. He biggest failing was he expected everyone to have the same mindset he did.

Sorry Rooster, Reagan only once, Jimmy Carter continues to be the most decent man, the most humble and the most valuable ex-president our country has ever had. As much as I like Dubya, I would dump him in a second to vote for Jimmy Carter for president, again

Oh no Rooster, It was not you who first cast the epithet "liberal" my way. It was another who liked to rile emotions and attack personalities. When first called liberal, my first instinct was to to respond, "I am NOT", then I thought, whats a label anyway ? Actually I was also thinking, OMG, what if I am a Liberal and I have been in denial all these years? Will I have to come out of the Liberal closet? Will I have the courage to tell my Dad at Thanksgiving time? When I voted for Nixon twice (I admit) and Reagan once was I just in denial? And worse yet, between Troop and District activities (especially since I signed up to commit Wood Bage in August)will I have time for the meetings, you know, where liberals get their "Agenda" and talking points? Boy, am I glad I only "experimented" with liberalism and can say I am a confirmed independent thinker... That is, as long as you guys think its ok for me to be so... (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

The funny thing is, long before I ever started posting on this forum, I never thought of myself as either conservative or liberal, just me. It wasnt until the past year that I was deemed "liberal" in any context. So, what other myth can we explode?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Dont worry Sctmom, we will diverge from this alliance soon, but it is nice to know we and our conservative brethren do have common ground, after this peace in the mid east should be a done deal