Eagle Scout coordinator?

[evmori]

packsaddle,

 

Sure the SM can delegate & should when necessary. But isn't the responsible party for a Scout's Eagle Project the Scout? And if the Scout needs assistance with his Eagle Project shouldn't he be the one initiating the asking for said help?

 

It seems with an Eagle coordinator, these important steps are relegated to an adult thereby lessening the responsibility on the Scout.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Twocubdad]

I call these guys Eagle Lawyers, but I think the analogy to taxes is so accurate, I may have to start calling them Eagle Tax Accountants.

 

In many areas they are a sympton of the problems of ratcheting Eagle project proposals up to ridiculous bureaucratic levels. As long as we require engineered drawings and Material Data Safety Sheets as part of project proposals, we will need people who can explain to the Scouts what the heck they are.

 

The system which has been developed in our Council and I know others is stupid. We have adults on project review committees setting up expectation and bureaucratic hurdles which require adult Eagle Lawers in the troops to fulfill. Meanwhile, the poor 15-year-old Life Scout waits with a dumb look on his face for the adults to finish their game.

[Eagledad]

>>It seems with an Eagle coordinator, these important steps are relegated to an adult thereby lessening the responsibility on the Scout.

[croushorn]

Once an official position is created,

I didnt know this was an official position? We do this by proxy, asking a past Eagle Dad to fill this role with a young man that is where his son was not so long ago. He fully understands that its not his paperwork to do, but merely to proof, give directions, and guidance through the undocumented process seemingly everyone in the district but the Scout knows he is to follow. Any out of line step can cause great ruckus and it's usually followed by blame directed right back to the unit. It gives the past Eagle Dad a good way of paying back without too much effort, it gives the youth another opportunity to have and get to know another influential adult in his life. The same scope and relationship that a project advisor can provide.

 

If the system is too difficult for an Eagle candidate to complete on his own, then the system needs to change. But not by adding more adults into the mix.

Absolutely agreed the system needs changed, 'how' is the major question. With all the legalese that flies around about if and or how in the heck can we expect a teenager to work through that on his own without a lot of frustration and wasted time by a lot of people? (re: recent thread concerning answering the 6 months POR on the app). This isnt only the candidates time that is involved here. By negating this assistance, we are inviting a parent to do it for him, or we can sit back to watch the train wreck and deal with the aftermath. No thanks.

 

[Eagledad]

>>With all the legalese that flies around about if and or how in the heck can we expect a teenager to work through that on his own without a lot of frustration and wasted time by a lot of people?

[Stosh]

"I personally think the offical path of responsibility should stay with the SM. If then the SM has reason to hand over the responsibility, then that is when it should be done."

 

Of course it is just a personal opinion, but one would think that it's about time that the responsibility of the Eagle Project should be handed over to the scout at some point. The Organization, the SM and the Committee are only there to approve the project. If I am reading this right, the scout is the official path of responsibility and should stay with him. The reason why so many Eagle Projects are so elaborate is because the adults have made them so. Let the boys do a few and maybe the evaluation committees will begin to understand what it means to have the boys do the project and not some adult.

 

Stosh

[acco40]

Bottom line, an Eagle Scout Coordinator is something that may be created by the Scoutmaster or delegated by the Scoutmaster on a case by case basis. It should not be a position that "comes into being" without Scoutmaster approval.

[gcnphkr]

"Of course it is just a personal opinion, but one would think that it's about time that the responsibility of the Eagle Project should be handed over to the scout at some point."

 

Why do you think this is not the case even with the SM or ESC? What do you think they are doing that is preventing the scout from doing what he needs to do?

[packsaddle]

Eagledad, As long as there is a signature needed in the workbook by the "Council or district advancement committee member", the potential will exist for problems like the one you mention.

Ed, Of course the responsibility for the project is the scout's.

The only difference between a boy asking an ASM rather than the SM and subsequently being passed on from busy leader to busy leader is that when someone has been delegated that task, the boy doesn't merely get passed around. There is no difference between this and the boy going to the SM who ISN'T too busy to answer. In both situations the boy has a need and he asks for guidance. He gets it.

I'm thinking some in this forum don't.

[Stosh]

Let's assume for a second the boy is actually the one taking responsibility for his project (I know it's hard for a lot to wrap their minds around this idea). But IF he needs help... who does he ask? SM? Coordinator? ASM? Org Rep his project is for? CC? Menor? Parent? Old guy next door? Why not instead of assigning some arbitrary person, hypothetically, just for fun...-> let the boy take the lead and pick who he feels is best qualified to answer his questions? Why is it necessary for the SM or anyone else to pick someone for him? Let the boy do the project! I know it's a radical concept for a lot of SM's out there, but maybe it's time for the boy to do the project and show his own leadership skills for a change.

 

Stosh

[evmori]

Why not instead of assigning some arbitrary person, hypothetically, just for fun...-> let the boy take the lead and pick who he feels is best qualified to answer his questions?

 

You rebel Who in their right mind would let this type of behavior happen ?????

[croushorn]

>>Why is it necessary for the SM or anyone else to pick someone for him?

[gcnphkr]

"Why not instead of assigning some arbitrary person, hypothetically, just for fun...-> let the boy take the lead and pick who he feels is best qualified to answer his questions?"

 

I can think of one major reason, to help the scout avoid getting bad advice from the wrong person. Granted there is a lesson there, but is it really needed?(This message has been edited by jet526)

[Bob White]

how is a scout going to know that?

 

 

[croushorn]

How is he going to know what? That he's been given bad advice? If that's what you mean, he won't until the proverbial sheep hits the fan. And we've already hashed all the wonderful attributes of that aspect. Does that follow LOGIC?