Eagle BOR--kid was hardly ever there.

[GernBlansten]

Certainly neal. Some kids would game the system and engineer their POR responsibilities to only include the final 6 months of their scouting careers. However, that unintended situation is still far better than the current one. That requirement as written by me would also not preclude a scout from being in a POR for his entire scouting career.

[GernBlansten]

uz2b,

Now your not cursing the darkness.

I like your ideas, there's no reason you couldn't suggest to any scout that they do just that, but I don't like adding those requirements to the rank.

 

The elegance of my change is it isn't adding to the requirements, its just changing the time-line that they must be completed by. This keeps all eagles candidates past and present level and still accomplishes what we really want, to keep the scout engaged throughout his path from scout to Eagle. Or at least reengages him at the end of his career.

[Lisabob]

Did anybody ask this young man to do any of those things? Not as rank advancement requirements, but as a simple friendly request?

[NeilLup]

Hello Uz2b,

 

An extremely interesting suggestion. I think that its a shame that you didn't ask the Scout to do something like this. If you had asked him to do it, rather than requiring it, mother might not have gotten so involved.

 

In fact, there's nothing to keep you from asking him to do it now He is an Eagle Scout now. As something done freely and voluntarily rather than required, he might be willing.

 

Gern,

 

You certainly can suggest this to the National advancement group. I suspect, though, that it won't get a lot of traction because it is very different from other requirements in the sense that all other requirements can be done at any time while working on the rank.

 

While the situation you are addressing is a frustrating to individual unit leaders, I believe that the National advancement group believes that is a misunderstanding of advancement on the part of those unit leaders.

 

But give it a try. You have nothing to lose but a little time and some paper.

[eolesen]

 

and

 

upon completion,or prior to that leadership position for the 6 months prior to acheiving the Eagle requirements serve the Troop as a senior Scout in tasks, determined in concert with the SM, SPL and committee chair, that will best put your knowledge, skills and interests to use mentoring and aiding your Troop as they (CC,SM,SPL) direct, with the overall goal of helping your unit serve your community and the Nation.

 

 

Sounds admirable, but how much of what you're doing is also accomplished via the service project requirement? Aren't they using their knowledge, skills, and mentoring to execute the project, which presumably also helps the unit serve the community?

 

Honestly, if it were done correctly, I'd willing accept your six months of giving back approach used in lieu of the service project. But I don't know that it could work for all Scouts. It's probably not as valuable asking a 14 or 15 year old to apply their interests in the same manner your 17 year old volunteer fireman could.

 

The additional six months of duty requirement in my mind would probably just increase the number of boys who simply push the timetable, punch their tickets, and move on at 15. It's hard enough to keep them interested at 16 and up when they have girls, cars, and jobs competing for their free time. If we start demanding more of their time, we risk pushing more of them away from the program than we already do.(This message has been edited by eolesen)

[theysawyoucomin']

Eolesen,

I hear you saying no but I don't see a better sugestion.

 

If we start pushing for more of their time... push them father away.

So we have one less Eagle.

He was not present

What's the difference with this one????? HE WAS NOT THERE.

 

 

 

Lisa, I just thought of it last night. How could I have posed it to the boy. Again this kid thinks the fact that he was an absentee Scout was OK.

 

 

Many folks here think the same way.

 

 

 

[GernBlansten]

Well, being an absentee scout is OK because those are the rules we must live with. I don't like it either, but I'm not going to lower my principles and knowingly violate those rules because they make me feel better.

It is what it is. We will all have those types of scouts now and again and the challenges that come with that. How we deal with it may be different. Some have suggested enhancing your program to engage these scouts, others have suggested requesting them to become more active through special projects.

I've suggested a slight rule change that would short circuit most of these problems, but I'm not inclined to pursue it further than planting the seed in the minds of the forum readers.

Its over. Start thinking about the next hatchling who might fall into this trap. Work actively to avoid it well before it becomes an issue. But if it does, take solace in knowing that this stuff happens, and you've done your best to avoid it.