Eagle Requirement: Be active in your troop and patrol

[theysawyoucomin']

We've whipped this dead horse so much it's now a rusty can of Alpo. Until we change National we aren't going to get anywhere

 

Only in a country where the sitting President needs a definition of the word "is" could we possibly need to define the word active.

 

Anybody want to come to an Eage ceremony in January for a boy that doesn't deserve it? I'll be there.

[BrentAllen]

The real price of membership in this Troop will be unfailing regular attendance at its meetings and outings, and steady progress in all the things that make a Scout "Prepared." If I put my own time into the activities of this Troop I shall certainly expect you to do your part with equal faithfulness. Is that plain - and fair?

[evmori]

The real price of membership in this Troop will be unfailing regular attendance at its meetings and outings, and steady progress in all the things that make a Scout "Prepared." If I put my own time into the activities of this Troop I shall certainly expect you to do your part with equal faithfulness. Is that plain - and fair?

 

About as plain & fair as it can be!

[Beavah]

The real price of membership in this Troop will be unfailing regular attendance at its meetings and outings, and steady progress in all the things that make a Scout "Prepared." If I put my own time into the activities of this Troop I shall certainly expect you to do your part with equal faithfulness. Is that plain - and fair?

 

Yah, I like that.

 

I reckon one of da things that gets lost in this modern era of hyper-scheduled kids is the notion of courtesy and loyalty to our adult volunteers. Our scouters have to be there at the meetings and outings, eh? They have to make sacrifices in their families, use vacation time from work, and give up other activities so as to meet their obligations to the troop. Seems like common courtesy and loyalty demand a similar show of commitment by the boys who are benefiting from such an adult's generosity.

 

At least to show proper Scout Spirit, eh?

 

Beavah

 

[BrentAllen]

I must give credit where credit is due. While I share the same sentiment, those words originally came from Green Bar Bill, in the Third Edition of the Scoutmaster Handbook (1938), in the section on building a new Troop. That paragraph wraps up a charge he recommends the new Scoutmaster deliver to his new Scouts. Here is the rest of it:

 

"The Troop we organize here must be one of the finest and most active Troops ever started. It must measure up with the best Troops in the Council. Every Scout in it must be right on the job all of the time to be the best kind of a Scout he can. Ours must be a winning team in the great game of Scouting!

... At first we'll keep our numbers small; we'll pick our men.

More important than anything else I have mentioned is the Scout Oath or Promise to which every member subscribes when he joins. It is this - (give Scout Oath). Unless you feel sure that you want to live up to this Oath the very best you can, you shouldn't become a Scout. The Oath and the twelve points of the Law are a tough lot of things for any fellow to live up to; only those with grit and nerve should tackle them. You had better think that part over pretty carefully before you make up your minds to be Scouts."

 

My admiration for Green Bar Bill grows with every page I turn! :-) Too bad much of that material has been edited out of the current Handbook.

I think we sometimes get caught up in the numbers game, trying to recruit every boy to be a Boy Scout. While I wish every boy wanted to be a Scout, I think we end up spending a lot of time on boys who just don't care to be. They might enjoy the camping and hiking, but they never really sign on to the ideals - the Oath and Law - and they end up being discipline black holes, sucking up all your time and energy. Or they are on the Lone Scout Eagle Program while a member of your Troop (taking from your Troop, but not giving back). I just don't care to entertain those boys in our Troop. We'll do everything we can to help those boys who really want to be an active Scout; I have very little patience for those who just want to waste my time.(This message has been edited by BrentAllen)