Arrow of Light at 9 years old

[theysawyoucomin']

So why don't we give individual waivers for driving, drinking, heck Barack should have been the POTUS at 25 instead of after 35.

 

 

As long as we are giving waivers my daughter has always said I act like a 75 year old, can we start my sociaL security now BEFORE ALL THE MONEY IS GONE. I'm a nice guy start it now.

 

The original post says "Does this sound fair?" if this kid was that mature he would know not to use that statement. FAIR is where you ride the ferris wheel and avoid stepping in elephant manure.

 

Sorry lad you have to wait. There is nothing fair or unfair about it.

 

Talking about what it was for a requirement long ago is like talking about yesterdays stock price you can't by it for that so why consider it. This Scout has to think about today.

[John-in-KC]

uz...

 

Because statute law is a matter of public record, and folks can/do use the courts as agents of change. Indeed, sometimes they even win.

 

 

[SunnyD]

Eagle92, I agree with you that "rushing through" the program is less than ideal and that earning Eagle is not the be-all and end-all of the program. Plenty of youth who never earn Eagle have life-changing experiences. But allow me to play devil's advocate...

 

I wonder what the retention rates are for Scouts who have earned Eagle by 14 versus those who have not. I would like to think the former would be more active in and would contribute more on the whole to the program.

 

The equivalent of this AoL requirement would be to require that all Eagles be 17 1/2. That would ensure we kept them active and didn't "rush", correct? It would also be quite a demotivator. I wonder how many of us would advocate that requirement.

 

Let me tell the story of another Scout. He was a bright kid and a natural leader among his friends. He enjoyed the outdoors, especially the water. Upon joining, he learned quickly and soon picked up good scoutcraft skills. Being very active, he rapidly earned First Class. In the meantime, he was involved in church, school, sports, music, and the community. He was selected to positions of responsibility not to allow him to check a box but because he was deemed the best person for the job. With merit badges earned from a couple of summer camps, a few more earned with the troop, and several earned on his own initiative, by 13 he found himself already a Life Scout. Having never really considered Eagle as a possibility, he now found it within reach and dedicated himself to the goal. He planned and executed a project while completing the remaining merit badges and earned Eagle by 14, not having felt rushed at all. He continued to serve in the leadership of his troop, and as he passed on what he had learned his patrols won many awards at camporees and Klondike Derbies. He led a high adventure trek. He joined the camp staff. He earned marksmanship awards. He went on to earn his Lifeguard BSA and joined the acquatics staff. He served on the COPE course staff. Along the way he had been selected to OA and was active there. He served in the leadership of a world jamboree troop. He remained active until he graduated from high school. Having also been highly decorated in academics, music, and athletics, he earned a full college scholarship. Along the way he enjoyed every sunrise over the mist on the lake.

 

Did this youth really miss out by advancing too quickly? Advancement and good Scouting experiences should go hand-in-hand, not be mutually exclusive. Shame on us if we don't help our high-achievers understand what more the program entails. Shame on us if we are advancing boys who haven't earned it. And what does it say about the program we offer if it isn't even attractive to our own Eagle Scouts?

[Eagle92]

Sunny,

Good point and I would love to see the national stats on young Eagles and their activity level in Scouting, whether Boy Scouts or Venturing.

 

But based upon my own observations, I'ld say 80-90% who get eagle early drop out immediately after getting eagle. the 10-20% who stay are usually active in the OA, Venturing, or both. And even then they sometimes succumb to the "'FUMES": perfume and car fumes, within 2-3 years.

[Lisabob]

I would have to agree with Eagle92's observation. Most of the boys I've seen get Eagle before age 14 are out of there immediately afterward. Some remain registered (I don't know why?) but just don't show up anymore.

 

My son's troop has a culture where most boys don't earn Eagle until they're about 16. It isn't that there are intentional road blocks, it is just how it usually works out. Most of those older guys do stay involved until they age out. And we have several who age out as Star and Life scouts every year, too. So I don't think that these guys are all necessarily hanging on just to get to Eagle.

[nldscout]

I noticed that Ninga hasn't posted anything since the first day when he didn't get the answers that he wanted.

[theysawyoucomin']

I don't think anybody wanted to drive him away but I sure can get passionate when I think folks are missing an opportunity. I must also remember that I did not listen to too many people when I was that age.

 

It was too late for a lot of things before I realized a lot could be learned from somebody who had walked the trail before I did. They knew where the pot holes and piles of dog poop were, they also knew where they had missed the sunsets and found the easiest walking.

[Basementdweller]

nds......he got the answer he wanted from eamon on the first page. He thanked him....

 

 

An entire forum screaming nooooooo. He picks the one that makes his son gifted and special and set the expectation that the DE will do bend the rules for this gifted boy.

 

 

 

 

[John-in-KC]

Oh, well. That particular SE (note E didn't say DE, he said SE!) probably wasn't doing much other than grasping at straws for the next FOS campaign anyway...

[gcnphkr]

The cynic in me asks, "If he is so gifted, what is he still doing in Fourth Grade?"

 

"Gifted" 10 year olds are not in the Fourth Grade. Average, normal 10 year olds are in the Fifth Grade. My-parents-didn't-start-me-in-school-like-normal-kids-so-that-I-would-always-be-older-than-anyone-else-in-my-class-and-I-would-have-the-illusion-of-being-special and I'm-as-dull-as-a-brick-and-was-held-back-in-Third-Grade 10 year olds are in the Fourth Grade.

[molscouter]

jet,

 

To be fair, the original post said the kid would turn 10 on October 14. I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods, but around here, the cut off date is Sept. 1, so if you are just starting out in kindergarten and you turn 5 on Sept 2, you wait a year until you are almost 6 and are 6 for most of your kindergarten year. So a 4th grader with an October birthday would turn 10 as a rule.

 

I loved your "My-parents-didn't-start-me-in-school-like-normal-kids-so-that-I-would-always-be-older-than-anyone-else-in-my-class-and-I-would-have-the-illusion-of-being-special" line though. Far too many of my sons' classmates should, if you go by the cut off date, be a year ahead of where they are in school but aren't because they have summer birthdays.(This message has been edited by molscouter)

[Gunny2862]

And one minor point, in addition to the age issue, the possible helicopter parent(although this may just be an involved one), is the idea that this prospect would be bridging as a single - no built in friends crossing with him.

 

Having to join in to a Patrol with out anyone you know and being the youngest presents significant challenges, I would think those challenges would still exist in the most adult led Troop imaginable. Why would a caring involved parent think this was a good idea? I am not sure - this would have to be an exceptionally self-driven, organized, accomplished and confident in himself child for me to think of allowing it for mine.

 

As a currently serving Scoutmaster, who interacts with youth daily from 8-21 in my home and work life, I think this is most likely a very poor idea. Most youth organizations who have age limits, have them for very good developmental reasons.

[eaglescout4029]

Personally, I don't believe you should be rushing the program. The BSA program is to be enjoyed not rushed. You don't get a huge medal for finishing early. You should try to participate in everything you can. In my opinion regardless of how old you are or what grade, NO EXCEPTIONS or "special circumstances" should be made. As an Eagle Scout, I know the award should not be rushed into. Trust me the award wouldn't be as honorable if they made special circumstances for people who wanted to procastinate and turn in their paperwork 6 months late.

You can get some much value from just the program itself. When you are to do your Eagle Scout BOR they will ask you about you favorite times in Scouting and such. If you rush through the program you will not truly get to experience the amazing fun you can have. Possibly take the time to slow down enjoy Cub Scouts and maybe help some of your friends catch up to your level that way yall can all earn your AOL together and join Boy Scouts together.

[ScoutMomAng]

Why is this kid the only one in his den (WeBeLoS I) the only one almost done with the entire book? WeBeLoS is not a boy and parent program. He should be working with his den leader and the entire den (or at summer camp with other boys and leaders). The goal of the WeBeLoS den is to prepare younger boys to become Boy Scouts. That means they learn to go to scouts without mommy and/or daddy, they learn to work with other people in his age group, learn to lead certain projects for others, learn to rely on "Activity Pin (Merit Badge) Counselors" (the leader) to help them meet their requirements (yes there are some for him to do at home with mom and dad but not many), to learn to plan a camp out with his peers and follow through. Why is the Cub Master signing off in his book? That is for the Den Leader to do, unless the den leader specifically said the Cub Master can do it. It is one thing to read the book and "fill in the blanks", it is a complete different thing to do the projects in the book.

 

I have been a WeBeLoS leader for 6 years, and I find this accomplishment to be very hard to complete the way the requirements were meant to be completed. Most of the Activity pins say, "with your WeBeLoS den..." Each Activity Pin was meant to be completed in approximately a months time, thus the reason it generally takes 18 months to complete the program and there are 20 activity pins (there are a few pins that can be completed in one or two den meetings).

 

Dude! Take your time! What's your rush? It's not a race! Get the most out of the program that you possibly can. Why don't you plan a service project for your den to complete, if you are bored with cub scouting? Plan something more elaborate than cleaning the playground at the school. Do something to help the homeless, or the underprivelaged, or orphans or premature babies. With this you can "practice" for your Eagle. Did you go on a campout with a troop? Did you meet with several troops to find out which one suits your needs better? Did you go on a 3 mile hike with your den? Or did you just complete the "easy" requirements so you could breeze through the book? Did you build a catapult with your den? Did you go to the Science Center and do several science expirements with your den to learn about Bernoullis principal, Newtons First Law of motion, and Pascal's Law?

 

Sorry, I just feel Ninja is missing out on so much by rushing through the program.

[evmori]

ScoutMomAng,

 

It's WEBELOS not WeBeLoS.