When to "call it quits" on Trail to Eagle

[John-in-KC]

I will say this:

 

4 years ago, my son met the man who is now his major professor at the University of Missouri. The good Doctor asked my son to talk about who he was. Son started, as all do, cataloging the basic things, but when he got to Eagle Scout, the professor looked up, and the conversation turned on a dime.

 

Long story short: Before that hour was done, my son was invited to his scholarship audition at the University of Missouri School of Music. "I can make even OK musicians into pretty damn good musicians; but I cannot and will not work with people who are not 'good people.' Eagle and Gold matter."

[clemlaw]

John in KC, I'm not sure if you were responding to me, but if you were, you might have misunderstood the question. I realize the value of Eagle, and that professor was obviously not too impressed by the fact that your son had a particular badge in his collection, but by the fact that your son had earned that particular badge.

 

I bet the prof's reaction would have been different if your son had said, "and I got this Eagle thingie because my parents made me go to Merit Badge classes every weekend."

 

I guess my question was in response to the comment that some parents thought that there was a more or less automatic pool of money ($500 - $5000) that materialized upon completion of Eagle.

 

I kind of doubt if that is true. But I'm wondering if there really is such a perception.

[Eagle92]

That perceptions exists. Some colleges do give points to Eagles in their admission and scholarship applications.

 

There are Eagle scout scholarships through NESA and other orgs.

 

And it has helped me get jobs, not only a s a pro, but elsewhere. Currently my boss and her boss cannot believe some of the things I learned and did in scouting. In fact my boss's boss called me into his office, asked me some questions about a cadndidate for a positions b/c it was heavy with BS stuff on the app as he worked summer camp from a CIT to Camp Commissioner, and wanted more details on the different scouting jobs listed.

 

He got the job.

 

 

[John-in-KC]

In the Kansas City area, I can assure you that "Eagle Scout" and "______(paint responsibility) in the Tribe of Mic-o-Say" move your resume to the front of the queue, both for initial screening and for interview selection.

 

I have seen it happen.

[WAKWIB]

I guess my question was in response to the comment that some parents thought that there was a more or less automatic pool of money ($500 - $5000) that materialized upon completion of Eagle.

 

I kind of doubt if that is true. But I'm wondering if there really is such a perception.

 

A number of colleges do have such scholarships for Eagles. Two private colleges in Missouri have such. They are automatic. One is $500/year renewable. The other is $1500/year (or maybe more, I can't recall exactly) renewable.

 

Also, ditto to what John-in-KC said. Scouting in this town is highly favored. A young man with an Eagle award, and especially with some over-and-above type of involvement via camp staff, Mic-O-Say,and Order of the Arrow, has a key to many doors of opportunity.

 

[BadenP]

John

 

I really think you are way over the top in your gross generalization concerning all the companies in Kansas City putting such value on the Eagle or OA. Based on what evidence can you show proof of your statement, or is it rather based on your own personal, limited experiences or opinion.

[John-in-KC]

Baden,

 

Read the comments of WAKWIB ... who is from my District.

[BadenP]

John

 

It still doesnt prove your point as it refers to a few colleges versus your statement of ALL the businesses in Kansas City, you just need to keep things in proper perspective John is all I am saying. The Eagle still does not have the pull it once did 20 or more years ago nationwide, that is the sad truth.

[Eagledad]

>>The Eagle still does not have the pull it once did 20 or more years ago nationwide, that is the sad truth.

[BadenP]

Well Barry

 

Let me tell you my wife has been in Human Resources for over 25 years now and is also an officer in a huge nationwide organization of HR professionals representing most major businesses, industry, medical workers, teachers, etc, etc. and the input from her and many of her associates to me was in a nutshell, "the Eagle Scout rank while it may be quite an achievement as a youth is not relevant to the qualifications for any position nor can it EVER be used as an advantage or reason to favor one applicant over another, as this would be a violation of state and federal labor law." Most online applications these days do not even give you a place to list outside organizations unless you can show there is a direct correlation to the qualifications of the position. Barry this is just the way it is today in the corporate world, hardcore, unpersonal, and cutthroat. I don't like it and glad I am not in it anymore. The days of a boy walking in to a company and telling them he is an Eagle Scout expecting it to open doors for him are gone forever. IMO, it is sad but true.

[Eagledad]

Still sounds personal and local to me. I do know of Eagles hired off the street because of their Eagle, but it was because of the person hiring, not HR. I am sure HR is also personal and local, but my experience with them is that they basically sort out applications and resumes to whittle the list down to the few most qualified. I have a lot of personal experience there. I dont know the Eagle ever helped at the HR sorting level, but once the application got down to the one on one interview, it makes a difference.

 

We just have to agree to disagree. If it is a local thing, then Im glad I live where I live.

 

Barry

 

[SR540Beaver]

BadenP: "the Eagle Scout rank while it may be quite an achievement as a youth is not relevant to the qualifications for any position nor can it EVER be used as an advantage or reason to favor one applicant over another, as this would be a violation of state and federal labor law."

 

Sure it can. I've been in the work force for 30+ years and worked for a number of companies and married to an HR person as well. I don't recall ever being told WHY I was hired. I assumed it was because the person doing the hiring thought I was the best candate for the job. It could have been because of my devilishly handsome looks for all I know. Violations of federal and state law would be items such as race, gender, relgion, age, etc. Proving that you were or were not hired for one of those reasons is hard to do without an admisson by the person doing the hiring. The fact that you were an Eagle Scout, former military, attended a certain university or have blue eyes, blond hair and legs up to there might be the tipping point for the person doing the hiring.

[NealOnWheels]

BadenP,

 

Do me a favor. Ask your wife which federal law prohibits using an Eagle rank as a consideration to favor one candidate over another?(This message has been edited by NealOnWheels)

[nolesrule]

Plenty of accomplishments can be line items on a resume (which is why people list them). It's up to the person making hiring decisions as to whether that will make an impact on their decision-making, and there's nothing illegal about it.

 

Any smart person hiring would only use that as a tie-breaker in the case of equal candidates.

[clemlaw]

>>which federal law prohibits using an Eagle rank as a consideration to favor one candidate over another