Average age of Eagle Scout 14 to 17 years old

[charmoc]

Recent article staes: More than 60 years ago, the average age of a boy earning Eagle was 14.6. Today its 17.1

 

Eagle at 14 years old? ROCK ON!

[packsaddle]

How does that old Carly Simon song go?....

Procrastination, procrastination

Is makin' me late

Is keepin' me waitin'

[mbrownkc7]

I have seen scouts get them when they are 14 and others get them at 17. Myself would rather see them do this at 17. I sat with on a board of review at camp this summer for a boy earning his Life badge. He proudly stated that he already had is badges required for Eagle and just needed to do his project. He was barely 14 and his plan was to finish while he was 14. I asked him if during the last week at camp had he gone on a hike to explore a cave. He hadn't. I asked him to slow down and enjoy camp and what scouting offers. It isn't a race.

 

I would rather see an active scout take his time and help younger scouts and get that Eagle just before he turns 18. We are very fortunate here in Missouri in that we have a camp that boys want to go to. It is almost alway s assumed that a boy will go to scout camp 5 years and a lot of boys go even longer.

 

Don't rush em is my advise. Have fun!

[charmoc]

If this is the scouts goal, then why slow them down? Once this 14 year old becomes an Eagle, its more our challenge to keep them engaged in scouting and helping out, earning those palms, work summer camp, work on NYLT staff, get more involved in the OA and/or join a Venturing crew! Then again if this 14 year old gets more involve in sports and outside activities, quits showing up to meetings because of outside activities and at the age of 17 we see him again wanting to earn his Eagle we gripe. I would rather see the 14 year old make Eagle at that age than see him put it off until the last moment.

[Eagle92]

As stated on the blog, I'd love to see the stats on Sea Scout Quartermaster from back then and today, as well as the Exploring Ranger Award, which phased out in '49, and Exploring Silver, going into effect in 1949, and today's Venturing Silver.

 

Back then Sea Scouts and Explorers were more popular than today, and folks could move on to those challenges.

[advancement lady]

I have to agree with the "don't rush em". I have sat on many BORs and the maturity level really does pick-up when they hit High School (especially those 16/17 year olds.) I had one scout that only worked on Eagle required merit badges and we asked him to slow down, explore, and learn ~ teach. (13 and could have hit Eagle) He was a bit upset, but he is now 15 has found an interest with one of his merit badges, volunteers like nobody's business and his Eagle project starts next week! He now has formed relationships with the other scouts and actually LAUGHS with the scouts.

 

Aren't we trying to guide these boys into well rounded young men?

[advancement lady]

PS ~ I could be mistaken ..... an article about the first Eagle Scout only mentioned the fact that he had to earn 21 merit badges ..... times have changed in 60 years and so have the requirements.

[suzisk8]

Also figure that back then, there wasn't a ton of outside STUFF competing against the life of a young teen. Even 30 years ago, I could have gone in many different paths instead of focusing on skating, I can't even fathom the kids today. I am so surprised that my son, the Bear has a goal of getting every Cub Belt Loop, I can't even imagine what will happen when he hits the big time. He sees the merit badges all the time when we are in the store and he says I want that one, and that one. The conclusion of the story is that kids should take their time because they do have to focus on school, and all the other outside noise plus Scouting. Plus heck, enjoy the ride.

[ADCinNC]

I like how Andy summed it up,

http://netcommissioner.com/askandy/2012/08/issue-324-august-11-2012/

 

(This message has been edited by ADCinNC)

[Basementdweller]

ADC lots of assumptions in that and It assumes a one and done mentality for advancement.

 

This is how we get eagle scouts who can't build fires or tie knots.

 

 

So is it better for the scout be in a troop with a one and done or a troop who requires mastery????

[ADCinNC]

Hi Basement,

 

I guess we will agree to disagree. I can certainly tie a knot and and build a fire, and so can my 15 year old Life Scout son who is finishing up his Eagle requirements as we speak. One does not have to be 17 years old to be an Eagle, or the requirements would say so. I have seen many a 17 year old who lacks the maturity of some 11 year old kids I know.

 

Any Scout who stays engaged and helps train new scouts in the Troop masters the skills after learning them. That is how I learned, and that is how my son has done it. He plans to stay in the troop after his Eagle (his choice, not mine BTW).

 

But as I read the requirements, One and done is what it is, but an engaged Scout is the one who has skills that last a lifetime, and an engaged Troop is one that delivers that.

 

As far as Andy goes, I will take his advice any day :-).

 

 

[Eagledad]

It all depends on the program. We averaged an eagle every 2.5 months. The average age was 16.5. And we have several who did their EBOR a week before their 18th birthday, my son include. They weren't procrastinating, they were just so busy with other scouting stuff that Eagle was a lower priority.

 

Adults set the vision of the program, if they believe scouts loose interest after age 14, their program likely is not interesting for scouts over 14. The largest troop in our district averages between 150 to 180 scouts any given year. A successful troop by most measures, but 90 percent of their scouts are 15 and younger. They have an Eagle program that guarantees Eagle by age 14 if the scout follows their program. You want to guess what the SM would say if you ask him why so few older scouts hang around? Our troop typically gets 1 or 2 of their new Eagles ever year.

 

Oaktree is an active member on this forum and the SM of a troop with a high ratio of older scouts. Maybe he will chime in to the secret of keeping older scouts. But one thing I know about Oak, his vision for his troop includes older scouts.

 

Ya gotta love scouting stuff.

 

Barry

[Twocubdad]

Ask Andy -- the how-to guide for Eagle mills.

 

I'm coming to the conclusion that the marketing/brand folks at national have taken over. To keep the cash flowing, BSA has to capitalize on it's best brand -- Eagle Scout. What good is having a great brand if only 5% of your customers buy it? Any good marketer knows one trick of building an exclusive brand is keeping the price stylishly high. So how to boost sales while remaining exclusive? Overtly cutting requirements would look bad and may damage the brand. Instead, you keep the price high, but give stuff away around the margins, free oil changes and service for life, roadside assistance, counting church or band as "participation" in Scouting, redefining the Scoutmaster's "authorization" for a merit badge to mean "you talked about it," having some hack blogger show you all the loop holes and the easiest way possible to make your "purchase".

 

But what the heck, by 15 you've probably bought all the uniforms and books you're going to. Chances are, your parents will pay your registration for the next two years anyway, just because you're an Eagle.

 

Here's another money maker -- start selling the Trail To Eagle framed shadow boxes with the badges and Eagle medal already installed. You can give them out at crossover and save a lot of time and trouble for folks who are interested in running a quality program.

 

 

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

10 w/AOL = Scout, Age 10

+

FCFY = 1st Class Scout, age 11

+

4 months = Star, age 11 yrs 4 months

+

6 months = Life, age 11 years 10 months

+

6 months = Eagle at age 12 years, 4 months

Unless something is missing from the above math, that's what current requirements make possible. To achieve it, a diligent, able boy would have to have and use all necessary opportunities and resources. It seems unlikely.

 

Eagle at 14 sounds like a fine goal. Eagle earlier or later also sounds like a fine goal.

 

To "it isn't a race" and "have fun" a boy might reply "but it's fun to treat it like a race. As long as I'm meeting all the requirements, why is that a problem? Are you going to add to the rank requirements a requirement that I must do things that are not formally required but that you think I should enjoy?"

 

If the concern is that the Scout will "Eagle out" and not be around to help others... Scout rank advancement requirements are set up to require service and leadership. It'd behoove a Scout to earn all the Eagle required badges by some time early in their tenure at Star rank. That way they'll be less distracted with meeting requirements for themselves during that latter portion of their Scout "career" in which their advancement depends more on how they serve, lead, and advance the interests of others and less on what they earn for themselves. If they "Eagle out" that's too bad, but they're not defaulting on any "payback" they owe the troop because that "payback" should have started with their fist POR as a First Class Scout and became an increasingly larger portion of their Scouting participation as they earned Life and then Eagle.

 

[bacchus]

Once again the old argument: Check off requirements the first time they're done vs. when the requirement is mastered to the point that they can provide training on the subject in a college level course in a large auditorium.

 

My fellow leaders have come to the decision that when the scouts complete the requirement they get it signed off. We will then continue to have the scouts perform the requirement, and re-teach to the younger scouts many times after that.