New Eagle Knot

[hendrickms24]

All,

 

My NESA newsletter says a new knot has been approved for Lifetime NESA members. Its just the Eagle Knot with Silver Border and the news release stated only one Eagle Knot can be worn at a time.

 

Mark M.

 

[John-in-KC]

OH BOY!!! THE MARKETERS ARE AT WORK!!!

 

Sorry, my cynicism is kicking in.

 

I've seen enough adults who are Eagle Scouts to know that to be Eagle is to be one for a lifetime.

 

I'll withhold final judgment on whether this is hype or not, but it's going to take more than a little bit to convince me it's not hype.

[scoutldr]

I saw that too. As an Eagle Scout and NESA member since earning Eagle in 1970, I disagree with the concept. Life members are no more special or accomplished than us "pay as you go" members. In fact, I have paid more in dues than a Life Membership would have cost me. No one ever "gifted" me a Life membership, and when I was younger, writing that one big check was not possible. There once was a NESA pocket dangle...the NESA logo suspended on a RWB ribbon, to be worn on the right pocket button (where the OA pocket rocket goes). I have one, but sadly, it's no longer available, and they go for a pretty penny on eBay. I've put it away so I don't lose it.

[OldGreyEagle]

Wonder if our new collegue in the Politics section is barking up the wrong tree with his knot idea. Perhaps NESA would entertain the Eagle scout who earned all available merit badges knot much more readily than the BSA?

[Beavah]

Yah, I had to go look this up, eh?

 

Can't say that I'm happy with da concept. Are we really tryin' to teach youth members that they can get awards for money? If that's da case, why not steer 'em toward saving up and earning da James E. West? That way, they'd also learn a bit about philanthropy and endowments and such.

 

Eagle Scout should be recognized as Eagle Scout. No special "silver" for those who can give more gold.

 

Of course, as a marketin' ploy by NESA, I bet it'll be at least moderately effective. There's always somebody who wants to look a bit more bespangled.

 

B

 

[Narraticong]

Although I am a long time member of NESA (Eagle in 1976), I really have not seen what good the organization does other than ask for money! I have tried to get a local NESA group going for years now. My thought was that it might be a great way to recruit Eagles as volunteers. In particualr I'm thinking of those guys who are out in the workforce, with no boys in Scouts. It might be a great way to get those guys back involved in Scouting! What better resource could we have.

 

For some reason, our local council professionals did not see this as important. After enough of my being a pain, I was elated to find out they were going to get a group going. As it turns out the professionals saw it as a means to ask for more money! Eagle Scouts are often successful and earn a healthy income. What a great target. For some reason, that project never left the runway.

 

I do support our council financially and I do wear a James E. West knot as a means to encourage others to do the same. But my Eagle knot is a whole other story. It says a Scout has reached the top as a boy. A special one because of how much money I donated to NESA? That will never happen.

[hendrickms24]

I signed up for a five year membership with NESA and really see no value in it. I filled out the application saying I was interested in a few things to help out my District but not sure if this information ever gets passed on! Also could you tell me what a local NESA group would do? Love to hear your impute about this.

 

Thanks(This message has been edited by hendrickms24)

[John-in-KC]

Our Council is diligently working to network Eagle Scouts (of age and beyond) across their day jobs... At least once a year there is an Eagle Scout Evening at one of the major hotel convention centers... complete with a very well equipped cash bar, I'm told.

[Narraticong]

Did you ever notice that on the NESA website there is no means to contact the organization via email? Other than providing scholarships for worthy Eagles, I often wonder what value NESA is to Scouts.

 

Recently I participated in a survey concerning an Eagle Scout directory being published. After a handful of post cards and phone messages I finally responded and answered their questions. I guess it would be nice to know where some fellow Eagles are today. But the kicker was that they wanted over $80.00 for a copy of the directory! When I said that was too rich for me, they offered a soft cover version for a mere $40.00.

 

Just another attempt to part me from my hard earned dollars. I resent that. Next to my church, Boy Scouts gets the largest share of my charitable contributions. More and more I feel our organization is being run by professionals who have never promised to live by the Oath and Law. It's sad...

[scoutldr]

While the scholarships are nice, very few are handed out, and appear to have been funded by private endowments. I have been told that every SE gets a copy of the NESA membership roster for his/her Council. NESA members are considered "low hanging fruit" for Commissioner recruiting and FOS donations.

 

The only real benefit NESA has been for me is a resume entry. There is no active chapter in my area.

 

I, too got the postcards in the mail for the NESA directory. The company is Harris Direct, which also publishes alumni directories. These are commonly used as sales leads. I'm not willing to buy the book just to see my name in print, so I passed on the offer to be listed.

[blade1158]

This knot exists to entice Eagle Scouts to become life members of the NESA. It was created to encourage a certain behavior. If one looks at all the awards that are represented by square knots, most exist to encourage a desired behavior.

 

Certainly the James E. West is meant to encourage larger donations. The William D. Boyce new unit organizer award encourages starting new units. The Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award, the ScoutingVale la Pena Service Award and the Asian American Spirit of Scouting Service Award encourage service to certain communities. Even the other service awards, District Award of Merit, Venturing Leadership Award, Silver Beaver, etc, are designed to encourage service.

 

If you want a certain behavior to increase, reward it.

[OldGreyEagle]

blade, you can call me naive, but I know more than a few Silver Beavers, Whitney Young, George Meaney and Venturing Leadership Award (like me) and all the recipients have a common personality trait, they work for the youth and the program, can't say I ever heard anyone say, I only have 2 more years before I get my recognition.

 

[emb021]

blade & OGE-

 

Well, I don't have a Silver Beaver or a DAM.

 

Do I do the work I do to get those? Not really. Would I like to be recognized with one of them? Sure. But its not something that I really think about. IMO, most of the people who deserve and get such recognition appreciate it, but getting these is not their ultimate goal.

 

 

[skeptic]

Interesting that this has generated so many postings, yet when I posted about it on April 4th, there were absolutely no responses. Guess it must have something to do with whom it is that posts as to whether any attention is paid.

 

There have also been no responses to another post of mine in the politics threads when I asked for comparisons to periods of silence in school for personal reflection to the "Day of Silence" offered in many schools in honor of the tragic death of an apparently Gay boy.

 

Have had little or no response to a number of other posts as well over the past few months. Not sure how to take that, other than to assume that for some reason my postings are simply either ignored or possibly blocked by the basic clique on the board.

 

Now, there is a subject for discussion. Is this board dominated by a clique of posters?(This message has been edited by skeptic)

[scoutldr]

Sorry, skeptic. I didn't get my Eagletter until yesterday, and I read the article. Maybe the clique should get their own Scouter.com knot. It could have a bronze, silver or gold border depending on the number of posts. It seems every thread I start never lives past 2 or 3 replies, if any. Don't feel special. It's not a right wing conspiracy.