Earned ALL 134 merit badges in protest to labelled too young for Eagle?

[moosetracker]

Why is it that any time some boy achieves something exceptional, there are so many that come out of the woodwork on this board and claim that something must be fishy even though they know absolutely nothing about the situation?

 

There are plenty of stories to be found about exceptional children achieving remarkable things in other endeavors…amazing athletes…genius boys and girls who are attending college when their age-peers are in middle school. Some people are just exceptional or achieve exceptional things.

 

All you folks looking down your noses from a position of ignorance are a bunch of knuckleheads.

Both.. Merit badges have a lot to them, when done right.. When done wrong you can get 3 to 5 in one Merit Badge academy day of work.. If done right and going for all your nose is in a merit badge book for 6 or 7 years.. (Whoever said their son is going for it, but is getting close to aging out may be doing the Merit badges more correctly, but I would be surprised if all MBC's he worked with really knew what they were doing..) When done wrong, your nose is in a merit badge book for about 2 years..

 

It is not really the Scouts fault if done wrong. They would need to have the ability to know the right way it should be done, and have the ability to tell the MBC they either need to work the MB right with them, or they will need to find a new MBC.. My son has come home with a merit badge from summer camp that we felt weren't done right, but it was a done deal.. We did try to correct the problem, but soon discovered, us reworking what wasn't done in on a merit badge with him was a bad idea.. We had him torture a fish to death trying to have him clean a fish when no one knew how.. He used to love fishing, but just did catch & release.. After the fish gutting debacle, he has never fished since.. Now the camp does do the fish cleaning part of the requirement. It is still a catch & release pond they fish in, but the camp has to buy fish that the scouts clean.

 

Actually our camps went from bad on doing Merit badges correctly, to being pretty good. The Advancement group from District & council have cracked down on them if they hear of any complaints.. Our districts though still run merit badge workshops which are just set up by whoever want to run one, and I have never heard of the Advancement committee looking into how they are run. So Scout Masters who don't believe in them, don't promote them to their scouts in hopes they will not hear about them from anybody else..

 

Really it's just a bunch of well intentioned people, who are getting it all wrong, whether that be the scout, the Scouts parents, the MBC, the troop whose main focus is in quick advancement, a lot of the Merit badge workshops, and a lot of summer camp programs.

[perdidochas]

Agree Twocubdad.. Sounds like scout did a lot of busy work (or his parents did), but has he stopped long enough to learn & understand what scouting is all about. I am wondering how many of those meritbadges were done the right way, and how many were in watered down summer camp programs, meritbadge workshops, and mom or dad as the MBC..

 

He also makes it sound like if he didn't do this then he would NEVER earn eagle rank, I don't those slowing him down wanted to see was all meritbadges what they wanted was him to slow down and enjoy the process .. He totally proved he just doesn't get it.

 

Though I don't think it is right for someone to hold someone back with false rules when they decide to earn Eagle at 13 or whatever.. It is simply give him his patch, and I personally at this stage of the game, would not be impressed.. Now, if afterwards he stayed in and settled into enjoying scouting, he would then earn my respect, and if he high tailed it out with his badge, he is simply a paper eagle.. Nothing for people to make up rules from keeping him from doing it..

 

So give him his patch with all his meritbadges and see if he stays in and slows down.. I believe if he tries to turn those Merit Badges into palms, what he has left will force a slow down.. if Mr. speedy speeds off to other things.. Well, maybe those things can teach him what scouting failed to.

 

After becoming an Eagle Scout, you may earn Palms by completing the following requirements:

1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least three months after becoming an Eagle Scout or after award of last Palm. (Eagle Palms must be earned in sequence, and the three-month tenure requirement must be observed for each Palm.)

2. Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in your everyday life.

3. Make a satisfactory effort to develop and demonstrate leadership ability.

4. Earn five additional merit badges beyond those required for Eagle or last Palm. (Merit badges earned any time since becoming a Boy Scout may be used to meet this requirement.)

 

PS.. Seriously how many scouts AIM for earning all 134 meritbadges? In my lifetime, I have met a total of zero.

I've met one scout that was aiming for all 134 merit badges. he got to 45, and hasn't earned a badge in years. has been a life scout since march 2010.

[Basementdweller]

Why is it that any time some boy achieves something exceptional, there are so many that come out of the woodwork on this board and claim that something must be fishy even though they know absolutely nothing about the situation?

 

There are plenty of stories to be found about exceptional children achieving remarkable things in other endeavors…amazing athletes…genius boys and girls who are attending college when their age-peers are in middle school. Some people are just exceptional or achieve exceptional things.

 

All you folks looking down your noses from a position of ignorance are a bunch of knuckleheads.

You can't possibly believe the lad actually Earned 134 merit badges in less than 3 years.

 

My program is far from even marginal. I have posted with my struggles with lads earned dog care merit badge with no dog, Personal management in a week. I had a lad return from a Merit badge day a year ago having earned everyone they offered. 8 merit badges in a single day......The other lad that attended said he simply went around and collected cards.....

 

So while there are dynamo's out there tearing up the scout world, I have yet to meet one.

 

Like I mentioned earlier in the thread, I have met two lads who have earned all the merit badges at the time I met them.....Both were older than 16.

 

then I didn't care for the attitude in the interview......Well you deny me eagle, I will just go out and earn all of the merit badges then I dare you to deny me again.

 

So what does the SPL patch tell us???? Nothing. It could be an adult let troop where the boys are appointed. Could be boy led where it is a popularity contest???? Could be a figure head position only. Too many variables for it to be a meaningful benchmark.

[packsaddle]

I could have been a ballerina but I had that pesky, defective Y-chromosome.

[Basementdweller]

We likely are, as usual, missing some important elements of the story. If he has had the support of SM's, then who is holding him back from the Eagle completion? Does it have to do with leadership issues; if he is now SPL, he certainly appears on the verge? Is it that he simply has not gotten around to the project? As usual, the media jumps off half cocked on this without giving us the complete picture. At the end, they mention him being a freshman; that would make him ahead of peers in school as well, which supports some of "Brewmeister's" comments. Would be nice to get the broader picture; but hopefully he will finish up and continue as a mentor for others, as well as leadership for the palms.

Ya we don't know Skeptic. So is the SM who is slowing down his Eagle progress signing the Blue cards???? I wonder why the SM is slowing him down?

 

My son is 14 and a freshman, not sure what has to do with it??? If he is homeschooled then all bets are off related to his real grade in school.

[RememberSchiff]

I could have been a ballerina but I had that pesky, defective Y-chromosome.

Glad to hear it was not for lack of a tutu.

[moosetracker]

I could have been a ballerina but I had that pesky, defective Y-chromosome.

Tut tut - there are some great ballet dancers.. Just need to have the legs and great a$$ for it.

[packsaddle]

I could have been a ballerina but I had that pesky, defective Y-chromosome.

Ooooooooo, Moosetracker...you peeked, didn't you!

[skeptic]

I could have been a ballerina but I had that pesky, defective Y-chromosome.

Do not forget that most male professional dancers are superb athletes. It is not an occupation that lacks in need for strength and coordination. Have read of pro football and basketball players that actually took some basic lessons in order to better their moves on the court. Of course, I personally would not look good in one of those outfits, even when I was young.

[qwazse]

I could have been a ballerina but I had that pesky, defective Y-chromosome.

Daughter's friend is a pro ballerina. Just like earning all the MB's, home school helped her pursue her passion.

The down side: zero time for venturing -- and these were parents who made a sincere effort to make scouting work for each kid.

[King Ding Dong]

I could have been a ballerina but I had that pesky, defective Y-chromosome.

Also a great way to meet lots of attractive girls.

[Twocubdad]

Earning all the merit badges is like driving all 47,00 miles of the interstate highway system. Sure, it takes a lot of time and effort, but to what end? My first question would be why would you want to do either? Nor is it the purpose/intent of either.

 

Of course you then want the rest of us to pretend it's some great accomplishment on the order of winning the Indy 500. But becoming an Indy driver requires real skill and talent, not to mention years of practice and dedication. Driving every mile of the interstate system only takes time, money and a cast iron butt.

[SSScout]

"Because it is there." And "because I can".

[RememberSchiff]

Earning all the merit badges is like driving all 47,00 miles of the interstate highway system. Sure, it takes a lot of time and effort, but to what end? My first question would be why would you want to do either? Nor is it the purpose/intent of either.

 

Of course you then want the rest of us to pretend it's some great accomplishment on the order of winning the Indy 500. But becoming an Indy driver requires real skill and talent, not to mention years of practice and dedication. Driving every mile of the interstate system only takes time, money and a cast iron butt.

Agree. I wonder where it starts .... My mission as a WL was to prepare my Webelos for Boy Scouts which meant resisting outside pressure to earn all 20 activity badges.

[Tampa Turtle]

I could have been a ballerina but I had that pesky, defective Y-chromosome.

One of my co-workers lads is a professional ballet dancer. As one of the few hetero-sexual males he gets chased around a LOT. Occupational hazard is the older woman hitting on him. Tall enough and good enough he is heavily recruited by schools and dance companies. Did say he has learned that sweaty girls stink as much as boys. I would agree he is an athlete.