New to this forum and need some help

[desertrat77]

"I'd never met one who admitted to it until my son got involved in Scouting."

 

Engineer, it's called humility.

 

[Sentinel947]

Wow... I really feel your pain. I would never do that to my Scout...and one responder is right. This opens the door for your parents to push you any way they want, and parents will do exactly that, once they see it works...its an easy cop-out way of parenting.

 

Say you pick a college/career path they don't like ... will they withhold helping you pay for college if you don't change your college major or career idea? What will you do then? Are you willing to work at a job for the next 40 years that you actually hate, because that is what your parents wanted?

 

The reality is the Eagle isn't nearly the big deal that most parents (and lifetime Scouters) put on it. I'd never met one who admitted to it until my son got involved in Scouting. Although now that I've met a few, I am pretty good at spotting them in the crowd. It's really an unusable, unrecognized award that can just as easily go against you on a job interview or application as it can help you. (Read: Don't tell that LGBT manager about your Eagle badge, unless you don't want the job.)

 

Unfortunately, with Eagle-crazed parents, they are liable to go completely nutso if you dig your heels in. So you have to decide what is more important to you...your self-respect or pleasing your parents and keeping the peace, even though you may hate yourself in the end.

 

Incidentally, my son is 16 and I doubt if he'll even make Life....just like to camp a couple times a year.

Just because your son doesn't plan to make Eagle doesn't make Eagle worthless. Just because your son doesn't intend to make Eagle doesn't make your sons time as a Scout worthless.

 

Are you a hiring manager? Have you listed Eagle as something on your resume? What's your qualification for saying it has no use and is unrecognized? What youth activities are useful and recognized if a teenager applies for a job? Please enlighten me.

 

Since graduating High School and earning Eagle three years ago being a Scout and earning Eagle has helped me in the two jobs I've held and being an Army Cadet.

 

Just because you think Scouting is a worthless waste of time doesn't make it a waste of time for everybody. Just for you.

 

Furthermore why are you counseling a young man to forget his goals because of your opinion? "Self respect or doing something he hates"? He clearly stated he wants to get Eagle and his license. He doesn't like his parents extra motivational tactics and feels they are unnecessary. "Eagle crazed parents" " go nutso". Way to judge the parenting of parents you've never met. That isn't cool.

 

What is unusable in this situation is your advice, because it's through your anti Scouting bias and doesn't apply to tonymessina22.

[Twocubdad]

 

I think the advice YOU have been given thus far is good. Trying to talk your parents into changing their minds will likely backfire. You have to SHOW them and that means putting your head down and pushing forward with your goals.

 

 

That said, I personally think holding your drivers' license over your head is a terrible idea. I am an Eagle Scout, father of two Eagles and have been SM for 8 years. I've frequently advised parents against it. My biggest complaint is it pushes boys to try to earn Eagle earlier than they otherwise would and, in my opinion, should. The times I seen parents really stick to it, the kid earns Eagle at 15, gets his license and quits Scouting. That's not my goal. We work hard to keep Scouts engaged in the program all the way to 18. The game with drivers' licenses works against that.

 

Unfortunately, too many parents see Eagle as the purpose and goal of Scouting. It is not.