Gone Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Scouts who have the right attitude towards life don't need an Eagle medal to tell them they are great scouts. Whenever someone does something extraordinary around me I always ask if they were ever a scout. Occasionally I get yes, I am an Eagle. But more often than not I get, yes, BUT I only got to FC or Star, or Life as if they didn't finish.... Well what they just did proved otherwise. The best scouters I know are consistently those who did NOT make Eagle. Their passion for scouting is almost as if they're trying to make up for not getting Eagle. Most scouters I have met who made Eagle I have been underwhelmed by. One or two stick out, but most don't have anywhere near the drive or passion that the "failed" scouters have. I'll take one of those guys over 20 Eagle scouters any day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I had a bad experience in Boy Scouts as a youth. After 4 years I was 2nd Class with 1 MB (Stamp Collecting) When I took on scouting as an adult, I dedicated myself to never doing to a boy what was done to me. Every now and then one comes across the Real Deal Eagle and walk away impressed. But for the most part I see former scouts trying their best to do what is right for the boys and that is just as impressive in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle94-A1 Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 That was me; Life at 13, Eagle at 18. What got me going? 2 things. 1) Seeing my friends and those who I taught basic T-2-1 skills making Eagle. But that was a little motiviation. 2) A comment my SM made after I made a joke about "Getting old" after one of the guys I worked with being recognized as passing hie EBOR. "If some people got off their duffs, they could get Eagle before they turned 18." That comment cut to the quick and made me realize I had less that 8 months to get the last 3 MBs I needed. I pushed it, completing Personal Mangement 5 days before turning 18. As other said, the Scout has to want it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdidochas Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 If you have a Scout that has been at Life for 3 years (16years old) and has stopped working on MBs. Has a draft for an Eagle project but not filled out the workbook. On one hand he says he would like to make it to Eagle, but never seems to make progress. What would you do? What would you NOT do. Are you the parent or the scout leader? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdidochas Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 The best scouters I know are consistently those who did NOT make Eagle. Their passion for scouting is almost as if they're trying to make up for not getting Eagle. Most scouters I have met who made Eagle I have been underwhelmed by. One or two stick out, but most don't have anywhere near the drive or passion that the "failed" scouters have. I'll take one of those guys over 20 Eagle scouters any day. I've met both types of Eagle scouters. Our current SM is an Eagle Scout, but he walks the walk. Our previous SM was a Life Scout, but he too walked the walk. I've also met the type of Eagle Scouters you describe, and I've met mediocre non-Eagle Scouters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I've met both types of Eagle scouters. Our current SM is an Eagle Scout, but he walks the walk. Our previous SM was a Life Scout, but he too walked the walk. I've also met the type of Eagle Scouters you describe, and I've met mediocre non-Eagle Scouters. Oh yeah, they all exist in various permutations. My personal experience with Eagle scouters is that they "walk the walk" in their professional life, but do not dive in with the gusto that our non-Eagle scouters do. Heck, out best scouters were never in scouts! I think most folks that step up and take the SM role are part nuts, mostly energetic and willing to put in the intense amount of time it takes to deliver a quality program. They stay that way only if their support structure among the parents is good. If they become more a one-man show or the parents are less helpful, these SMs burn out (Eagle or not) REAL fast. I am sure we've all seen that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertrat77 Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 (edited) I pushed it, completing Personal Mangement 5 days before turning 18. Personal Management? Ugh PM ranks with the three Citizenships in the Most Boring Merit Badge Department, which makes the journey to Eagle a bit of an endurance/perseverance experience as well! Edited July 10, 2015 by desertrat77 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfolson Posted July 10, 2015 Author Share Posted July 10, 2015 Hmmm. I never made it past First Class myself.... More background - There has been a lot of turmoil in this scout's life lately. Dad was hospitilized for several months, problems with the school not following his IEP, and feeling overwhelmed as acting SPL without good support (my opinion) from a very new SM. I am trying to see what support to offer that would not be crossing a line as advancement chair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Hmmm. I never made it past First Class myself.... More background - There has been a lot of turmoil in this scout's life lately. Dad was hospitilized for several months, problems with the school not following his IEP, and feeling overwhelmed as acting SPL without good support (my opinion) from a very new SM. I am trying to see what support to offer that would not be crossing a line as advancement chair. Ok, for me this is a WAY different story then. I would sit down and help him refocus then. Help him develop a plan -- much like his IEP at school, but for Scouts and making Eagle -- and then help him execute that plan. He obviously have WAY too much going on to focus on Eagle. I would step in then and help any way I could. If it were just another "lazy teenager" that's one thing. This kids sounds like he needs help and does not know how to ask for it or where to begin. You sound like you know how to help. I would personally step in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Personal Management? Ugh PM ranks with the three Citizenships in the Most Boring Merit Badge Department, which makes the journey to Eagle a bit of an endurance/perseverance experience as well! When I teach PM MB, it isn't boring. My boys seem to think it's one of the most useful MB's out there. Heck, Camping MB can be boring if one only dwells on the 20 nights of mosquitoes and discomfort one has to put up with to get it. It's the journey, not the destination that is important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertrat77 Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 When I teach PM MB, it isn't boring. My boys seem to think it's one of the most useful MB's out there. Heck, Camping MB can be boring if one only dwells on the 20 nights of mosquitoes and discomfort one has to put up with to get it. It's the journey, not the destination that is important. Very true Stosh, but there are counselors out there that make things as painful as possible. Makes me wonder how many potential Eagles stall out because of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Very true Stosh, but there are counselors out there that make things as painful as possible. Makes me wonder how many potential Eagles stall out because of this. I don't wonder at all. I have seen some of them that make the MB so dry that Death Valley looks like a rain forest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJCubScouter Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 (edited) dfolson, I have to admit I mis-read your initial post. I thought you were talking about your own son and responded from that perspective. Now I see you are the advancement chair and dealing with the Scout in that capacity. It's much more of a tightrope-walk for a parent. I don't think there is anything wrong with giving a Scout advice, such as about getting organized, making a plan, etc. I would first check with the Scoutmaster and any official or unofficial "Eagle advisers" that your troop may have to make sure a whole bunch of people aren't bombarding the Scout with the same advice. Added note: You mention that he has stopped working on MB's. Do you know what he has left to do? And you say he has a draft of a project plan but hasn't filled out the workbook. Does he have at least verbal approval from the project beneficiary, or his project still at the idea stage? The reason I ask these questions is that maybe he needs to work on one thing at a time. I have seen boys who need to be working on merit badges and their project at the same time, and if I boy gets "overwhelmed" easily as seems to be the case here, that may be a problem. But I guess it also depends on exactly how old he is. If his 16th birthday was last week, it's one thing and he can probably put together a plan to do one thing at a time and make it. If his 17th birthday is tomorrow, and he still has 8 Eagle-required MB's to do plus the project, he may not have that luxury. He can make it, but obviously he has to get going. Edited July 10, 2015 by NJCubScouter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSScout Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 "Do, or do not. There is no try" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfolson Posted July 10, 2015 Author Share Posted July 10, 2015 He has partials for cooking and environmental science. I do not know if he ever started family life, PF, or PM thoes 5 are all he needs in addition to the project. He has described his concept to me as little libraries. I believe he wants to place them in city parks. I am not sure who the beneficiary signoff from the city would be from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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