2015 - Over 54,000 Eagles produced

[Mountaineer]

 

My only concern with the higher emphasis of Eagles is that it has overshadowed the traditional priorities of the values and outdoors. I am a patrol method character developing zealot and national has made that more challenging in my opinion.

 

 

I agree.

 

The BSA could tweak the Eagle requirements  by simply doubling the number of nights required to earn the Camping MB. 20 nights (that can include a week at camp) is simply a low bar to achieve.  I can live with the other requirements but the outdoor program is where you build and practice skills. That includes leadership; you cannot lead if you're never there.  

[Eagle94-A1]

Do they have different (easier) requirements for advancement? Do they push scouting and/or advancement harder than other religions?

Goose,

 

There is a very heavy push with LDS units, at least with the ones I've seen. Also a lot more adult oriented, i.e. the adults run things instead of the youth.

 

part of it is the way the program is run.  11 years olds meet separately from the rest of the troop, are limited to the number of camp outs they can do, and have an assigned adult leader working with them. Some sat it's Webelos III, and I think the LDS units are the model for NSPs. Also because Scouting is THE official LDS youth program, positions in the troop correspond to positions in the church, so members of the PLC are appointed, rather than elected.

 

Another challenge with LDS units is consistency with adult leadership. Generally the adults are appointed to the positions by teh bishop. While the goal is now 3 -5 years between appointments, as one of my LDS friends told me, the further away from Salt Lake City you go, the wider the variety of Scouting. So I've seen SMs appoitned for less than 12 months!

[qwazse]

This is an annual rehash of the same themes.

 

What's changed is that now with Internet advancement, we can start tracking the production of first class scouts. So, what do we have to do to have national start elevating that rank?

[desertrat77]

... we can start tracking the production of first class scouts. So, what do we have to do to have national start elevating that rank?

A worthy endeavor.   And more meaningful than tracking just Eagle.

 

Alas, I doubt the metrics folk at Irving would have any interest it.   First Class is a practical rank and just not as shiny as Eagle.

[RememberSchiff]

A worthy endeavor.   And more meaningful than tracking just Eagle.

 

Alas, I doubt the metrics folk at Irving would have any interest it.   First Class is a practical rank and just not as shiny as Eagle.

 

I like to think Irving did/does collect that data as not long ago they were stating 'statistically scouts who become First Class in the first year tend to stay in Scouting longer'. (I don't agree)

 

Gumbymaster stated "I had always understood that a true goal of Scouting was to get the Scouts to 1st Class." I thought BSA literature states that this is the Scoutmaster's goal or has that changed?

[desertrat77]

I like to think Irving did/does collect that data as not long ago they were stating 'statistically scouts who become First Class in the first year tend to stay in Scouting longer'. (I don't agree)

 

Gumbymaster stated "I had always understood that a true goal of Scouting was to get the Scouts to 1st Class." I thought BSA literature states that this is the Scoutmaster's goal or has that changed?

Excellent point...I believe you are correct, National is probably tracking First Class closely.   Let me append what I said earlier...I think National should promote and celebrate First Class attainment as a solid accomplishment.   But they only seem interested to the point that it's some sort of magic barrier to break thru for retention.  

 

I'm with you--I think National's thought that FC/first year/stay longer is erroneous.  

[gumbymaster]

I suppose I should clarify my statement.

 

First Class as a goal (admittedly not in official literature), at the time, was not about retention - although that too would be a worthy goal, but was that by the time a scout achieved that rank, we, as a program, will have tried our best convey what was deemed from a societal point of view, as the most important skills/lessons to our members before they get released back into the wild world around them.

 

While I will also concede that achieving rank by completing the requirements may or may not translate into actually knowing the skills or embracing the intent of those skills; we've got to do the best we can with what is available for a performance metric.

[MattR]

Yes, when I was a scout in 60s-70s, most scouts held Arrowmen with a higher respect of stature than the Eagle. During the five years I was in the troop of 80 scouts, we had two Eagles. A lot has changed with both programs.

 

That would certainly be a better model, and easier to focus on the right things. But it would be tough to make work in today's busy world.

 

Nearly every scout that has Eagled in my troop has described a lazy phase they went through on their trail to Eagle. Without that shiny medal at the end a lot of them would have just left for all the other activities they have going on. When they're 15 they know the check boxes are just a bunch of hoops. At the same time they aren't mature enough to see the bigger picture. Once they're 17.99 and just done their SMC, if you heard them talk you'd realize they agree with everything being said here. It's much more than check boxes. It's about giving. But without the bling they wouldn't have stuck around to learn the lessons they did. So I'd say the eagle focus has a purpose in a round about way.

 

Maybe I can do a better job with the middle aged scouts, but even my son told me I was fairly stupid when he was 16 but I'd gotten a lot smarter by the time he was 18.

[qwazse]

I found the bling to be irrelevant to weather boys stick around. Plenty of 15 year olds here with no chance, but they're still here.

[desertrat77]

I found the bling to be irrelevant to weather boys stick around. Plenty of 15 year olds here with no chance, but they're still here.

Truth!

[Eagle94-A1]

We have a Second Class in our troop who after 3 years in the troop, FINALLY got Tenderfoot and Second Class. He only got interested in advancement due to Philmont. He just wants to camp.

 

Funny thing is, he probably has enough MBs and time in PORs to be at least Star, and possibly Life IF he would just done the SM Conference over the years.

[SSScout]

E94:   GIve him time and opportunity.   If he fulfills a requirement and you can catch him at it, (cooking for the Patrol?),  sign it!   We had a Scout who was the same way.   At one CoH, he was awarded ( in sequence)  Second Class, First Class and Star.   Big standing applause!    He was 16 then.   He is now a Asst. Cashier at the local bank.   In about 20 years, I expect to vote for him for governor. 

[SSScout]

Oh, and I just noticed the title of this thread:   "... Eagles produced".   Not "earned?"  or "awarded"...   DId BSA use that terminology too?.