Time line from Scout to Eagle

[scoutboy]

What is an average length of time to spend on each requirement from scout to Eagle?

And, does anyone have any tips to make this a more efficient process.

-WL

[John-in-KC]

Every person is different. Every situation is different. We are about to have young women who may need to be highly motivated to achieve Eagle from tenderfoot in just over two years.  OTOH, we have young men who start at 11 and get their SM Conference in the night before they turn 18. 

My advice is always...it’s a journey, not a race.  I want the life experiences which happen on the trail to be effective.  That’s an order of magnitude more important to me than efficient. 

[Jameson76]

14 minutes ago, scoutboy said:

And, does anyone have any tips to make this a more efficient process.

Why the quest for efficiency?  it can be done in under 2 years based on time in rank requirements.  But as has and no doubt will be noted, Eagle Scout is not the goal.  The rank is merely a stop along the scouting journey.  If attaining the Eagle rank is all that matters, the Scout is missing the point

Enjoy the trip and experiences along the way

Edited November 8, 2018 by Jameson76

[MattR]

Welcome to the forum, @scoutboy. Efficiency is not your friend when it comes to advancement. That might sound really strange but one of the main goals of scouts is to have the scouts solve their own problems. If the adults make things more efficient then there are fewer problems for the scouts to solve and they learn less about what we're really trying to teach them.

Scouting has what are called aims and methods. The aims are what the we, the adults, want them to get out of the program. Advancement is not an aim. Advancement is a method. That is, a way by which the scouts achieve the aims.

I hope that helps.

[Eagle94-A1]

1) WELCOME TO DA FORUMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2) As others have said, it's a journey enjoy.

 

3) HEAR YOU SCOUTS, AND YOU PARENTS TOO, OF THE ...

 

TALE OF TWO EAGLES! 

Once there were two Eagles. The First Eagle was the son of a "Double Eagle," or an Eagle Scout and Explorer Silver recipient. "Double Eagle" dad pushed and pushed and pushed his son to earn Eagle at the ripe old age of 13. Since the Silver Award was no longer around for Exploring, dad did no pushing for that. Since the First Eagle met his dad's expectations, and thought his journey was over, he quit Scouting at 13, only to rejoin many years later when his own son became a Tiger Cub.

 

Now the First Eagle had a cousin. Both "Double Eagle" Uncle and First Eagle Cousin pushed and pushed and pushed the Scout to earn his Eagle. As a 13 year old Life Scout, he was  well on his way to becoming an Eagle at 14. But the Second Eagle took some winding trails after earning Life. First he did a local high adventure program instead of the traditional MB summer camp program, and he had FUN! A few months later he took the NYLT course of its day; Brownsea 22. It was a challenging week and he had FUN. Next Second Eagle was inducted into the OA, becoming a Brotherhood Member before earning Eagle. And guess what, HE HAD FUN! Then Second Eagle went to a National Scout Jamboree and then did a Canadian canoeing trek. It it was FUN. Finally Second Eagle realized he was 17 and some odd months, and he needed to buckle down fast if he was to become an Eagle. He finished everything but his Eagle BOR 5 days before turning 18.

 

And Second Eagle stayed active in Scouting. He got involved in Sea Scouts, earning Ordinary, and then the OA again, becoming a Vigil. Second Eagle was selected to participate in the European Camp Staff Program, spending an entire summer at Scout camps in the UK.  He also attended a World Scout Jamboree. He stayed active in a variety or roles, and was proudest when his three sons earned their Bobcat badge wit him as their DL.

 

Now tell me who had more fun in Scouting, my cousin the First Eagle, or me the Second Eagle? Over the years, no one has asked me how old i was when i got it, or how many palms I earned. They ask if I am an Eagle, and what my adventures have been. And I can go on and on about my 35 years in Scouting as a youth and adult.

 

Good luck on your journey.

[eagle90]

Very well said, Eagle 94A1.  I'm going to use those words to my troop!

 

Dale

[perdidochas]

2 hours ago, scoutboy said:

What is an average length of time to spend on each requirement from scout to Eagle?

And, does anyone have any tips to make this a more efficient process.

-WL

The best way to achieve Eagle is to participate actively in Scouting and have fun. Camp as often as you can--camp using different methods--sleep on the ground without a roof (in good weather), use a big tent, use a backpacking tent, use a tarp, hammock camp, plop camp, canoe camp and backpack.  Show up at meetings.  Show other scouts how to do the skills you learned.  Cook in a dutch oven.  Cook on a campfire.  Cook on a backpacking stove. Cook on a conventional camp stove.  Hike, bike, canoe, swim, fish, climb rocks and trees, learn how to identify critters and plants. If you actively camp, advancement will follow.  It's not efficient, but it works.  Scouting isn't for efficiency--it's to learn by doing. 

Edited November 8, 2018 by perdidochas

[perdidochas]

2 hours ago, Jameson76 said:

Why the quest for efficiency?  it can be done in under 2 years based on time in rank requirements.  But as has and no doubt will be noted, Eagle Scout is not the goal.  The rank is merely a stop along the scouting journey.  If attaining the Eagle rank is all that matters, the Scout is missing the point

Enjoy the trip and experiences along the way

Exactly. My boys (who happen to both be Eagles) had a great time, both before and after they made Eagle.  Fun and learning is why we should be doing Scouting.  A First Class Scout should have all the skills necessary to setup a campsite--tent, kitchen, etc.--both at a car camping site and at an away from pavement site (backpacking or canoe camping), cook at that campsite, leave the campsite in at least as good shape as when he got there, and be able to take down the camp.  They should be able to do this on cold days, hot days, warm days, ideal days, dry days, humid days and wet days (unless they live in an area that doesn't get all of those conditions). 

[PACAN]

It is clear that the time is 17 months as there are lots of units working on how to get the first girl Eagle.  This is a tag line on why the BSA is admitting girls and adding a special extension program.   Journey...not important or necessary.

[Ranman328]

Is it me or does it seem like this is becoming all about getting the Eagle Badge.  I do believe Lord Baden Powell said "We must change boys from what can I get to what can I give"  I think that says it all.  I am uncomfortable with all the talk about how fast can I get my Eagle.  Maybe go out and learn some very important skills and learn how to become a good leader and quit worrying about what can I get.  Just my $.02

[Eagle94-A1]

4 hours ago, eagle90 said:

Very well said, Eagle 94A1.  I'm going to use those words to my troop!

 

Dale

Go for it.

 

3 minutes ago, Ranman328 said:

Is it me or does it seem like this is becoming all about getting the Eagle Badge.  I do believe Lord Baden Powell said "We must change boys from what can I get to what can I give"  I think that says it all.  I am uncomfortable with all the talk about how fast can I get my Eagle.  Maybe go out and learn some very important skills and learn how to become a good leader and quit worrying about what can I get.  Just my $.02

extremely true. One of the best Scouts I ever knew, never earned Eagle. He saved my life though from skills he learned in Scouting.

 

[The Latin Scot]

HOWEVER

Let it be noted that it is not bad to want to earn your Eagle sooner rather than later, and there are many, MANY boys who earn the rank of Eagle Scout at 14, even 13, and who continue their Scouting adventure, appreciate fully the significance of their rank, and go on to have wonderful Scouting adventures later on in life. Earning your Eagle at 14 is an impressive feat, and should be honored, not derided. For many decades that was the average age of most Eagle Scouts. Not only that, but for every 17 year-old who goes on to finally earn his Eagle and has a wonderful tale to tell about it, there are a dozen more who only wait because they are lazy or distracted, and their parents or committee make a mad dash to 'help' him earn it, ending up with a 17 year-old who really didn't care about it until, at the last minute, people told him he should. And that's not to speak of the thousands besides who never even get that far. Every Scout is different, and age is a very poor determinant of the quality of one's character or the authenticity of one's experience.

The best Scouts I know right now are the little band of 13 and 14 year-olds of the Troop into which my Webelos Den feeds, all former members of my Den, who joined already eager to lead and camp and advance and everything Scouting has to offer them. Their energy and excitement is palpable; in the few short years they have been in the program they have completely reinvigorated our Troop, and the lot of them will earn the rank of Eagle by their 14th, or latest, 15th birthdays. And they are as dedicated as any 17 year-old. Their youth is no hindrance to their learning, and they are model Scouts - just a bit shorter is all. As a 14 year-old Eagle myself, I want to make sure we remember that many boys are simply more motivated as zesty 14 year-olds than they are when they become busy 17 year-olds, and there is nothing wrong with encouraging the young ones to earn their Eagles early on, and then to become the leaders of new boys in the future. Yes, I understand that many times it's the parents who do the pushing, and advancement is a method of Scouting, not an aim. But if the boy simply loves Scouting, and wants to challenge himself by setting goals and working hard to achieve them, and if, as seems to be the case with @scoutboy, the Scout is entirely self-motivated, then we should encourage him to meet his goals, not attempt to change his mind.

Every Scout is different. @scoutboy wants to challenge himself; that's great. Let's help him make it a meaningful experience, not try to change the experience itself.

 

Edited November 9, 2018 by The Latin Scot

[Chadamus]

@scoutboy welcome to the forum!

Are you currently a Scout? Volunteer? Involved parent?

Other?

[Eagledad]

36 minutes ago, The Latin Scot said:

HOWEVER

......................

Every Scout is different. @scoutboy wants to challenge himself; that's great. Let's help him make it a meaningful experience, not try to change the experience itself.

 

LS, you only needed to post the last sentence. It made the point without disparaging the Eagles you feel didn’t have the motivation to earn the honor on their own. 

Every Scout IS different, which is why the adult staff should strive to build a program that doesn’t obstruct any Scout’s personal ambition. 

Barry

[The Latin Scot]

2 hours ago, Eagledad said:

LS, you only needed to post the last sentence. It made the point without disparaging the Eagles you feel didn’t have the motivation to earn the honor on their own. 

Every Scout IS different, which is why the adult staff should strive to build a program that doesn’t obstruct any Scout’s personal ambition. 

Barry

I apologize if my comments came off as severe in places, but I write what I do because I feel it is important. The last sentence of my previous message demands the context of the rest of the post. Please note that most of what I wrote was positive, not critical. And I agree with you utterly; adults should support and provide programing that allows Scouts to move at whatever pace they wish, of their own accord.