JLTC / NYLT age cutoff limit

[ps56k]

Our council has set an age limit for our JLTC / NYLT training during this 2005 summer. The age limit is 13 by January 1, 2005.

It has been suggested that this is unfair to the other 13yr old scouts that are in the same grade level (7th or 8th grade).

I'll also post this over on the http://www.jltbsa.org website.

Any comments about moving the age cutoff from the summer to 1/1/05.

[EagleInKY]

In our council, it's 13 by the first day of camp. Interestingly, we have 3 boys in that age group. The one that doesn't meet the deadline is the most physically developed of the boys (but perhaps not as mentally mature). I personally think 13 is a little young for JLTC (NYLT). But, again, that depends a lot upon the maturity of the boy.

[ps56k]

The SM that I was talking to was trying to include the 13/14 scouts before they hit high school and dropped off the face of the earth. Interestingly he felt that Boy Scouts had become a program mostly for the Webelos and 13/14 scouts until they hit high school, and then, you pretty much lost the crowd...

 

[nldscout]

My personnal opinion is Age should be what ever the SM determines is appropriate for the youth. We are seeing lots of 12yr old PL and APL. Why not train them younger so they can understand what is expected of a junior leader so they can come into a position know what a leader is supposed to do.

[frank10]

Ps56k,

I couldn't even begin to answer this with out knowing why they set the limit. Could be based on space, could be based on the fact that it is a new program and they want an "easy" batch to test it on. Or it could just be that they are rookies who don't know what they are doing. Best advice I could give is sit down with the folks who made the rule in the first place before they read it here.

[Eagledad]

>>Why not train them younger so they can understand what is expected of a junior leader so they can come into a position know what a leader is supposed to do

[EagleInKY]

Barry - Great post. I remember attending JLT back when I was a scout. I believe I was 15. It felt about the right age for me. I was not the oldest, but old enough that I was pushed into the leader role quite often. It was an eye-opening experience and one that I'll never forget.

 

The next year I was invited to come back on staff. I remember one of the young scouts in the patrol I worked with. He was the youngest in camp. The SM had to petition the council to allow him to come. He was very immature. He had never camped without his dad, and had only gone on one long-term camp in his life. He survived, and probably was stronger because of it. But I really think he should have waited another year.

[acco40]

In our council (I thought it was a national rule but obviously not) a Scout needs a Scoutmaster recommendation regardless of age. A 16 year old Scout who does not get a recommendation by his SM does not attend. It also sets a 1st Class (hard) and minimum 13 yr of age (soft) by July 1 (class is held one week later) requirement. One of my boys took the class at 12, one month before turning 13 because the course director and his SM found him to be mature enough to take the course.

 

At these ages 12 - 17, age is not a very good indicator of the maturity level of the boys. Come to think of it, I don't think age is ever a very good maturity indicator.

 

For many of these Scouts, camping with boys they may have never met before is a real challenge.

[Eagledad]

Hi All

 

>>At these ages 12 - 17, age is not a very good indicator of the maturity level of the boys. Come to think of it, I don't think age is ever a very good maturity indicator.

[nldscout]

Like I said, it should be a scoutmasters call who attends. If the SM thinks he has a 12 yr old that is mature enough and can handle it, why not send him. We have no age limit on Eagle. A scout can make eagle at 13-14 now, but has to be be the same age to learn to be a junior leader? A little late in my opinion.

 

Let the SM who knows the youth deceide if they are capable.

[Torveaux]

"we have no age limit on Eagle"

 

That may be part of the problem. It is one thing to build men out of boys, it is quite another to call a boy a man.

 

It sounds like the Councils are doing a better job of handling JLTC than the Troops are of making sure that Eagles are leaders, not just MB collectors.

[EagleInKY]

Only problem is that I've seen some SMs who were more interested in getting quantity into the course instead of quality.

[dan]

ps56k

Did you notice that the "council" is also reducing the number of participants this year?

[Eagledad]

>>If the SM thinks he has a 12 yr old that is mature enough and can handle it, why not send him.

[ps56k]

Didn't notice a count mentioned in our Council's literature -

http://www.threefirescouncil.org/Forms/NYLT2005.pdf

I think that for our council, one of the sub-areas they used previously does not have any AC power, and therefore was a problem for the LCD projector for presentations.