EAGLE QUESTIONS

[Eagledad]

Hi All

 

What a mess. You have a son who wants to be treated like a man in a troop that doesn't know how. The problem is if the SM doesn't know how to use your son, he's trapped. I find adults like this will not give him a job that challenges his maturity and experience. I'm betting this SM is pretty hands on and doesn't trust the scouts to get the job done.

 

Vernture is OK for the moment, but it is a weak program that most troops use as a black hole to push away the problem of not having a good program for older scouts. I can see your son needs and wants more development. But it sounds like the adults don't have the skills to work with boys his age.

 

Not sure what he can do because what he needs and wants isn't within your Troop. I can only suggests that he try and challenge the Venture Patrol to do some really cool outtings and community service projects. At first that sounds kind of boring, but usually the scouts find the challenge of planning such things and serving other people very rewarding.

 

Also if you can get him to the Philmont JLT training. It use to be NJLIC, but I'm not sure what it is now. That is a great great program for guys like your son who are a Type A wanting to learn more. I've yet to meet a scout who didn't think that was one of the best experiences of their life. And boy do they learn some really good stuff. Call your Council office and ask more about it.

 

Good luck.

 

Barry

[Scoutx2mom]

Sadder than you know. The current leadership came in when my son was in the final year of his quest for Eagle. By that time my son was also indicating that he wanted to go to West Point. The new leaderships assumption is that my son wanted Eagle as a block for the application. Since many of them are either retired military or active duty, they took it upon themselves to start "training" him for the academy. This is when they started making comments about his maturity and taking him to task whenever he didn't agree with their opinions. Granted, he is occasionally argumentative and he does get carried away in his enthusasim(sp)and does stupid things. So far though I haven't seen him do anything which would endanger himself or others. In fact I usually have people who come up to me and praise him for "what a good kid he is."

 

As for the SM and a few of the ASMs, they do have a bit more hands on approach than the previous leadership. That's being worked on.

 

There are several active and good Venture crews in the area. Now it's just a case of him figuring out what suits him best.

 

The saddest part is his statement, "Maybe the 17 years and 364 day wonders had it right afterall."

 

As for my son, he's got enough challenges and excitement coming up for the summer. There Jamboree, summer camp, band camp, academy camp, volunteer at the library and for the ARC. He'll be okay.

[TheScout]

If your son is applying to go to West Point or has been selected to go to West Point he should take every bit of advice and criticim the military folks can offer and should be appreciative for it. It is a very demanding school and every perspective cadet can use all the experience, training, and help they can get.

 

Just my thoughts.

[Lynda J]

JASM. Troop Guide, lots of things. I agree that his SM isn't using his skills. I would have him helping teach the new boys.

 

Is he working on Palms?

 

 

 

[Scoutx2mom]

Lucky him, his mom is retired military and Dad is a reservist. His ARC time is spent serving the military population. So he's been given plenty of military exposure. Based on experience I know that not all military personnel can deal with people in other than a military manner, even when its no longer appropriate. In this case there needs to be a separation of Scout and military. It seems to be forgotten that there is supposed to be some fun involved in Scouts.

 

He's got enough badges to earn the three palms twice over. He served as Troop Guide early on.

[dan]

 

I would have him helping teach the new boys.

What would you have the troop instructors and troop guides do if a person without the POR is doing the POR for them? Would you count the POR for the real troop instructor?

[TheScout]

One does not have to be an instructor or any POR to teach. All scouts who have knowledge should be encouraged to teach/share it on a regular basis. In our troop Instructors just do it on a more formal level. They are assigned by the SPL, Troop Guide, or PL to teach a specific skill to a certain group of scouts when the need arises.

[Scoutx2mom]

The giving credit for "non-performance of duty" of POR is an item which is currently being debated. The question then becomes how do you judge it---if they did one or teachings during the time frame did they meet the requirements? Or if no one asks the Chaplin's Aide to do anything, should they be penalized? How about the Historian, if the pictures are taken by the parents, and the boy doesn't appear to take any of the work, should he get credit?

[dan]

If you have a scout that is assigned as troop instructor and than have other people do the teaching, you have just told the entire troop that we do not care who selected as troop instructor, we are going to do it our way!

 

But now if take this eagle and have him work with the troop instructor to help him prepare for the training, you are utilizing your resource's and not telling the instructor he is not needed.

[dsteele]

It has taken me a while to figure out what was tickling the back of my brain on this topic . . . but that train of thought has finally hit the station and here it is:

 

Why isn't the Eagle Scout proposing what HE wants to do to the Scoutmaster?

 

Why are our disembodied voices debating the Scoutmaster's leadership skills and utilization of resources.

 

Not to attack the Eagle Scout, but I would expect and Eagle Scout to have a clear vision of how he wants to be a part of the troop and to do what he can to enact that vision. If his vision is different than his Scoutmaster's, that's a different issue.

 

Unc.

[Scoutx2mom]

See posts 4, 14 and 16. He had wanted to do JASM and help support the current SPL. No longer desires it. He had several meetings with the SM which have proven more about what the SM wants him to do without much consideration of what my son is willing to offer.