Transferring BACK after Eagle?

[Twocubdad]

Good luck, Mike. Keep your powder dry.

[SSScout]

"Hello? Oh, hello Mr. Eaglscouttransferparent. Good to hear from you. How's Johnny like Troopnew? Uhhuh. ummm-mmm. Well, you know, each Troop is different. No, we haven't thought about that. (((surrrre we haven't))).

Well, since Johnny transferred out to that New Troop, Carl made Life and Sammy is the new SPL. Yeah, doing a good job too. No, haven't heard any talk about Johnny. Wait, I'm sorry, I think I do remember hearing that some of the boys had heard about Johnny's Eagle project. No, I don't know. They might, I don't know...

Say again? Transfer back? After he completes his Eagle? Why would he want to do that? No. Ummmm, Nooo, I wouldn't think Johnny would WANT to come back here if we made him so uncomfortable. Listen, Mr. ESTP, I really don't think it's good for a Scout to bounce around between Troops without a really good reason. Boys need structure and stability, don't you think? Anyway, what's wrong with Troopnew? Uhhuh, uhuh... frankly, that sounds pretty usual to me. I don't think we'd do too much different.

Have you spoken to their Scoutmaster? Yes? He said that, eh? Well,as an Eagle, Johnny would be expected to pull his weight in his Troop, don't you think? He could suggest more activities and... No, I believe that's up to the PLC. P-L-C. Well, the boys elect their Patrol Leaders and ... oh, no? He does? Uhhuh... No, I don't think it would, your'e right there, our Troop didn't act like that...still doesn't! eh,eh,eh...

Well, listen: I am sorry your boy isn't happy at Troopnew, but he also wasn't happy with us. What makes you think things would be any different? Well, in my experience, making Eagle SOMETIMES indicates a maturation on the part of the boy, sometimes not. Yes, I'm sure you know Johnny better than anyone else. What does Johnny say about all this?

Huhhuh...huhhuh... Okay, ummm...okay... (((sigh)))... Well, I still have to say it would not be a good idea for Johnny to switch Troops again. I think Johnny chose a good Troop and... yes, I said I think Johnny...

oh, why would you say that? Don't you trust your son's judgement? You obviously supported the decision to switch before...

No, it still would not be a good idea. I really believe that if Johnny switched to Troopnew with the intention of earning his Eagle with them, he owes some loyalty to them, don't you think?...

They have served him well, don't you think? I think he might make a fine SPL for Troopnew, but then, I haven't seen him in 2 years. You'd have to ask the SM, or even better, I think Johnny should ask the SM. Yes. Yes, um-mm, ...

Oh, your'e very welcome. Good talking with you. Good night."(click).

 

Wow.... Martha? You out in the kitchen? I need some Earl Grey, here...Let me tell you about this guy...

 

[Twocubdad]

Reminds me of a meeting I had with a client and their Realtor one time. The client sat back and thought for a minute and asked, "Do you think we'll be happy in this house?"

 

The Realtor snapped back, "Were you happy in your last house?"

[Mike F]

SSS - thanks - I am laughing out loud.

 

All - thanks for clarifying my thinking.

 

It's time for a cup of camp coffee. (But Earl Gray works, too!)

 

 

[NJCubScouter]

I have to admit that through most of this thread, I had the opposite opinion of most, and that was to welcome the young man back -- but only after meeting with the parents to make it clear that the past behavior will not be tolerated. After all, it sounds like the real problem is not with the Scout, whose main issue is that he is lazy -- hardly an unusual issue with teenage boys! -- but with the parents. So if the parents recognize their past "behavioral problems", and if you talk with the boy and are satisfied that he did indeed pass the requirements for Eagle and was not just passed through (by a Scoutmaster elsewhere who was browbeaten by the parents and gave in) I would give him a second chance.

 

In a later post MikeF says he did speak with one or both of the parents, but it doesn't sound like the message was accepted. So far that reason, I shift back into neutral and say that since MikeF is obviously in a much better position to evaluate the people and the situation, his decision is not incorrect.

 

But I do disagree with those who say the troop should not encourage the boys to help the Scout with his Eagle project. Whatever laziness he may have shown in the past, however-much he may have skated through the requirements after he went to the new troop, he is now doing a project. Hopefully it is a worthwhile project. This is an opportunity for the boys to perform service for the community (and coincidentally, earn some service hours for advancement and for the Scout's and troop's total of service hours) -- and at the same time they will be helping out someone who, to some of them, may be an old friend who they have not seen in awhile. He didn't do anything really wrong, other than perhaps to have the wrong parents. I think the troop members should be encouraged to volunteer for the project.

 

(Aside to OGE: You mention the tale of the Prodigal Son. My version of the Bible doesn't have that one, but I am familiar with it. My understanding is that the wayward son admitted his past sins and asked forgiveness, which was given. As I suggest above, the parents (at least) need to fulfil their role in the story (admission and request for forgiveness, though not necessarily in those exact words), before they can be accepted back, and it does not sound like they have.)

 

(Aside to Kudu: Nobody's dying here, and we are talking about a boy here, who is not necessarily a bad person.)(This message has been edited by njcubscouter)

[eisely]

Nothing against either Earl Grey or campfire coffee, but in this situation I would be reaching for the Johnny Walker, assuming no scouts are present.

[moosetracker]

NJS - I stick by my decision. Don't promote the Eagle project.

 

If the boy wants to come back week after week or email to promote his own project. Then let him. But, at least in my troop our Eagle canidates do not have the SM get up and promote participation from the troop, or make the project seem like a Troop event. That is the scouts job. If the SM promotes it, it will put more importance on the project. ESPECIALLY if he does not promote the boys in his troops Eagle projects.

 

The boys should be able to recruit help from those that he has helped along the way, or due to his willingness to be a team member and therefore the team will come to his aide, If he has been a good friend, his friends will come to his project. If the boy has done this in his other troop he will have volunteers from there. If he has done so with other outside activities he will have volunteers from there. If it is a worthwhile project, maybe some who don't think the scout has been a team member will go anyway.

 

There are many many opportunities for community service projects for this troop to get involved in, service projects are a dime a dozen. The point is, if this scout has earned his Eagle rank he will get volunteers on his own merit.. If he has not been a team player in this troop or his new troop he will not get volunteers from either toop, if he has not been a friend to others or gone out of his way to help them, inside or outside scouts, he will not get the volunteers. He still may find help with those he is doing the project for.

 

The parents have set this scout up that he can do nothing and still get everything. That everything should be handed to him on a silver platter. What good does it do the scout to continue to feed that delusion? It does nothing to make this boy learn what the rank of Eagle is all about.

 

So the project might get delayed while he finds ways to earn the respect and appreciation of others so that they are willing to work on his project.. Does he really need Eagle before 16? Does he really need to meet this goal his parents set.

 

He may fail his first attempt at an Eagle project. My son did due to illness. It was not the end of the world. He can right what he did wrong and try again. Part of building character in scouts is failing, learning from your mistakes, fixing them and trying again.

 

Why is it unreasonable to expect that this scout should learn character the same way every other scout does?

 

 

[Kudu]

NJCubScouter writes:

 

(Aside to Kudu: Nobody's dying here, and we are talking about a boy here, who is not necessarily a bad person.)

 

The Frog is a metaphor for the Troop

 

I've seen one toxic family kill a Boy Scout Troop. One of their two sons was not necessarily a bad person either!

 

I'm with moosetracker on this one: Don't promote the Eagle project.

 

A humble camel once begged a traveler,

 

"It is so cold out here in the desert night. Kind sir please allow me to insert my nose into your tent."

 

The traveler considered the camel's request. It was such a humble petition, and the camel was so pitiful, so modest, that it would be cold-hearted not to grant it.

 

Indeed, the camel was so well behaved that when he asked to also stick his neck inside, the traveler relented. After all, the neck did not take up any the floor space.

 

Then the camel placed his fore legs into the tent. He didn't really ask this time, but spat at the traveler and bit him.

 

The traveler spent 50 hours making it clear that this behavior will not be tolerated, but by then the camel had pushed him out of the tent.

 

"It's just my nature," explained the camel.

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu