lone scout

[Basementdweller]

We have a lone scout that left our troop. If you remember the mom who was going to get her eagle and the boy hates the outdoors, went to resident camp and mom and dad came and picked him up and they stayed at a motel instead of at camp.

 

 

DE called SM and asked what the deal was.....Mom is going to get her eagle.....He is now a lone scout....In a year he made star and will be an eagle at 15.......

[Eagle92]

As someone else commented, parent are NOT allowed at EBORs. One of the few times, in fact the only time if memory serves, that a parent is specifically barred from being with their scout.

[click23]

E92, take a look at my post on the first page. The guide to advancement states that if a parent insists on attending they must be allowed.

[momof2cubs]

You know I am kinda uncomfortable with the whole "NOT allowed" thing. I mean, I get it. I won't be at any BoR my kid is in. My son is just starting out his boy scout journey. We had a chat about this being now HIS journey and mom and dad are in the sidelines. Encouraging, yes. Advising, maybe when asked. But the journey is his. And I also really (REALLY!) understand that having mommy at a BoR changes the whole dynamic and probably not in a good way.

 

But on the other hand, this IS a kid, and being forbidden from being an observer seems... I don't know..not right?

 

Maybe we should use the words highly discouraged.(This message has been edited by momof2cubs)

[Reasonable Rascal]

"We have a lone scout that left our troop. If you remember the mom who was going to get her eagle and the boy hates the outdoors, went to resident camp and mom and dad came and picked him up and they stayed at a motel instead of at camp.

 

 

DE called SM and asked what the deal was.....Mom is going to get her eagle.....He is now a lone scout....In a year he made star and will be an eagle at 15....... "

 

Would someone mind explaining to me how this lad can possibly earn his Camping MB? last I knew it was a requirement for Eagle.

 

RR

[moosetracker]

My guess will be that as a lone scout, mom or dad will become the MBC of any merit badge he doesn't want to do, then simply sign him off.. Maybe with counting what the rest of us would consider "unacceptable" like spending the "days" at summer camp, or spending the "day" at a district event.

 

I get that the Eagle has "some" benefit with college, car insurance, and military starting rank/pay.. But I am sure this kid will not go into the military.. Other things can help with college acceptance and car insurance.. I guess I just don't see the benefit to going through the motions, because the most important effect of your son being in boy scouts is lost. That is help with raising your child with good values, social skills, self confidence, leadership skills etc.. This isn't the Wizard of OZ. Handing you a piece of paper will not make you an Eagle.

[Eagle92]

Click,

 

I see where the G2A says parent are allowed

 

In cases where parents or guardians insist on

attending a board of review (or in Sea Scouts, a

bridge of review), they should be counseled on why

this is not permitted. Their presence can change how

their son addresses questions, and the opportunity to

further self-reliance and courage may be lessened.

However, if parents or guardians insist on being

present, they must be permitted to attend. p45

 

Funny thing it's not in the wording, but in a box that form what I've read is usally a restatement of a policy in the. FWIW I tend to skip those boxes since it's in the details. MEA CULPA

 

But I was unable to find it in the details.

[Basementdweller]

Moose.....this family has a tradition of eagles on mom's side...her dad, brothers, his cousins are all eagles......He will not break tradition, her words.

 

 

He has a receipt for summer camp.....that will be enough for most councilors....Plus he has a year of troop camp flyers....Now he didn't go on them and the one he did mom came and got him saturday morning after he hid in his tent the second it was put up.

 

 

[Kudu]

Basementdweller writes:

 

"We have a lone scout that left our troop. If you remember the mom who was going to get her eagle and the boy hates the outdoors, went to resident camp and mom and dad came and picked him up and they stayed at a motel instead of at camp."

 

Reasonable Rascal writes:

 

"Would someone mind explaining to me how this lad can possibly earn his Camping MB? last I knew it was a requirement for Eagle."

 

As our Chief Scout Executive would say, "I think the answer to that is fairly obvious to us:"

 

"Camping is not necessarily a big thing with them, as a matter of fact in some cases it is not big at all...is it more important that we reach that child with the kind of things we have for children and...families in character development and leadership skill growth...Or is it more important that we get them in a tent next week? And so I think the answer to that is fairly obvious to us. ...when we say 'we want to take your twelve-year-old son but you can't come' we're making a mistake there. We have to engage an entire family..."

 

http://inquiry.net/leadership/sitting_side_by_side_with_adults.htm

 

Eagle is all about leadership skill growth, which translates to the ability to play word games with the letter of the law without getting arrested:

 

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=337128&p=2

 

For instance: The Camping Merit Badge requires only 20 nights of camping "under the sky or in a tent you have pitched."

 

Where does it say that the tent must be pitched outdoors? That would be "adding to the requirements"!

 

Furthermore, Merriam-Webster's second definition of "tent" is the single word "dwelling," under which "lodging" is listed as a synonym, with the example "There is gas, food, and lodging at the next highway exit."

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lodging

 

Clearly, a motel is a tent.

 

Especially if we "engage the whole family" at the next highway exit!

 

We can thank William D. Boyce for his government-imposed corporate monopoly based on the YMCA's adult-run program.

 

Baden-Powell's program requires specific physical distances to count as "nights of camping."

 

See:

 

http://inquiry.net/advancement/traditional/journey_requirements.htm

 

For instance, B-P's version of the "Eagle Project," above, requires the Scout to plan a 50 mile backpacking or boat trip (200 miles by horseback), and provide 50 miles of actual "leadership skills" without adult association helicopters.

 

Nobody on this forum lives up to that standard, or even tests Scouts by the 14 mile First Class Journey. My guess is that few (if any) require unsupervised Patrol Hikes, or even camp their Patrols Baden-Powell's 150-300 feet apart.

 

So by Baden-Powell's written standards the difference between typical "21st century" Troop camping for Camping Merit Badge, and an Eagle Lone Scout lodging with his "entire family" at the next highway exit, is a difference in degree only.

 

I hope that helps, RR

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

(This message has been edited by Kudu)

[John-in-KC]

First,

 

Lone Scout is NOT parent + child. The Lone Scouts' adult partner still has to arrange for a committee of three other adults to be behind him.

 

Second, the Lone Scout lives in a District. If we're talking an urban/suburban/Scoutreach environment, I'd expect the District Commish to be talking to Lone Scout leaders: The object of the exercise is to provide resources, such as the MB program.

 

Third, have none of you ever read "The Compleat Walker" by the late Colin Fletcher? One person can operate in either frontcountry or back. It means instead of big meals for 8, he's cooking on a backpacking stove for 1 or 2. It means he has to carry his own stuff on his back. The operating advantage of a small group over an individual is load sharing for community tasks. When you camp alone, you may only be able to move 5 miles a day instead of 10.

 

BTW, while the new GTA still says a parent can counsel their child, I would hope the DAC has a long talk with the Lone Scout adult support, and discourage this. The discouragement is for the same reason as it would be in a Troop: Someday, that child is going to go to Business X and ask for a JOB, and he's going to meet a complete stranger, just as he would in taking a MB.

 

If I were a member of a District Key 3, I'd be asking "Do I have any Lone Scouts registered in X District?", if the answer is yes, I'd be developing program support for them.

[momof2cubs]

John, don't count on it. There are plenty of parents today that take a VERY active role on their children's job hunt. Including attending the interview, negotiating salary, and calling HR.

 

 

[Reasonable Rascal]

Kudu, while normally I take in with interest your POV you are trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear with this one.

 

RR

[Jeffrey H]

"There are plenty of parents today that take a VERY active role on their children's job hunt. Including attending the interview, negotiating salary, and calling HR."

What you describe is the fastest way not to get a job in my part of the country. 

[momof2cubs]

I'm not saying I agree with it, I'm not saying it works. I'm just saying that is is happening. And it is the direct result of the helicopter parenting trend that is becoming common place.

 

It is something that BSA will have to fight tooth and nail. As we can see in this thread, some parents have already found a work around for it.

[packsaddle]

I agree with Jeffrey H on that, although that approach might work if the job is with a relative. I would add that if a prospective graduate student darkens the door with a parent in tow, their chance of acceptance is very slim and their chance of success in their field is infinitesimal.