13 year old Eagle Scouts

I have been following the thread on 13 year old Eagle Scouts with
interest, but I must confess to being suprised that boys so young
are able to gain the top youth BSA Scouting award.

My viewpoint is one of someone who has spent a lifetime in a
totally different Scouting culture from that of the BSA. Because
of this, I have a predisposition to an expectation that the top
youth award should not be something that can be gained at an
early stage in ones Scouting life. Rather, it should be something
that requires the recipient to be an experienced, capable, loyal,
and mature person. Gaining it should be the culmination of a
youth's Scouting career. I say "youth" as we have both girls and
boys in our Scouts. There are Girl Guides in our country too.

I have been conditioned to believe that a youth's Scouting career
should be progressive - that there should be more than one award
to work towards as he/she progresses through the various sections
of Scouting.

Consequently, we have the Chief Scout's Award for those in the
Scout Section to work towards (with lesser awards leading up to
it. Similarly, those in the Venturer Section (Scouts aged from
14 1/2 to 18 years) aim for the Queen's Scout Award, which is the
highest youth scouting award in the UK and Commonwealth
countries. This is normally gained by Venturers in their 16th or
17th year.

You will therefore understand my lack of understanding as to why
BSA Scouts can become Eagle Scouts so early in their Scouting
career.

Can someone please explain the rationale for this.

Also, what do 13 yr old Eagle Scouts do to keep up their interest
in Scouting if they already have the top award?

At what time do they become eligible to be Bald Eagles?

Jim Parnell.
National Organiser for the Jamboree on the Air in New Zealand.
ZL2APE@ZL2WA.#60>WLG.NZL.OC
parnell_j@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

I used to be a Keruru. :-)

(A Keruru is a NZ native bird - a large type of wood pigeon.
Pronounce "e" as in "bet", "u" as in "too").

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