Re: Adult Awards, Leader Knots

Fellow Scouters,

I read the posts regarding the above subject for the last week or so.
I've only been on this list a short time, so please forgive me if I step
on any toes here. There are probably a few of you reading this post who
will think that it is a personal attack on your scouting careers, but,
please trust me, it isn't. It's only an expression of my frustration
with certain aspects of scouting that I believe do not serve the
individual scouts and troops.

It seems to me that there are far to many of these "awards" that are
handed out like seeds to trained birds. They all get together at
recognition dinners and pat each other on the back and hand out silver
whateveritis awards and all go home. I've been a scouter now for 6 years
and have never seen a district commissioner or executive do anything. In
fact, we get precious little out of our local council. I remember a couple
of years ago, my son was interested in the Hornaday medal. Inquiries at
the local council office only drew blank looks. In frustration, I finally
called national, they referred it back to council, and nothing got done. All
they did was hand me a few sheets of paper and tell me that no one knew
anything about it.

I, personally, have never sought any awards, and have received only one.
That one award was to see the Eagle Scout medal pinned on my son by his
Scoutmaster. Next Saturday, I will attend another Eagle Court of Honor
for another scout in my son's troop. To me, seeing these kids earn their
Eagle awards are more important than all the Silver Dog **** awards that
the councils hand out. To me, that is the bottom line in this program.

I suggest that scouters stop concerning themselves with earning square
knots and various other awards, and start concerning themselves with the
development of boys into men through the scouting programs.

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