Re: Is good enough really *good enough*?
Michael A. Golrick (mgolrick@SCLC.ORG)
Wed, 9 Apr 1997 10:36:22 -0400
On Tue, 8 Apr 1997 14:53:24 EDT James E Lade <jlade@JUNO.COM> wrote (in part):
[snip]
I hope this is just a local problem. I have noticed that with new
Eagle scouts, a majority of those who have gone before their Eagle Board
of Review, at the council level, many have just met the basic
requirements, and it's usually in regards to the number of merit badges.
It appears that for our council (West Central Florida), there are those
Eagles that just do enough to get by, and then there are those Eagles who
go beyond the minimum requirements.
[snip]
In this world, is just getting by good enough? Do employers look at
applicants who have just done enough to get by, or do they look at those
who go above and beyond what is required?
[snip]
Does this happen in other councils, or this just for this council?
Certainly Eagle Scouts are not satisfied with just doing enough to get
by, right? This isn't a sign of our youth becoming lazy, is it?
Jim asks in interesting philisophical question. (My funny quick answer is
that the world is divided into two kinds of people: those who divide the
world into two kinds of people and those who do not.) As the past
Advancement Chair and current Committee Chair, I would divide Eagles into 3
kinds:
Those who just make it to Eagle by age 18. This group includes:
boys who have numerous outside activities including jobs (I
expect one like this
from my troop shortly)
boys who started scouting later (14 ish)
boys who had trouble with one or another of the
requirements...especially
swimming
Boys who are pushed by parents to get Eagle (we had one of those
recently, he
has the merit badges for one palm already, but DAD
asked me about it at
the last meeting)
Boys who are self motivated. (We had an Eagle Court of Honor for
Bill Chin last
Saturday. It was a pleasure. He already has earned his
first palm...and will
get more. He is a subscriber to this list. He is planning
the OA Chapter's
campfire program for the District Camporee. He has other
comrades in the
OA who are like him and actually stick around and provide
leadership AFTER
*earning* thier Eagle.
As you can tell, it is this last group of whom we are all most proud.
Fortunately, in our area they turn out to be the majority. However, don't
discout the other two groups. Those individuals often come back to the
program as adults and provide support and role models.
This is my opinion, it is worth what you paid for it!
Michael Golrick
CC, Troop 68, Trumbull CT
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
