Re: young Eagles (There You Go Again!)
Anthony J. Mako (ajmako@NLS.NET)
Tue, 8 Dec 1998 01:46:56 -0500
<Jim Lohmann wrote>
In my experience, even the "best and brightest" of the Scouts who earned
their Eagle Scout badge before the age of 14 quickly got bored of the
program (even those who went into Explorers) and dropped out. I also
question whether allowing boys to earn Eagle so quickly is delivering
all of the program we can.
</Jim>
Please, let's not start this discussion again. It is a simple fact of
life that some young men are more motivated than others. In some cases
that motivation comes from a higher power (the parents). In most cases,
that motivation comes from recognizing a goal and doing whatever is
necessary to accomplish that goal. If an 11 year old Scout decides that
he wants to earn Eagle before the age of 14, I'm not about to stop him.
I'm not going to make it easier for him either.
Once a Scout earns Eagle, he becomes an example to other Scouts. It is
our job as Scouters to keep them interested in the program (in Scouts or
Venturers). It is our responsibility to make sure these Eagle Scouts
have an active part to play in the program. If they don't, who can blame
them for getting bored.
As for "allowing boys to earn Eagle so quickly" I can only say that we
have little control over that. Boys advance in Scouting at a rate they
are comfortable with. If a Scout advances too slowly (or stops
altogether) that is a good clue that we aren't delivering the kind of
program he's interested in. We can counsel the Scout and perhaps
convince him to motivate himself, but it is ultimately up to him.
Likewise, a Scout who advances very quickly could be a clue that the
program isn't challenging enough. In this case the proper solution is to
evaluate the program and make any necessary changes. It does the Scout
and the program no good to force or convince the Scout to slow down.
YIS
Anthony J. Mako, ajmako@nls.net ,Scoutmaster, Troop 381
http://members.aol.com/Scouts381/ "Home of the Unofficial Boy Scout
Desktop Theme!"
Great Trail Council - Akron, Ohio
"I used to be an Eagle (C-7-97), but I'll always be an Eagle (1981)"
