Re: Advancement for LD Scouts

We had a boy very similar to Yours. His name was Mike Wissman. A great kid,
but very slow. It was amazing how the other kids could make a joke of him, and
he would laugh as hard as the other kids. He didn't get his feelings hurt
easily. Anyway, this boy is now 14, a patrol leader and on his way to eagle
scout.

The path I followed was advised by an older boy in the Troop:

1. He was put in the best patrol, consisting of older boys. These kids
adopted Mike. They were not in competition with him and felt no need to make
fun of him since they were so far above him in mind and body. He was the
little brother they cared for. If any one ever tried to pull one over on Mike,
they found themselves confronted by the Black Diamond patrol...in force.

2. Advancement was slow, but regular. One leader took Mike under his
wing and cared for his advancement as if he were his own son. Though Mike
never shined like a 140 IQ scout (we are blessed with many from the top 5% of
the school class), he performed adequately. Sometimes he had a board of review
more than once, but he always worked to satisfy those who loved him.

3. Encouragement was very important for Mike, but it was more related
to his interest in making those who cared for him happy. Mike may have been
unique in this manner, I don't know. But we found that he responded very well
to anyone, boy or adult, who showed him personal attention.

In time, Mike was accepted as one of the crew. He didn't stand out anymore
than other kids with unique personalities. And once more, his school has seen
a dramatic improvement in his performance over the past few years since being
in our Troop. He still acts slow, but his mind is functioning far better. The
School believes the cause is his direct and long-term association with much
brighter kids.

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