Reply concerning the Eagle Rank being easier now.
Blayden Thompson (BLAYDEN@WORDPERFECT.COM)
Tue, 25 Jul 1995 11:22:51 -0600
Dear JohnK
I earned my Eagle Award in 1972. I was 16 years old and had worked
very hard since I was 12 to finish it. The requirements haven't changed
much since then, but I still feel that earning it now is easier. Let me
explain why.
20 years ago, scouting and scouters were not as fine tuned as they are
now. None of my scout leaders were woodbadge trained or ever heard
of it. I never attended a merit badge pow wow or clinic. They just didn't
exist.
What I'm alluding too, is that scouting leaders have become more
organized in the last few decades and the opportunity to earn merit
badges and the like are more common. This makes it easier for today's
scout to earn his Eagle.
Case in point. I spent 18 months earning all three citizenship merit
badges. I remember going alone to federal buildings, watching traffic
court, and meeting with civic leaders that I set appointments with myself.
My son, who is now 11, attended a merit badge pow wow in April and
earned two of the citizenship merit badges in a 3 week period. The
special activities were pre-arranged (ie. the whole group went to a city
council meeting and the arrangements were done for them), as was the
paper work, (ie cit-com requires a copy of the cities budget).
Maybe, scouters today are too efficient in some areas and make it too
easy. I am a member of the L.D.S. Church. Scouting is tied into our
church activities and a lot of the WORK a scout would normally do on his
own is done for him in this environment. We, L.D.S. Scouters, have been
accused on being an Eagle Factory. 65% of all our scouts earn their
Eagle, and they get it at age 13-14. This is very young compared to the
national average which is 15.
I also believe that the Eagle Project Requirements have become too easy.
My project produced 850 man hours and took 18 months to complete. I
see Eagle projects in my areas that take 30-50 hours of work and very
little leadership, and they are being accepted by national. This is a
shame.
Blayden M. Thompson
Scoutmaster, Troop 24
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Email: Blayden@Novell.com
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