Re: Foreign Scouts & BSA
(no name) ((no email))
Sat, 5 Aug 1995 12:09:20 -0700
Norman,
Please read the quote form Jim again and think about the meaning of the
word equivalent. Nothing in the policy says that BSA's Eagle is better or
lessor to any other Scout Association's highest rank (if they even have
one). What is says is that the EAGLE IS NOT THE SAME. Even you cannot
argue that.
It also says (read between the lines a little, will ya) that if you have
your scout association's highest rank we will not automatically give you
ours. After all, you did all that work with the other Scout Association,
not BSA. We will, however, be generious to High School exchange students
and children of parents whose company has assigned them to work in the U.S.
allow them to join in our program and work on advancment in our program so
they do not miss out on the Scouting experience while they are overseas in
the USA. The district/Council will take a look at what you did and assign
you a rank which they feel is appropiate with your scouting background up
to Life. They will also decide (if appropiate-no merit badges if they only
assign you second class) which required merit badges you still need to earn
and how many others if any. They will want you to meet the position of
responsiblity and tenure requirement with a BSA unit.
The Eagle Scout project has to be done while you are a life scout. You are
not a life scout until you receive that rank. It should also be
done while you are participating in a BSA unit, since service is a big part
of BSA.
If I had moved to Ontario from my Detroit area home when I was a youth and
joined the Scouts of Canada, I would not have expected them to make me a
Queen's Scout just because I was an Eagle Scout. As a youth I probably
would have expected to have to do ALL the requirements from square one. As
an adult I know better, adults would have made it easier on me in this
senario, just like BSA has done for foreign scouts living in the USA.
AS for the Citizenship merit Badges, read the requirements (I will snail
mail you copies if you desire, or I think the BSA requirements are on a web
site somewhere). There is nothing in any of the Citizenship Merit Badges
that a Foreign national should have any trouble doing because of loyalties to
another country. What they do offer the foreign national living in the US
is an opportunity to learn about this country which does things quite
different from most countries in this world. I would think that great.
WHAT IS THE POINT OF BEING A FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT IF YOU ARE NOT GOING
TO TRY AND LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THE COUNTRY, CULTURE, AND PEOPLE OF THAT
COUNTRY? I took two Univeristy semesters in Colombia for that specific
reason, I was sick and tired of the same old Western (meaning European/USA)
stuff. I was after something rarely taught in depth in US programs (unless
you seek it out).
Both of my stepsons earned these citizenship merit badges on there way to
Eagle. At the time, both of them were citizens of the Republic of
Colombia. Neither ever compained to me about them.
Do you really feel that a youth who comes over here for a very short period
and automatcially gets the Eagle Scout Award because of his level in his
home scouting association is going to feel all that good about wearing
BSA's highest Scout award when he knows next to nothing about our program?
I know I would not be comfortable with the Queen's Scout Award. I have
seen the requirements for the Canadian version posted here, but I know
enough about Canadian Scouting to know I know next to nothing about it's
program (I can guess at its's goals, they are similiar worldwide).
Norman, in case you have not caught the sarcasim in my above statements, it
was intened to get you to slow down and think about what the policies
really mean and why would they do that? The World Scouting movement has
been around for almost 100 years. A lot of people in all the WORMS associations
have had a lot of time to think about why they do things the way they do.
There is very little, lets just be arbitary about this left in these
organizations.
Sorry to be so long winded, but I would think that any country with an
advancment program with their scouting association would have similiar
rules (or at least an admission that you start at square zero).
Chris Haggerty, District Advancement Chairman,
Cochise District, Catalina Council, Sierra Vista, Arizona
Instructor Trainer for Water Safety, American Red Cross, Ft Huachuca Station
INTERNET: CHAGGERTY@BPA.ARIZONA.EDU Bitnet: CHAGGERTY@ARIZBPA.BITNET
The requirements for Eagle are mostly trivial, any scout is capable. Doing
them is what is significant, because most people never finish what they start.
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
