Re: Eagle BOR Expectations
settummanque, or blackeagle (blkeagle@DYNASTY.NET)
Fri, 28 Nov 1997 01:33:32 -0600
Hey Neil!
You had a definate problem with this part of the District's BOR
Expectation sheet:
><<Explorers registered with an Explorer Post only should wear the >Explorer
>field uniform (the green shirt, khaki long-legged pants and green shoulder
>loops) or the Boy Scout field uniform (the tan shirt, khaki long-legged
>pants with green shoulder loops) instead of their "Post Distinctive Dress
>Identity" items. There are NO exceptions to this request, because the
>Board members wishes to view the Explorer in an appropriate Boy Scout
>uniform since the Eagle Scout Badge is a Boy Scout advancement.>>
You stated correctly that:
>The BSA advancement requirements suggest that the youth come in >uniform.
And then you wrote:
>1) Explorer Posts do have the prerogative to create a distinctive uniform
>and THIS IS THEIR UNIFORM. If an Explorer, who may have paid >substantial
money for a police uniform, or fire uniform, or emergency >service uniform
were required to purchase another uniform in order to >satisfy this
additional requirement of the board, I would be livid. Granted, >he at one
time had a Boy Scout uniform, but that could have been years >ago and
Explorers can be much larger than they were as Boy Scouts.
The present DDI policy from the Exploring Division allows for an Explorer
Post or Ship to adopt uniform items such as teeshirts, ball caps, and
beltbuckles as "their uniform" as long as the decision was made by the youth
involved and as long as it has been approved by the local Council.
Explorers, since 1971, have several options....the common options are as
follows:
*the dress uniform, with the Exploring device attached to the pocket or
which a unit patch is attached to the left pocket.
*the field uniform for Boy Scouts, with idenity items which "turns it into"
an Exploring uniform. Currently, those include the green shoulder loops,
Exploring insignia worn in the appropriate locations, and temporary
Exploring insignia which can be worn centered on the right pocket.
*the kelly green uniform for Explorers ONLY (right now), with identity items
specific to the Exploring program
*the Explorer Posts' "Distinctive Dress Idenity (DDI)". This can be a
uniform (for instance, special adaptations of police, fire or rescue
uniforms, scrubs, or other uniforms --Exploring policy prohibits Explorers
from wearing the EXACT uniform worn by police, fire or rescue
personnel.....the uniform MUST be altered some how or of a different design
to AT A GLANCE distinguish the Explorer member from the adult active member
of such organizations), a ball cap, a teeshirt, a belt buckle, a jacket,
special insignia which would be worn on the field uniforms, or any
combinations of this which is APPROVED BY THE YOUTH MEMBERS, MADE A PART OF
THE POST OR SHIP'S BYLAWS, and APPROVED FOR WEAR BY THE COUNCIL'S EXPLORING
COMMITTEE.
Therefore, under the present policy, we have the possibility of having
Explorers attend an Eagle Scout Board of Review wearing a "Explorer Post 111
teeshirt" and ball cap; wearing bluejeans along with a "Law Post 222"
baseball cap and wearing a jacket with the National Law and Government
Explorer logo and above and below it "Law Post 222" and "New City,
Kentucky"; as well as police Explorers wearing their complete, well-fitting
uniforms and medical Explorers appearing with a nice scrubshirt with the
Explorer logo on it and his nametag....those are *all* legit DDIs, Neil!!
The intent to have Explorers to attend the Board of Review in a Boy Scout
uniform; they don't have to *own* the uniform.
The police or fire uniform, *I* would have no problem with. It is the
teeshirt or ball cap or bluejeans and shirt with a beltbuckle which I have a
problem with. Remember that the VAST MAJORITY of Exploring units today are
"general/varied interest" posts....NOT with a specific speciality.
Therefore, the membership of those Posts come up with a uniform (or doesn't
come up with a uniform, which happens more frequently than the Post having a
specific uniform!!) and the guy shows up at the Eagle Board of Review
wearing a teeshirt, jeans with holes in it, and tennis shoes....which for an
EAGLE Board of Review, isn't really acceptable but WE HAVE TO GO WITH WHAT
HIS EXPLORING UNIFORM IS....unless we instruct otherwise.
>From a practical point-of-view, what would they wear to the Eagle Court of
Honor?? How would the parents pin the medal onto the shirt of the Explorer
that has a uniform which is made up of an teeshirt or hat??
>2) I most strongly disagree that for Explorers, the Eagle is a Boy Scout
>award. For Explorers, it is an Exploring award with separate, though
>similar, Exploring requirements.
We both are speaking the same language, Neil, but the BSA Program Group has
*insisted* that the Eagle Scout Badge and ALL ADVANCEMENT RELATED TO IT
belongs under the authority and control of the BOY SCOUT DIVISION. Those
on the national level have been fighting the Boy Scout guys and gals over
the past three years, because they want to REMOVE the Eagle Scout Badge (and
therefore remove the "argument" concerning "how come boys in Explorer Posts
can earn Eagle and the girls cannot" question) from the Exploring program.
Good thing that there's still folks like me and you out there that insisted
that Explorers should continue to be able to earn Eagle....everythings'
going to change come this spring, when the BSA brings back the Silver Award,
I'm afraid.
For support, read what the BSA Requirements Book says as well as the BSA's
Advancement Proceduries booklets state....while Explorers can earn Eagle,
the requirements to earn Eagle must continue to be met using either the Boy
or Varsity Scout advancement plan....that is, even though the leadership
requirements can be met by service as an Exploring leader, and the service
time can be met by participation in an Exploring unit, the badges and their
requirements used to meet the requirements are BOY SCOUTING badges and
insignia.
>To be honest, if this requirement for a Boy Scout like uniform were levied
>upon an Explorer when I had been Exploring VP and the council had District
>Eagle Boards, I would have convened a Board in the Exploring District to
>review the youth (with, of course, proper council representation.) If the
>council had council boards, I would have counseled with the Council
>advancement chairman and, if need be, with the Council VP for program and the
>Council Executive Board.
>
>Granted, Explorers earning the Eagle are rare. But that doesn't mean the
>uniqueness of the Exploring program should be ignored or discounted. I have
>no problem at all with an Eagle award being proudly pinned on a Police
>Explorer or Fire Explorer uniform.
Again, because Exploring is such a "individual Post" program, we could
potentially have to review Explorers wearing scrubs and jeans, or teeshirts
with the Exploring logo and "Explorer Post 000" on it, or an Explorer
wearing a Mettalica tee with faded jeans, holy tennis shoes and a ball cap
with "Explorers" written on it with the Post numbers tacked on it.
And then, we would have to *award* those Eagle Badges on teeshirts or hats
or, as I've had to do once, just instruct the parent to give the entire
presentation kit to the Eagle since he didn't have a way to wear the medal.
Remember that this is a TIP, not policy...if your District/Council chooses
to allow Explorers to wear "whatever they have chosen" to wear to the Eagle
Board of Review and later to the Court of Honor, just delete those
paragraphs and move forward.
But also remember these important comments when you do decide:
*uniforming....proper uniforming....is one-eighth of the Methods of
Scouting. Therefore, we as Scouters have an obligation to insure that our
youth members of our programs are wearing as complete a uniform as possible,
especially when they will appear in the public or represent the BSA in the
public eye (and I don't know of a single Eagle that doesn't get in the
public eye either before or during the Court of Honor).
*that we're all complaining about the fact that "Scouting has went downhill"
and we're "dumbing-down" various things.....well, a part of that because WE
fail to take responsibility to insure that the "rules" are consistant....and
one of rules is the wearing of the uniform.
*why do we wear it anyway....its because of it's commonality with ALL OTHER
SCOUTS wearing the same uniform.
*Eagle Scouts are supposed to be *leaders to youth*. If the Eagle Scout
cannot wear the official uniform of the movement in which he receives his
badge from....what does that say for other aspects of his leadership?
*ONLY Explorers that have attained First Class or higher while a member of a
Boy Scout Troop or Varsity Scout Team may continue to advance while a member
of an Exploring unit....and many of those Explorers do still have their
older Boy Scout or Varsity Scout uniform (some, as Tom wrote to me
privately, may have outgrown their shirts and pants.....but again, they know
that they have to wear the Eagle *on something Scouting*)
*finally, the BSA made the rules when it comes to the Boy Scout program.
They wrote the rules that established the Eagle Scout Badge as a BOY SCOUT
AWARD (to try to stave off girls that kept objecting that "if male Explorers
can earn Eagle, why can't we?").
Hope this resolves the issue of Explorers wearing the Exploring field
uniform as opposed to their DDI for ONE or TWO times (the Eagle Board of
Review and the Eagle Court of Honor), especially for something as important
to him (or it should be, I'll say it that way) and to the movement as the
review and presentation of the Eagle Scout Badge to another young potential
leader!
Settummanque!
(c) 1997 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") (502) 827-9201
(settummanque, the blackeagle) http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle
241 Fairview Dr., Henderson, KY 42420-4339 blkeagle@dynasty.net
kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@hq.21taacom.army.mil
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