Re: National Eagle Scout Assocaition (NESA)--Long
(no name) ((no email))
Sun, 3 Jan 1999 22:06:48 -0600
Wow...this is long but it's a GREAT QUESTION, Hank, in view of
what some at National are thinking about last and this year.
Hank Voegtle <hvoegtle@IX.NETCOM.COM> wrote and asked:
I've finally taken the time to look at Fall 1998 "Eagletter." In
>that issue ational Eagle Scout Association ("NESA") President
>Robert Gates
(Eagle Scout; former director of Central Intellegience)
>wrote of three initiatives that NESA plans to undertake.
>First, NESA plans to undertake a program to locate Eagle Scouts
>both on a local and national level. This program has two major
>aspects, an effort to compare council lists with national lists
>and vice versa. Also NESA plans to undertake computerization of
>existing Eagle records--"from deteriorating microfilm and
>paper records...."
Much of this effort stemmed from three major events in the
lifecycle of the BSA and the NESA; two of which were
"self-inflicted" in *my opinion*:
One, the loss of many names and information from the Eagle Scout
Service's files as well as other files which were lost in a fire at
the BSA's National Office back in the late 80s. The BSA has been
trying to recapture many of those names. As mentioned in previous
postings about the way the Service "manages Eagles", it's not by
computers, but rather by a series of books (the earlier ones have
been microfilmed) with written entries into those books. That's
how the Service "checks their records." Traditional and it works,
even to today!
Two, the BSA's attitude toward Eagle Scouts. To me, while the
intent of NESA was grand, it was NOTHING like the old Knights of
Dumanis program that existed before 1971 and the start of the NESA.
The KD was more than a group of Eagle Scouts.....they actually
provided leadership, support and manpower to entire series of
community projects and readied a many Eagle Scout for further
service in OA and through Alpha Phi Omega and other service
organizations. The attitude after the first five years of the
NESA's start, was that Eagle Scouts and Scouters were "financial
leads" and "ways to find those to serve as Scouters." Many Eagle
Scouts took offense at this, and the NESA's numbers started to
drop. The NESA went and tried to reforumlate themselves, but by
then, it was too late. Self-inflicted.
Three, the NESA's reluctance to stay in touch with those Eagle
Scouts that they DID have as part of NESA. The original plan was
to do it all through local NESA chapters; when those chapters were
taken from the local Councils, NESA should have come up with an
alternative plan (regional NESA meetings, national NESA meetings or
gatherings, and encouragement of Eagle Scouts to attend Regional
and/or National BSA Meetings); but they didn't. Self-inflicted.
>Finally, NESA proposes a program entitled "Eagles Helping Eagles."
>This is essentially a mentoring program, complete with a
>parenthetical notation concerning youth protection guidelines.
I'll talk more about that later.
>The second initiative will be "to establish NESA committees in
>those councils lacking one, and to strengthen committees that
>already exist."
>
>To me, the "problem" with this three part initiative is the second
>part. I realize that NESA is not and should not be a second Order
>of the Arrow. But the questions are who runs NESA and whether its
>role should be decided nationally or locally?
Nationally, the NESA is *managed* by the Eagle Scout Service and
the BSA's Boy Scout Advancement Director/Director of the Eagle
Scout Service. At the local Council level, it would probably be
*managed* by the Council Scout Executive or his or her appointed
representative, usually a senior field or support director. In
larger Councils, it may be the Associate Scout Executive.
>Currently, the "leadership" of NESA is (or appears to be) in a
>Board of Regents consisting "of more than 400 holders of the
>Distinguished Eagle Scout Award."
The Board of Regents meets twice a year, via teleconferencing.
Not all 400 holders of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
participates.
>In the time I've been a member I've not seen any announcements of
>meetings of the Board of Regents, which I would presume would be
>open meetings, not closed meetings. From what I've gathered, the
>Board of Regents, if it meets, serves as a rubber stamp for the
>desires of the National professional staff.
Basically, yeah. The professional and professional-technician
serving as the advisors to the body also serves as the lead
professional concerning the Boy Scouting advancement program.
Locally, the local Council's Advancement subcommittee of the
Program Committee handled NESA in the earlier days so I would
imagine that's how it's going to be done locally if the plan of
action gets approved and completed.
What the BSA wants to do, Hank, is to bring out the "Eagle Scout
banner" anytime an Eagle Scout is presented with his badge. This
cannot be done on a national level, but it can be done and done
effectively, at the local level.
>Recognition is a laudable goal, but how is it to be done. In
>1968, when I received my Eagle my council had about 150 Eagles.
>It was possible for the council advancement committee to
>have an annual dinner. The council that I'm in now has nearly 400
>Eagles per year, and my district has well in excessive of 50
>Eagles per year.
It is done more proactively at the local Council level. For
instance, NESA members read the letter from the Chief Scout
Executive, provide setup and special backdrops, and could even
provide special locally-made programming.
>With all respect to Mr. Gates, proposing initiative is one thing,
>but to me first NESA needs to know where its going. Rather than
>the initiatives, I would have preferred to see a strategic plan.
I REALLY like the strategic plan, Hank, and I feel that you should
send it to the National Eagle Scout Association's office at the
National Office center!! The plan has a lot of good things going
for it....
Hope that I've helped to answer some of your concerns!
Settummanque!
(c) 1998 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") blkeagle@mninter.net
http://mninter.net/~blkeagle Burnsville, MN 55306-7130 (612) 435-3085
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@server.kaiserslautern.army.mil
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