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Re: Eagle Candidates and Smoking
Bruce E. Cobern (bec@PIPELINE.COM)
Sat, 9 Jan 1999 10:51:56 -0500
At 01:18 PM 1/8/99 -0500, John and Bernadette Curry wrote:
>I know little about the requirements for each rank in Boy Scouts but I
>thought that there were "showing Scout Spirit" requirements at ranks below
>Eagle. (At least I have seen it discussed here on the list.) I wonder how
>the youth "passed" those requirements for his prior rank advancements. If
>smoking (breaking the law - i.e. speeding, underage drinking or smoking,
>drug use, cutting school or whatever...) hadn't been a problem with his
>Scout Spirit before - why is it now? Because you don't want the Eagle Rank
>besmirched? But it was OK to sully the ranks of Tenderfoot, Life, Star etc?
Well, for someone who "knows little" about the rank requirements, you hit
the nail right on the head. The Scout Spirit requirement, which is the ONLY
requirement under which you could possibly make this an issue is exactly the
same for ALL ranks, from TF through Eagle. So, while it is possible that
this Scout first began smoking after his Life board, unless that is the case
there is absolutely NO justification for making it an issue ONLY on his
Eagle board. And, since there were no doubt other smoking Scouts in the
unit, IMO before it became an issue it would have to have been universally
used to deny any smoker any rank before it could be used on an Eagle board.
After all, the Eagle candidate could say "well Johnny's been smoking since
he was a FC Scout and made it to Star and Life, so it must not be a problem."
>
<snip of additional excellent material with which I agree>
>I find myself agreeing with Kent Wilkins: <SNIP>We need to look at the
>totality of the boy, his actions, his mannerisms, and his background...not
>at one or two items as a Litmus test of worthiness.<SNIP>
>
>Let us always temper decisions with mercy and common sense. "He that is
>without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (JKV)
And I certainly agree with this attitude. Discuss it? If you feel it is
relevant, of course. But make it a litmus test? Absolutely NOT.
--
Bruce E. Cobern
mailto:bec@pipeline.com
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