Needed-Voices of Experience
Bob Riley (CubmasterB@AOL.COM)
Tue, 29 Jun 1999 23:48:03 EDT
By the time this hits the list I'm sure there will have been many
others who said it more eloquently (and certainly shorter!!!). I just
want to toss in my 2 cents worth. I'm a Cubmaster and Webelos
dad looking at what lies ahead, in about 22 months, for my son
and I in the world of Boy Scouting.
If a boy does all the requirements for his Eagle badge as they are
defined in the Scout Handbook - he deserves the Eagle badge. It's
just that simple. It isn't "Trustworthy" to change the rules after the
fact. Is all this quibling and nit picking over awarding the Eagle badge
done for all the other awards in Boy Scouts?
Whenever, a goal is offered with specific achievements
that must be accomplished to "win" that award you are
going to have people go after that award for a variety of reasons.
Just "because it's there". Or maybe because its the highest mountain.
Or maybe because they want to be a part of and represent that
exclusive club. In the end, does it matter "why" they go after
it? Think of what they'll discover along the way.
Our society looks up to Eagle Scouts (and why not?).
If you have it it's a feather in your cap. It can mean
the difference between getting into a better school or breaking a
tie to win that job or whatever. We have all heard the stories how
being an Eagle (or even just being in Scouts) has been to someone's
advantage.
Something with that much power is bound to be abused. It is
inevitable, unavoidable.
I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of non-scouters know that
the Eagle is the highest rank in Boy Scouts. How many could
say what any of the other ranks are? Or how many?
I know an adult Eagle scout who has belonged in various scout units
(as an adult leader) in which the leaders/dads signed off on each
others' son's merit badges when the boys actually did nothing. Why?
The dads were simply going through the motions to ensure
that their sons got their Eagle Badges to fluff up their resumes.
These leaders were trained, experienced and registered
scout leaders, some of whom were scouts themselves.
I'm sure some of you know of or have heard similar stories. Such
is the gravity of the rank of Eagle Scout.
Eagle Scout is sort of similar to the valedictorian, salutatorian, etc. awards
in high schools. The rewards seem great enough to cause some
to take easier courses. Many schools have eliminated these
awards for such reasons. I'm certainly NOT advocating doing
away with the Eagle, just trying to show that if the goal has a big
enough payoff some will take shortcuts.
We have no control of what's in a Scout's heart or how long he
stays in scouting. Do we tell those who dream of climbing Mt. Everest
that they can only reach the summit if they promise to climb
twenty more mountains afterwards? Of course not, that would
be ridiculous.
Is the goal in Boy Scouts to achieve the Eagle Badge? Or is the goal
something else? Which is more important? Is it both? Look how
much time has been devoted to this one goal (of many) just on
this list. Are all those who do not reach this goal (90% of Scouts?)
- a failure? Is an Eagle who leaves Scouting to pursue other
challenges and experiences any less of an Eagle? Does
that discount all his years prior? Is the Eagle badge any bigger for
the boy who gets it at age 17 than the badge of the boy who gets it
at 13? Is his Eagle badge any shinier if he stays in Scouting into his
adulthood as opposed to if he leaves Scouts soon after he gets
it, for whatever reason?
If our goal here is to present a boy run program and a boy wants to
go after the Eagle, no matter if someone thinks he's immature or not . . .
isn't he a product of the program? Does it matter if he is "mature" to
any one person? Isn't maturity one of the many areas that is strengthened
in our boys as they work their tasks?
IMHO, the "Scouting" is getting lost by some. Are we trying to
produce cookie-cutter Scouts? Whether Eagle or Life or Star or
First Class they are all unique and worthwhile. While it is the pinnacle
of a boy's Boy Scouting career the rank of Eagle still only
represents one small piece of a Scout's entire Scouting pie. It may
not even be the most important piece of a particular Scout's pie. It
may not even represent the biggest hurdle that that boy overcame
during his Scout years.
In fact, (IMHO again), as I ramble on here (big surprise, huh? Not!)
it seems like the Eagle badge is more like the frosting on a boy's Scouting
pie.
Let's not forget the pie for the frosting.
Bob Riley
Cubmaster Pack 639
Watervliet, NY
Twin Rivers Council
