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From: Olan Watkins (OlanWatkins@COMPUSERVE.COM)
Date: Tue Feb 15 2000 - 19:28:40 CST
I guess there are two sides to this question. I can understand the position
of the people that say it is the kid's decision, if he wants the Eagle ok,
if he doesn't that ok also.
However, in general, a high percentage of the kids that do make Eagle are
the ones that have a lot of support from their family. Sometimes one or
both of their parents are involved with the Troop in either a leadership
position or at least a support type position and they have a lot of time
and money invested in the kid's Scouting. I can understand that the family
is hurt when a kid decides to give up Scouting before completing the Eagle.
As a Scout leader it has hurt me also when one of the kids in the Troop
dropped out when I knew that he had the ability, the family support, and
the resources to reach Eagle. It gives you the feeling that in some way you
have failed the kid.
As to if setting certain conditions such as making Eagle or keeping grades
at a certain level dependent on getting a driving licence, I am not sure if
that does any good or not. Some times a kid just wants to show a certain
amount of rebelling against his parents, and that is the methods that he
selects to do it.
As a Scout Leader, there is not a lot that you can do about it one way or
the other, other than giving it your best shot in trying to explain to the
kid that he has the rest of his live for cars, girls, fast food jobs, even
school, but earning the Eagle has a stopping point and that is when he gets
to the age of 18.
However, put your self in the position of the parent. If instead of giving
up Scouts, what if he decided that he had lost interest in history, math,
and english and was going to drop out of school. Would you still say, well
it is your decision and you have to live with it? Or would you put up a
fight to keep him in school?
YIS, Olan Watkins
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