Bugler now OK for Eagle

[sherminator505 10]

Any position with a strong leadership or teaching could be considered a PoL. As a rough guideline, the list of PoR's for Eagle has historically been more restrictive, and the list of PoR's for Eagle have typically been those with a strong leadership or teaching component.

 

That said, I feel that the difference between a PoR and a PoL is important, and that it should be more clearly delineated in the advancement requirements. That way, there wouldn't be a question as to what PoR should or should not be acceptable, as it would be clear that we are in fact working off two different lists for a definite reason.

[Twocubdad 665]

I tend to agree with you, Sherm, but I think we have it within our ability now to guide Scouts into increasingly more challenging and leadership-based positions as they advance. I've posted on a number of threads that there are ways for the adult leaders to subtly guide Scouts onto higher standards. This is another one of those situations.

 

I'm not advocating that we blatantly add to the requirements, as one of my neighboring troops does, and require that a Scout serve as SPL in order to earn Eagle. Not only is that against advancement policy, but it's ham-fisted and unnecessary.

 

I have a new Life Scout in the troop who has always been small for his age and rather introverted. His first couple years in the troop he had a lot of problems working with the other guys because he just wouldn't engage. He tended to wander off or hang back, especially when there were group activities at hand, like cooking, cleaning or packing out gear. The other guys read that as lazy and gave him a hard time which only compounded the problems.

 

All that changed when I convinced the kid to serve as a Den Chief. To say he thrived is an understatement. He is the first in the troop to earn the National Den Chief Award. The confidence he gained as DC allowed him to also serve as Troop Guide. Clearly, given his size and introverted nature, working with younger Scouts is a big plus for him.

 

So when we sat down for his Life Scoutmaster conference a few months back, I asked him what leadership positions he would like to take on for Eagle. Of course he wants to continue at Den Chief and Troop Guide. I told him he has done a great job at those positions and has them down pat, which is why I think it's time for him to step up and look at taking on more of a troop level position like ASPL and eventually SPL. He was visibly terror-stricken. I explained to him that he's not longer the smallest, most shy kid in the troop. By the time he makes Eagle, probably half of the boys in the troop will have had him as either Troop Guide of Den Chief. They don't see him as "Little Joey" like the older guys did, they see him as one of the older leaders in the troop. He needs to step into that role.

 

Well, I haven't closed the deal, but I have strongly planted the seed. I don't know if he will ever be SPL, but I think he will definitely take it up a notch. Maybe he can become ASPL incharge of Den Chief and Troop Guides. Who knows.

 

The point of that long story is that we have the opportunity to guide our Scouts into something beyond three terms as Librarian. In my mind, I don't want to see an Eagle application for a Scout whose leadership positions were Librarian, Historian and Bugler. I won't make that an added requirement or troop policy, but very clearly I will guide Scouts to more leadership-based positions for Eagle.