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Would you advance this hypothetical Scout to Eagle?

 

A Life Scout joins a troop 4 years ago. As a Life scout with his previous troop he completed all of the necessary Eagle rank requirements except for 4 merit badges and his service project. Over the 4 years since joining the troop, he earned the merit badges and completed the service project. Over the 4 years he never once did any of the following activities with the new troop: camping, scout camp, day trips, service projects including Eagle projects other than his own. Additionally, he attended less than 30% of the troop's meetings in those 4 years. As a final chance to make up for his lack of participation, his scoutmasters met with him several times in the year before his 18th birthday and asked that he put together one weekend camping trip and one day trip. A month before his 18th birthday, he tells the scoutmasters that he cannot meet those expectations because of work, Prom, school play and chorus.

 

Should he advance to Eagle?

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Yes.

 

You DO know that you are not able to add requirements?

 

If he has completed all of the BSA National Eagle requirements he should be given a BOR, and/or given the particulars of what he must do to send in a protest if you refuse him a BOR.

 

 

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Yes, if he did the minimum requirements and if the application was duly signed and approved, he earned Eagle. Don't look back unless it's in order to improve the look forward.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

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He is already at Life, what he needs done for Eagle rank are completed project & merit badges.. At almost 18 he is now going for Eagle. There is not board at the troop level for this, the advancement Board is now in the hands of a district panel.. Are you perhaps talking about the SM signing off on Scout spirit? Or signing of on his Eagle application?

 

Even without the signatures he can go on to the district EBOR..

 

As SM since I did not hold out till his 18th birthday, but voiced my concern and gave him a chance to rectify his actions and met with him several times on the issue. I would probably not sign it.. But, not call the Board to attempt to talk them into rejecting him.. Just not sign the papers, let him explain the lack of the SM signatures to the board..

 

He will probably still make Eagle, but not without a little discomfort at his board.

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Would you advance this hypothetical Scout to Eagle?

 

Doesn't sound very hypothetical to me.

What I would feel like doing and what I would do would most likely be two different things. In the end, what I would feel like doing is mailing him his award. That would make it seem a little more fair to me. He did what he needed to do to get his award. Now it's on his resume, and he can ride off into the sunset. Have a nice day.

BDPT00

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This has already been answered, but what requirements did this hypothetical scout not meet?

 

There are no % attendance requirements. You can not add any.

 

If this scout is to be believed, he seems to be a well rounded young man. I would not want to be the Scoutmaster and EBOR that gets overturned at National if he was held back.

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KUDU really said it all quite well, and that is one reason the Eagle rank has become so less prestigious an accomplishment in recent years. The BSA has altered the Eagle requirements to the point most any scout can receive the rank with minimal effort. A sad commentary on todays scouting culture.

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twocub - he has also been at the Life rank for four years, and the SM did address his uninvolvement a few times in the last year.. My guess is he really didn't looking interested in earning rank until the last year..

 

It is unsure if the Life POR was done in the other troop or this troop. If it was this troop and his non-presence meant he was not performing it, this would have been one other thing the SM could have removed him from before the 6 months was up. But, expecting the scout to show scout spirit in order to sign off on the scout spirit requirement, especially when he has been spoken to about it several times.

 

I do not feel the SM should spell out a project for him to do in order to show scout spirit, but more an expectancy to see him at a certain percentage of troop meetings & events, --OR-- to do something like what was proposed in a large one time push.. Then it would be up to the scout to choose how they wanted to show their scout spirit..

 

But, if he does nothing, then it would not be signed off.. Just let the scout know he can still go to the EBOR without the signature, and if asked about the lack of signature explain it..

 

Maybe the district would deny it, but most likely they wont.. They would just make the scout go through some discomfort..

 

I do know our SM did deny a scout on scout spirit and refused to sign the application.. Many at District & council called him about it, and all he said was it was his integrety that due to the scouts actions he would feel he was dishonest to sign it.. This scout had the time to come back to the troop and show 6 months of scout spirit and he did so, because the district & council did back the SM.. Don't know what National would have done..

 

But, the SM.. Just stood his ground on his own integrety and allowed the district and council to choose a different path if they so were inclined.. If the scout was pushing 18 I would imagine the district may have gone ahead without the signatures of the SM.

 

If the OP stated the SM said nothing right up to a week before his 18th birthday, then I would agree with all of you.. Too late, sign the papers.. But, he didn't.. You are teaching this boy nothing. I would not be surprised if he went off to college, didn't do term papers and expected a good grade anyway.. Or went off to work, didn't do his job and even with performance reviews that are less the favorable, and getting written up he will still be shocked to be fired.

 

He should have consequences for his actions.. Guarenteed someone somewhere will still give him the Eagle award, but a) the SM can still look at himself in the mirror.. b) the scout can realize his path was not smooth due to his own choices..

 

What the troop & SM should NOT do though is stand in the way of someone else choosing a different course, or feeling it is a personal affront to their decision if someone gives him the Eagle without showing scout spirit.. So someone else saw it as a non-issue.. So what.. They are looking at things from a different angle.

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"Over the 4 years he never once did any of the following activities with the new troop: camping, scout camp, day trips, service projects including Eagle projects other than his own."

 

Show me this requirement, please.

 

"Additionally, he attended less than 30% of the troop's meetings in those 4 years."

 

Show me a percentage attendance requirement.

 

"As a final chance to make up for his lack of participation,"

 

Whose definition of participation? Not the official definition.

 

" his scoutmasters met with him several times in the year before his 18th birthday and asked that he put together one weekend camping trip and one day trip. "

 

To what end?

To create road blocks?

To salve their concious that they made him "earn it"?

 

Each scout's trail is different, but not less valued, because he may have done it differently than that Troops culture.

 

Demeaning the earning of the Rank does nothing good, for anyone. Why would you want to?

 

 

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