sailingpj 18 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/269222_10151863472420298_535353324_n.jpg This picture popped up from BSA on facebook today. Apparently there are not that many young eagles nowadays. Link to post Share on other sites
perdidochas 658 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Yep, it's contrary to the view that Eagles are now given out pellmell to 13 yr olds. Link to post Share on other sites
fred8033 1593 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 My favorite is that Arthur Eldred, 1st Eagle Scout, earned 1st class rank four months after his troup was created. BSA was about a year old. Then he completed the Eagle required 21 merit badges one year later. So eagle after 16 months as a scout. Recognized as Eagle about five months later. Link to post Share on other sites
emb021 16 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 you have to wonder how much the age shift is due to the action of certain scouters or just a factor of life for the scouts... Link to post Share on other sites
perdidochas 658 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 My theory is that since the marketplace views Eagles as being a good thing, we've got a lot of boys that were Star/Life Scouts and are fairly inactive that come back to finish up at the last minute. Link to post Share on other sites
JMHawkins 15 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Back in the 70's when I was 8 years old, I walked (or biked) a couple of miles to and from school. At 9, I could go anywhere in town that my bike or legs could take me. At 10, I was riding the transit bus to the neighboring city to spend my hard-earned paper route or lemonade stand money at the stores over there. By the time I became a Scout, I had several years of reasonable independence under my belt. I wasn't really unusual. The guys I see coming in don't have anywhere near that much experience being responsible for themselves. If the Eagle rank (or First Class) is to mean anything, our new guys have farther to go than Arthur Eldred had. They're no less inherently capable of it than his (or my) generation, but I think it takes a while for them (perhaps more importantly their parents) to realize it and let the real work start. My complaint isn't with the age of a Eagle Scout, it's with the maturity. Merit Badge classes and programs that let a kid check off all the requirements for Eagle with only 20 nights camping are not developing maturity, regardless of how fast or slow the advancement conveyor belt runs. Well, there is a complaint I have with guys getting to Eagle at an early age, and it would apply to 1912 as well as 2012. If a scout makes it all the way through the Advancement program in 25% of the time he could be a Boy Scout, we've pretty much lost the use of the Advancement method with that kid for 75% of his potential time. Better to have a program that challenges even the most ambitious to get there. Link to post Share on other sites
moosetracker 132 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 OK.. who are all the deathbed Eagles, scewing up the numbers.. I seriously don't mind any young man taking time off then finishing up at 17.. As long as they take it seriously, and don't come back to ask you to sign him off on Leadership because he played in the HS band.. But, if he returns, at that time in his life, you at least know it is HIS idea and not his parents.. Link to post Share on other sites
eagle90 125 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I agree with JM Hawkins regarding the maturity, or lack thereof, in boys coming into scouts. I had 4 scouts cross over and in my initial meeting with parents I was promoting their going to summer camp, and one of them said, "Oh my boy couldn't do that. He's a momma's boy." Two of the other parents agreed. I was amazed that they would admit that, and that they would say that to a relative stranger. BTW, the only one going to camp is the one who didn't admit to being a momma's boy. Link to post Share on other sites
CA_Scouter 11 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 We have a tradition (??!??) in our troop of the scouts driving the adults crazy by waiting until about 17 1/2 or later to finish up their projects. Last 5ish years, this is our tally: ScoutA Eagle BOR 18 ScoutB Eagle BOR 18 ScoutC Eagle BOR 15 Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle92 110 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I'm one of those deathbed Eagles with my BOR being 1 month 6 days after turning 18. Spent more time as a Life Scout, over 4 years, than T-2-1-S combined. One thing to remember though, in 1949 Sea Scouts, Exploring, Air Scouts, and Rovers ( and am I missing anything Emb? )was much more popular than Sea Scouts and Venturing is today. And these programs continue the Scouting journey and provided more challenges and adventure for the youth. So I would love to compare the Quartermaster, Ranger, Ace, and Rambler Awards stats to today's Quartermaster and Silver Stats. Link to post Share on other sites
fred8033 1593 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 All of our recent eagles have been 17. With the exception of one, they were all very busy in our troop. Easily over a hundred nights of camping each. We didn't work to delay them. It's just how it worked out. I'm fine if a kid earns Eagleaat 14. It's just my experience that those who go for eagle generally enjoy the program and thus stay involved. But that's our troop. Link to post Share on other sites
sailingpj 18 Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 QM stats would be uselessish because for hella long you could only get it until 18. Now you have till 21. Link to post Share on other sites
skeptic 993 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Two thoughts, or questions to ponder. How much effect does the project have on the age of attainment? Remember, no projects were required until circa 1965; and initially, they were not quite as specific in regard to requirements. On the other hand; are adult Eagles, those that earned it as an adult when it was still allowed, factored into the data. Also, when you consider that you had to be 12 to join until the 40's, then the age difference is even wider. Still, much of it has to do with maturity I would have to agree. Kids are so over protected and under challenged by things that encourage self confidence and mental maturity that they are seldom equipped to meet even basic realities of adulthood, even at 18. Of course much of this is already being discussed in other threads, or has been. Link to post Share on other sites
shortridge 184 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 What's the source of the image and data? Something popping up on Facebook does not an authoritative source make. Link to post Share on other sites
Eaglemom2b 10 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 It was posted by The Summit along with this link http://www.scouting.org/filestore/marketing/pdf/eaglescoutsinformationgraphic.pdf Link to post Share on other sites
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