Pushed Eagle Scouts

[captainron14 11]

Eamonn,

So you are a "Queens Scout" from the UK. Question: When Prince Charles (or his son) becomes "King", will the rank become "Kings Scout"? If so, will your rank/award change also?

 

Also, is there a "web page" that shows what the award (patch/medal) looks like.

 

Can you wear it on your BSA uniform?

 

Sorry for drifting from the thread.

CR14

[bt01 10]

I am an Eagle Scout and my parents did not push me. I am every glad and happy that I did earn it. I also value it more than my High School diploma.

 

My last year of HS and as a "youth" in scouting I move from one part of New York State to another because of a family illness (grandmother). I transferred to the local troop with only two merit badges and a serve project to do.

 

[Bob Welch 10]

I think if you ask most Eagle Scouts you will find they were pushed(encouraged) most often by parents, secondly by a interested adult. If the boy isn't pushed some the gas and perfume fumes will get him.

I am 48 years old now,I earned my Eagle Rank when I was about 16. Maybe I should say we earned it,my parents and I. Dad taking me to campouts and staying, Mom driving me Merit Badge Counselor's homes to be tested. The pushing wasn't always appreciated, but the memories are priceless. I am a only child, my parents are both dead now. They never saw my son, who is also a only child, he will bridge over to Boy Scouts in Feb. 2004. Another Eagle? I hope so. Sorry, if this message rambles it was good therapy for me.

[scoutingagain 20]

I am an Eagle Scout, as is my younger brother, also a scouter. Honestly I can't remember my parents pushing either of us. I do remember support. My Dad frequently camped with us and the troop. Mom drove us to merit badge counselors. I don't know about my brother, but for me, I just sort of woke up one day and realized I only needed a few more merit badges and a service project to complete the Eagle requirments. It was then I set my sights on the badge. Other than that I advanced primarily by participating at summer camp, campouts and pursuing those merit badges I had an interest in.

 

I share some of the thoughts expressed in the Forum by others on merit badge classes, merit badge universities, etc. Other than summer camps, most all my merit badges were the result of individual efforts. We never did a merit badge as a troop that I can remember.

 

I recieved my Eagle the fall of my junior year in high school. If I hadn't got it then I don't think I would have been able to do it. That year, while I stayed moderately active in the troop, more of my time was taken up with other high school activities, varsity sports, church groups(they had girls), etc.

 

I might have been one of those Eagles that the troop lamented about not giving enough back. I hope I am making up for that now taking an active role in my son's troop. Scouting was an important part of my life and I want my son to share that experience. So far he is very much into it and I'm proud of him. I have not had to push his participation at all.

 

However, his experience is somewhat different than mine. He is 1st class and already has 9 merit badges. All the result of participating in summer camp and local merit badge universities or classes given by the troop. When I tried to explain to the troop committee that merit badges were intended to extract more individual initiative from the scouts and not be spoon fed, they looked at me like I was nuts. "What else would they do?" was one response.

 

I think advancement is great, but not the be all or end all of scouting. I participated in Boards of Reviews for some of our new scouts going for Tenderfoot. When asked what they would like to get out of scouting, 2 out of 3 said advancement. When pressed they said something like, "Oh ya, and the camping stuff." This bothered me a bit. I am concerned that some of the parents are pushing advancement over some of the other aspects of scouting,(i.e. high adventure) that the kids would like and get as much or more out of.

 

I trying not to work agianst any of the old hands in the troop leadership, but trying to open they're eyes to other opportunities.

I think I'm making progress, but it's slow.

 

Thanks for letting me vent a little.

 

SA

 

 

[mk9750 11]

scoutingagain,

 

I think you might be able to hear the palm of my hand slapping my forehead as I say to myself "Why didn't I think of that!"

 

May I borrow your question about what a Scout wants to get out of Scouting for use in BORs I do? What a great question!

 

I ask "What ARE you getting out of Scouting?" all the time. Never occured to me to ask what a Scouted wanted to get.

 

By the way, welcome to you and to Bob Welch.

 

Mark

 

[scoutingagain 20]

Mark,

 

Go right ahead. I've learned so much from listening in to all of you I'm honored.

 

The truth is I usually do ask the scout, "What ARE you getting out of scouting?" myself. In this particular case, since the scouts had not been with us that long the question came out as," What WOULD you like to get out of scouting?"

 

I'll begin to ask it of the older scouts as well now.

 

SA

 

SA

[JimmyD 10]

In my troop i would say 25 of the 38 eagle scout's parents helped in some from of capacity. ASM, committee memmber and so on. One kid was 16 only tnerfoot and only a coyple badges and the eladers told 'you need to this and this by a certain date oir you can't get it" he did it probably one of the biggest sucess stories in our troop.

[Eamonn 61]

CaptainRon,

Forgive me for not answering your question.

BSA rules do not permit the wearing of foreign awards. Please don't tell anyone but the award came with a neckerchief slide which does seem to make its way on to my person every now and then.

I will always be a Queen Scout. It was an award that was awarded by the Queen. In fact my certificate has a Elizabeth R signature. Not done in person but still kind of nice.

You can see the award and read the qualifications at:

www.scoutbase.org.uk/activity/ventures/vqueen.htm

Thanks for asking.

Eamonn