17 year old Eagles.

[Sentinel947 1205]

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2016/05/20/eagle-scout-at-17/

[qwazse 4342]

And lots of comments judging how different boys work the program.

[King Ding Dong 540]

It doesn't matter when you earn Eagle, there will always be a crowd to criticize.

[desertrat77 1144]

It doesn't matter when you earn Eagle, there will always be a crowd to criticize.

Agreed.  

Edited May 21, 2016 by desertrat77

[vumbi 44]

When I earned Eagle decades ago, I had no idea that there were people who were so critical, mean even, about Eagle. I hope the boys who earn Eagle these days are just as unaware of it as I was.

Edited May 21, 2016 by vumbi

[King Ding Dong 540]

I admit to being a hypocrite on this. Not a fan of 13 or 17 year old Eagles. Everthing else is fair game.

[Stosh 3452]

Age has nothing to do with the quality of an Eagle.

[desertrat77 1144]

After I passed my board of review, my family moved before National officially approved everything.    New state, new council, new troop.   My new SM took great joy--and I use those words specifically--in pointing out every error I made and always arriving at the conclusion that I was a pretty sorry Eagle.   (Interesting that he was an Eagle as well.)   

 

I could take feedback, and I certainly made mistakes.  But the SM's added/extra condescending/scornful nature, plus the Eagle guilt trip, got a bit heavy at times.   I was very relieved when he resigned and a good SM took his place.   I really grew and learned a lot under his leadership.

 

The rank should be difficult to earn, and the expectations are high, by all rights.   But there is a proper way to all do that.   The constant sniping ("you call yourself an Eagle scout?") just got old.

Edited May 22, 2016 by desertrat77

[vumbi 44]

Desertrat77, I guess I had it pretty good by comparison. As the first Eagle ever for my unit, no one had any better idea than I did about what it was all about. My COH consisted of two minutes of recognition in church one Sunday, lol. We've come a long, long way from that too!

[desertrat77 1144]

Desertrat77, I guess I had it pretty good by comparison. As the first Eagle ever for my unit, no one had any better idea than I did about what it was all about. My COH consisted of two minutes of recognition in church one Sunday, lol. We've come a long, long way from that too!

Vumbi, though I carped a bit about that SM, things went well after he was gone.   The next three were all good leaders and knew the right way to encourage, correct, and mentor.

 

I'll give Mr. Scornful his due--I grew a darn tough hide when I was his SPL and he played his games.   Not a bad outcome, in retrospect.

 

Your COH sounds great, and I truly wish I could have done something similar.    Though I was The New Guy, five scouts very kindly invited me to fold into their joint ceremony.   It was a big to-do...Lowell Thomas Jr. was keynote speaker.   A retired gent who flew many missions during the Berlin Airlift presented my medal.   And Miss Teenage America was there.   

 

Though I will always appreciate the kindness of inviting me to be a part of the ceremony, I must admit it was a bit empty for me.    No friends present and after the formalities, it was a bit of a Huck Finn moment of "what do I do now?"   But I made some great new friends in due course.

 

All that to say I think a small but heartfelt ceremony like yours will always be more meaningful than any giant production.

Edited May 22, 2016 by desertrat77

[MrBob 96]

... Miss Teenage America was there...

 

... "what do I do now?" ...

 

I know what I would have done...   GET SHOT DOWN! 

 

 

 

On topic, tho... I don't personally care whether the boy is a 12-yo Eagle Scout or he's 17 years 364 days old and finishing his EBOR via phone while driving to his college dorm.  As long as he's the one who fulfilled the requirements, and we're not pinning a medal on his helicopter parent.  

Edited May 22, 2016 by MrBob

[Stosh 3452]

I wonder how long Scouting would last if the AOL in Cubbing was as relationally difficult as Eagle for Scouts??  I'm thinking the ranks of Scouting would thin out to nothing if only 3-4% of the boys got AOL.

[desertrat77 1144]

I know what I would have done...   GET SHOT DOWN! 

 

 

 

On topic, tho... I don't personally care whether the boy is a 12-yo Eagle Scout or he's 17 years 364 days old and finishing his EBOR via phone while driving to his college dorm.  As long as he's the one who fulfilled the requirements, and we're not pinning a medal on his helicopter parent.  

Mr. Bob,

 

"...GET SHOT DOWN!"   Lol, that made my day !     She was articulate and knew how to conduct herself in public.   Standing around chatting with us, she had a good sense of humor about her award, viewing it with a big grain of salt.   Zero diva stuff.

 

Concur--the scout is an Eagle, regardless of chronology.  

Edited May 22, 2016 by desertrat77

[desertrat77 1144]

I wonder how long Scouting would last if the AOL in Cubbing was as relationally difficult as Eagle for Scouts??  I'm thinking the ranks of Scouting would thin out to nothing if only 3-4% of the boys got AOL.

Stosh, interesting to ponder.   AOL is the final mile of the modern day Cub Scouting Forced March That Never Ends, with lots of geegaws and participation ribbons along the way (not all packs, but many give out that stuff). 

 

I think the cubs could handle the challenge, but there would be too many upset parents. 

 

Others know better than I, but isn't there already a big drop out rate after AOL?

[King Ding Dong 540]

N=1 but my crossover doesn't like Boy Scout campouts very much. He has to do stuff, it was much more fun when the adults did everthing for him. Mom still cuts his meat and lays out his cloths in the morning. Not happy about that one but marriage is compromise.