Rapid Advancement

[OldGreyEagle 5]

""When it is time for eagle scout, I think they need to be an ASPL, SPL. "

 

I don't know how you can get away with this. The book clearly identifies the positions that qualify as leadership for rank advancement. It even leaves it a little vague as to allow some other leadership opportunities (imho). "

 

Eagle in KY,

 

You are Correct, the reason you don't know this can be "gotten away with" is because it can't. The Positions that qualify one for advancement to Eagle are pretty well well defined and any change there of is wrong, cannot be done and is not following the program

[jbroganjr 10]

I will (hopefully) have a 13 year old eagle scout. My role as SM is to help him develop and demonstrate his character to himself, the patrol, the troop and most importantly the adults.

History. this boy, after attending his first tiger meeting stated he wanted to become an eagle scout immediately.

His determination is awe inspiring, but leads to many learning opportunities as a boy scout, especially his temper. He is not the best communicator. I believe his brain works faster than everything else.

So instead of the SPL "testing" him as a Patrol Leader, where he would be destined to failure at his age, he is our scribe. He is the best scribe I've worked with. His notes are as detailed as the ones us adults use every day. He follows up on all of his own tasks, but also with each patrol scribes and works with the publicity committee member as well.

When he first joined he told me of his goal. I let him know how hard this was going to be. I left him with the following thoughts, which, thankfully for all the troop he has tried to follow: Knowing the skill for one week after being taught could get that skilled signed off, but a young eagle scout would probably know how to teach this skill to other scouts when called upon. (He is one of our better cooks) I talked to him about leadership positions and the perception of a scout who does and the scout who is only there physically. He as embraced his positions to the best of his ability.

His determination is two fold. One is personal, to be the youngest scout in the troop to be an eagle and two (and this is why I do not slow him down, but guide him) to set an example to show other scouts that it can be done if you are committed to a goal

Feedback from other scouts is that they believe he will do it and he will have earned it.

Hardest challenge I have conveyed to him is leading the project. To help set him up for success, he will be giving the lead role on service projects for star and life (we run it this way in our troop to help all scouts cut their teeth on running service projects, with PLC and adults providing help and guidance)

 

the question is not necessarily maturity, but ability.

did your scout achieve his goals and earn advancement? If you the SM signed off, then I would have to believe he did.

When you talked to the scout and the parents, where the specifics addressed in terms of rank, leadership? Did you have means of measuring thescouts efforts against stated goals? Did the plan stay on track, and if not, how where the scout's plans modified? Did those modifications ensure that a goal was reached [this is easy, if he adjusted, he earned rank, if he did nothing....]

 

In one respect, the denial should be used as a learning opportunity in preparation of presentation of the eagle project to the district advancement committee, but i don't like it, as I know it would be overturned at an appeal BoR.

 

Personal Thought, I do not think the majority of scouts will attain eagle by 13, BUT there are some who will.

these kids are organized

these kids pretty much only do scouting

these kids need adult guidance

these kids will need adult interferece with "unbelieving" adults, yes a cheer leader

these kids need to understand that failure is okay [typically these kids will have the hardest time with failure, IMHO thus the guidance of adult association]

SPL and PLC, SM's and Committee should have open communication on this rare scouts intentions so that encouragement is there, to help the young scout pick himself up after failure and mostly to prevent "roadblocks" from popping up.

 

In hindsight, they will have attained it. Most times they have earned an eagle award in a harder way, because of their age/maturity and unfortunately, as time goes on, they will always have to hear comments about how no thirteen year old can properly earn an eagle.

Let's all try to avoid putting a young scout in that position. Better to ask how the young man accomplished his goal than to dismiss it based only on age.