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15 hours ago, mashmaster said:

sadly, most Eagle boards I sit on I am depressed afterwards because they just checked off the marks, got a project from the scoutmaster or committee and went through the motions.  They are Eagles, yes, but the variance is great between them.  It goes on their resume, mom and dad are happy, and we all move on.

Hornaday, Ranger, and Quartermaster awards carry more weight as a group imho.

I'm sure there are a million reasons this is true.  I'll just point out this one.  The Eagle project is a bureaucrats fantasy.  A project workbook with 47 pages, pictures, addenda, receipts, ledger sheets, sign-up sheets, board reviews, signatures, approvals, etc.  What 17 year old boy doesn't want to do that!  I don't know much about the bureaucracy of the Hornaday, Ranger, and QM awards but it seems like they are more related to a boy's passion than his inner project manager.

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16 hours ago, walk in the woods said:

I'm sure there are a million reasons this is true.  I'll just point out this one.  The Eagle project is a bureaucrats fantasy.  A project workbook with 47 pages, pictures, addenda, receipts, ledger sheets, sign-up sheets, board reviews, signatures, approvals, etc.  What 17 year old boy doesn't want to do that!  I don't know much about the bureaucracy of the Hornaday, Ranger, and QM awards but it seems like they are more related to a boy's passion than his inner project manager.

All of the top awards require a project to be lead by the scout, the eagle book is to document the project and help guide the scout through the leadership.  Leading and working with others is an invaluable life skill.

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Hornaday is a very cool award.  I think it's something that my nature-loving first child may be interested in. I learned about this when he started racking up nature-oriented merit badges that qualify for Hornaday.  His Eagle project is likely to be nature-related, but it's hard to say.

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On 4/12/2019 at 12:04 AM, mashmaster said:

All of the top awards require a project to be lead by the scout, the eagle book is to document the project and help guide the scout through the leadership.  Leading and working with others is an invaluable life skill.

This is where we need @Stosh to explain the difference between leadership and management.  The Eagle workbook has nothing to do with leadership (articulating a vision/goal and convincing peers to join in the quest) and everything to do with project management.  The latter might be a valuable skillset but let's call it what it is, not what we want it to be.

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  • 4 weeks later...

A scout in Pennsylvania recently earned his Silver Hornaday medal --- arguably the most prestigious award in scouting (and one of the hardest to earn).

Huge kudos to him for his outstanding accomplishment!!

Story:
https://www.heraldstandard.com/new_today/ohiopyle-youth-awarded-prestigious-boy-scout-conservation-medal/article_3f299f96-6a93-11e9-9b44-f76f8f01ad1d.html 

 

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My son did all the requirements for the Silver Hornaday award, and sent in the application.  The National committee did not deem him worthy of the Silver Award, but they did award him the Bronze Medal.  Yes, the Hornaday awards are quite an accomplishment.

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59 minutes ago, jr56 said:

My son did all the requirements for the Silver Hornaday award, and sent in the application.  The National committee did not deem him worthy of the Silver Award, but they did award him the Bronze Medal.  Yes, the Hornaday awards are quite an accomplishment.

What was the project and what did they think was missing?  Just wondering

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There are parameters that are consistent, from what I have read over the years.  It is not intended to be an easily achieved award, and even getting a bronze is a very high honor.  Your son is to be commended for the award he has been afforded, and he can still do additional efforts towards a higher level of achievement.  Be proud, and be happy that he is still in a very small group of scouts over the years.  

 

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He did 4 projects, in different areas of conservation.  The board didn't feel that is projects were in depth enough to qualify for the Silver Award.  Not unexpected.   The council exec looked over his application before sending it to National, and predicted as much.

 

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11 hours ago, jr56 said:

He did 4 projects, in different areas of conservation.  The board didn't feel that is projects were in depth enough to qualify for the Silver Award.  Not unexpected.   The council exec looked over his application before sending it to National, and predicted as much.

 

Gotcha, just wondering.

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  • 7 months later...

Arguably the most prestigious award in scouting, only about 10 scouts per year manage to earn a Hornaday silver medal.

Here's a story about a scout who, this year, earned "an Olympic medal bestowed by the Earth".   Huge kudos for his initiative and social responsibility....a real role model!

https://billerica.wickedlocal.com/news/20191216/making-history-billerica-teen-earns-prestigious-boy-scout-medal 

 

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