2eagles 10 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I had a VERY upset assistant SM call me, the committee decide that they were not going to pay for an up coming Eagle Scouts Medal/kit. They had decided 4 months ago to pay for the Eagle Scout Kit for each Eagle. Now the troop is young and only has 3 Eagles and their kits were paid for as an honoring gesture from outside groups. But to say we will pay for the other two Eagles coming up but not this third one is ridiculous. Oh, the reason is he will be leaving for college so not active with the troop. I would appreciate hearing how some other troops handle their Eagles: Link to post Share on other sites
SMT224 10 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 If the Troop committed to pay for the Eagle Medal/kit, then that is what it must do. An Eagle is an Eagle, whether he chooses to stay on and work with the Troop, or walk out the door and never come back again. A commitment is a commitment, and that's that. Link to post Share on other sites
John-in-KC 311 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I'd ask for a friendly cup of coffee with the CC and the COR/IH. This is an equity issue. If they say no, the tactics you are left with are decidedly unfriendly. Link to post Share on other sites
OneHour 11 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 1) If it is given as a gift from the troop, then it should be given without any recompensation! 2) If it is given as part of the advancement fees within the annual troop fee, then it should be given without any question! It is paid for! 3) If it is given as a requirement to get eagle, then the troop is wrong for adding additional requirements! The practice should stop. 4) If it is given to others but not to one, then the troop is being unfair to the one! The troop is being unfair or dare I say ... prejudice? 5) If the troop is out of fund, then the troop needs to figure out a) whether or not to raise the annual troop fee, b) engage in a fundraiser, or c) manage expectation going forward. If the one doesn't get the kit, going forward, no one gets the kit. my 2 cents. Link to post Share on other sites
scoutldr 732 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 The stated reason is idiotic and unfair. If the reason is money, then the committee needs to adjust it's budget or change the policy, giving fair advance notice to all members. At first glance at the subject, I thought it was a matter of austerity...we typically would purchase the cloth badge, metal badge, rank card and "parent pin" for each rank. As prices go up and the economy gets worse, I can see cutting back on those...but NOT on the Eagle kit. I mean, SHEESH! PS: Is your COR aware of this decision?(This message has been edited by scoutldr) Link to post Share on other sites
2eagles 10 Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 The issue is not money at all. It is a brand new(untrained new to scouting) committee with sons who have at the most gotten to 1st class. Oh, i found out, they decided earlier to not do anything for the previous 3 Scouts who earned their Eagles and were given their awards by other places. This includes little to no recognition. And then they wonder why those scouts aren't guiding their children. Link to post Share on other sites
CA_Scouter 11 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Are you talking about the $25(or so) Eagle kit you get from the scout shop? Sheesh. Mebbe your committee needs to ask for some bailout money from the Fed. Criminy! My spidey-sense tells me there is more to this story..... Link to post Share on other sites
2eagles 10 Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Nope it is the $87.00 silver kit. However, money is not the issue. It is that he will be leaving for college and therefore not with the troop. The committee voted to provide - the neckerchief, slide and kit. The SM and ASM have (well sort of) talked to them and made no headway. Link to post Share on other sites
NeilLup 13 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I earned my Eagle not long before I went out of town to college. My troop honored me with a full Eagle presentation kit and a very nice ceremony. I really appreciated it and felt very honored. I came home for the summer and served as an ASM going to a couple of summer camps. This month, I will have completed my 54th year in Scouting. In February of 2007, I flew back from Boston to Baltimore for the 50th anniversary of my Troop. I have never lived in Baltimore after I left for college, but I still consider Troop 750 MY Troop. Your unit is entrusted with the boys who make Eagle Scout. The way that they are treated speaks to how their accomplishments are regarded and to how they should feel about Scouting, particularly going forward. This kind of penny ante thinking stands a great chance to drive this boy out. That is criminal. I hope that if your unit won't spring for the presentation kit, some adult of group of adults will spring for it. I know that I would. Link to post Share on other sites
2eagles 10 Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 Great minds. Neilup This young man is one our my as SM, wife as ASM core founding scouts. We have already decided that we will take care of the Eagle Kit (the silver just like everyone else is getting). This kid has served as a youth ambassador, active in his church, works full time plus pays for his vehicle insurance and gas, pays for a private school, maintains grades, is being watched by top baseball scouts for college, helps with the Red Cross and helps his family. He has had to function as a young man since he was about 14. We are very proud of him. How the rest of the group can't see that is beyond me. With all the talk of Eagle mills, these (5) founding boys not only completed the current BSA requirements but as a complement to me = completed the old not so soft requirements. Right now, this young man is saving to be able to become a life NESA member. All five were elected into OA as soon as they made the rank requirement - unfortunately our lodge is in serious trouble (adults again)-- but they have gone out and helped other lodges. They believe in the brotherhood of scouting and are good friends with many other boys in troops around the country and community == a few communicate with scouts overseas. Can you tell we are proud of them. As far as we are concerned they are examples of what life scouts should look to be. They all believe and follow the scout oath, law, motto, and slogan - they even track their Good turn dailies. We are so excited to see what they will do with their lives - but my goodness we will miss them as they head for college. Their parents exemplify the understanding of "it takes all of us in todays society" Now as long as the Venture Adventure doesn't kill us old guys -- we will get to be on a new journey with them. God, I LOVE this Stuff!! Trust me they were typical 11 years olds - well except the whole group is ADD. Link to post Share on other sites
kbandit 10 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 One cannot predict whether this Eagle scout will be active while on college breaks. Our troop has had some Eagles participate on their college breaks and some not. That should not be a deciding factor on whether to pay for Eagle kit. Our troop even buys the sheet cake, punch and paper products for the reception (enough for 100). Thank you for making sure he gets his kit. My 2 cents Link to post Share on other sites
NeilLup 13 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 The application is due and must be postmarked TODAY -- January 31st, but please be sure that this young man applies for both of the National Eagle Scout scholarships. www.nesa.org He should be able to get in the paperwork for the merit scholarship although you may need to write the letter for him that goes with it. The need based scholarship has some other things needed (transcript, etc.) that he may not have. But get it in. And note that the merit scholarship may be applied for each year through the junior year of college. But the need based scholarship may only be applied for in senior year of high school or, if the boy earned his Eagle after January 31st of his senior year, in his first year of college. Link to post Share on other sites
Lisabob 13 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Well that's one of the dumber things I've heard. Somebody somewhere just isn't thinking this through. You might point out to them that this young man has ALREADY given a great deal to the troop just by virtue of all the things he did on the trail to Eagle. Leadership, teaching younger scouts, service, etc.. If his shadow never crosses the door to the troop's meeting place again, he has already done a great deal for them and they ought to be a little more gracious about it. And what's to say he won't be involved with a pack, troop, crew, or ship somewhere else as he goes through life? "Giving back" doesn't always happen in a linear fashion, but I'm willing to bet he'll use the skills, tangible and intangible, that he developed in this troop to help scouts somewhere else down the line. That's really all any troop could ever ask. Link to post Share on other sites
vol_scouter 365 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 If the CO or troop refuses to pat for this youth, I would recommend that those who feel this to be an injustice quietly purchase the kit. After that, the kit should be bought by the new Eagle and monies refused unless they will be given to every boy achieving his Eagle award. Youth have a sense of fairness and this violates that sense. Treat everyone alike as much as you can. Neil and others have said eloquently that Eagle scouts will likely pay back with interest in the future. After earning my Eagle, I left scouting (now I wish that I had not) and returned when my son became a cub. I have been involved for nearly 20 years now and, if I can get my weight down a little, I hope to be involved until I can no longer physically go to meetings. Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Nothing worse than selective entitlement! Time to get rid of these people! Link to post Share on other sites
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