New Eagle Scout

[Cygnus]

...

P.S. I just checked. I had the honor of pinning 20 Eagles including my son!

That is a huge accomplishment, even with today's requirements!

And I just realized that I hadn't weighed in on wearing the kilt for the court of honor. I have mixed feelings about wearing the kilt as part of the Boy Scouts of America uniform, but I am generally in favor of it - doubly so when the scout is receiving "scouting's highest honor". It will be your son's big day, after all.

[Matty Ross]

I might agree making eagle is easier than it was in 1965. But I will also say boys are VERY different than boys of my generation. I think if we went back to the 1965 requirements and programing it is possible very few boys would earn the award and it would become insignificant and possibly considered unobtainable. Advancement is one of the 8 methods of modern Scouting We as leaders provide advancement opportunities as part of our regular program. If a boy takes advantage of these opportunities for a long enough period of time and he receives sufficient encouragement, he will most likely earn his Eagle Scout. I think back in the 60’s when I was a boy MOST of the work was left up to the boy to do on his own. So I agree an Eagle Scout from the 60’s was a major accomplishment. But again boys are different now. Just getting boys to take an interest in Scouting is very difficult and in many cases impossible. So a watered down Scouting program that still teaches Character, Morality and Citizenship and rewards boys for participating is far better than just leaving him at home with his TV and Nintendo.
Just my .02 worth

[Cygnus]

I might agree making eagle is easier than it was in 1965. But I will also say boys are VERY different than boys of my generation.
...

I don't think it's the boys that are different so much as the parents, culture, and scout masters that are different.

I think parents and leaders have succumbed to the "every child a winner" syndrome that MoR mentioned, and they have the expectation that by simply attending Boy Scout meeting regularly their child will become an Eagle Scout. Leaders have a difficult time telling boys that they won't sign something off when everyone else has met the requirement and don't want to deal with angry parents who are convinced that Junior can do no wrong.

Boys today are also bombarded with media and time-wasting activities that didn't exist 45 years ago and Scouting has to compete with all of those.

As a scoutmaster, I make sure the boys in the troop really know what they're doing before they advance. Both the boys and their parents think I'm too hard nosed - whenever either of them expresses frustration with this, I simply reply that somebody's life may depend on the boy learning the skills that we're teaching and it could be mine or the parent's.

That is not to say that I don't think there is a place for boys with special needs in scouting. Our troop has recently been joined by a boy with Down Syndrome who struggles to meet even the specially modified requirements for advancement. It has been great for the other boys to learn to help this new scout and, while he may not be able to complete all of the standard requirements, I would love to see him attain the rank of Eagle Scout some day.

[macwilkin]

I don't think it's the boys that are different so much as the parents, culture, and scout masters that are different.

I think parents and leaders have succumbed to the "every child a winner" syndrome that MoR mentioned, and they have the expectation that by simply attending Boy Scout meeting regularly their child will become an Eagle Scout. Leaders have a difficult time telling boys that they won't sign something off when everyone else has met the requirement and don't want to deal with angry parents who are convinced that Junior can do no wrong.

Boys today are also bombarded with media and time-wasting activities that didn't exist 45 years ago and Scouting has to compete with all of those.

As a scoutmaster, I make sure the boys in the troop really know what they're doing before they advance. Both the boys and their parents think I'm too hard nosed - whenever either of them expresses frustration with this, I simply reply that somebody's life may depend on the boy learning the skills that we're teaching and it could be mine or the parent's.

That is not to say that I don't think there is a place for boys with special needs in scouting. Our troop has recently been joined by a boy with Down Syndrome who struggles to meet even the specially modified requirements for advancement. It has been great for the other boys to learn to help this new scout and, while he may not be able to complete all of the standard requirements, I would love to see him attain the rank of Eagle Scout some day.

I hope someday my son has a scoutmaster with these beliefs.

Well said!

T.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I don't think it's the boys that are different so much as the parents, culture, and scout masters that are different.

I think parents and leaders have succumbed to the "every child a winner" syndrome that MoR mentioned, and they have the expectation that by simply attending Boy Scout meeting regularly their child will become an Eagle Scout. Leaders have a difficult time telling boys that they won't sign something off when everyone else has met the requirement and don't want to deal with angry parents who are convinced that Junior can do no wrong.

Boys today are also bombarded with media and time-wasting activities that didn't exist 45 years ago and Scouting has to compete with all of those.

As a scoutmaster, I make sure the boys in the troop really know what they're doing before they advance. Both the boys and their parents think I'm too hard nosed - whenever either of them expresses frustration with this, I simply reply that somebody's life may depend on the boy learning the skills that we're teaching and it could be mine or the parent's.

That is not to say that I don't think there is a place for boys with special needs in scouting. Our troop has recently been joined by a boy with Down Syndrome who struggles to meet even the specially modified requirements for advancement. It has been great for the other boys to learn to help this new scout and, while he may not be able to complete all of the standard requirements, I would love to see him attain the rank of Eagle Scout some day.

Scouting needs more men like Cygnus if it is to live up to its motto, "Scouting builds better men."

[Kilt-alope]

Congrats on Eagle. I say his COH is his party and he should do it how he wants. I wear a kilt with my Boy Scout uniform on some occasions, usually for the summer camp golf tournament.
Maclaren is closely tied with boy scouts but of course I would recomend checking for your family tartan (for me Maclaren happens to be my family tartan ) but my first kilt I made for my scout uniform was OD green, everyone had to make a double take to know it wasn't scout shorts.
also :
http://www.nancynorland.com/cmsna/ar...hlanddress.pdf
may be of use.