Boy Scouts of America...

[Paco]

I saw someone post about an Eagle Scout and it just brought back my curiosity...

I went through the whole thing, and loved it.  When I turned 8, I started Cub Scouts, when I turned 11, I did "Webelos" and when I turned 12, I entered Boy Scouts.  I went up to the "Life" rank, right before Eagle in the minimum time possible, but (as so many do) right about that time I started high school and got into sports, etc and BSA was no longer a priority (nor was it "cool").  I eventually got it finished at the age of 17, at my parents prodding (sat out one season of sports - baseball - to do it as well).  At the time, I was upset, and the only thing that held me back from the Eagle award was the project.  I had enough merit badges to get a silver and bronze palm afterwards thanks to going to Camp Geronimo every year (is that still open?  It was the coolest place up north near the Mogollon Rim).  

Anyway, today, about 10 years afterwards, I am not active in scouting - though I did the Order of the Arrow for a time afterwards - but I can say that I am thankful that my parents did "force" me to get the Eagle Scout award.  I am always remembering things I learned in Scouts (the memories are cool, too).  However, I can honestly say that it has been the difference between me getting hired for a position - in at least two occasions.  You'd really be surprised how much interviewers think of it, and it has always been on my resume.

[Raith]

Everybody that has been on the Moon has been a Boy Scout.

[Farslayer]

I was involved in scouting when I was younger.  I got many merit badges but never attempted the Eagle Scout.   It was a very difficult time in my life and helped me take my mind and body away from the trouble.  I will encourage my son to join the Cubs when he is old enough.

[woody]

I had a brief encouunter with cub scouts as a kid, not particularly memorable but not bad either. We put Greg in Cub Scouts for a couple of years but we moved a few times during that period in his life and he found other interests in different places.
I wonder whether the Scouts are becoming irrlevant. They don't seem to be evolving with youth values and interests. Today's youth is as a group doing pretty well in terms of ethics, values and good focus, certainly better than some of our generations have done. Not sure Scouts recognizes the differences in today 's youth and thus how to reach them.  
Long subject, for sure......

[leadmagnet]

I was into cub scouts, webelos and boy scouts until my interests turned to "other" forms of entertainment (cough, cough).

Lead

[Wolverine]

What about liaisons of the Boy scouts? Where would it fall (as for selection)?

[shoule02]

"I am an Eagle Scout and still involved in the BSA in a leadership role."

I started as a Cub Scout and finished as an Eagle Scout.  It's hard to stay involved since I am attending school in a different city, but I do go to every meeting and outing that I can.   Occasionally I teach some sort of skill or do a presentation.  Once I graduate (about 2 years left), I plan to take on a bigger role in my Troop.

I also went to Camp Geronimo (5 times).  I never liked it as much as the hiking.  This spring break I am most likely going backpacking in the Channel Islands off the coast of California with my troop.  In the past I have backpacked in New Mexico, Southern Colorado, and all over AZ.   I can remember almost every single backpacking trip.  It was these excursions that probably helped shape who I am more than anything else.  Not only that, but the skills I learned (including first aid) have helped me in many situations.

In school I really didn't care too much what other kids thought about me being a Boy Scout.  It also didn't matter too much since I was also a football player.  Being the MVP of the varsity football team seems to take their mind off of the fact that I also was an Eagle.

This picture is of my Dad and I at my Eagle ceremony (I am in the middle, the kid to my left is a friend from my school who was also an Eagle).  All three of us are Eagle Scouts.



woody, I don't believe that scouting will ever be truly irrelevant.  The troop I am a part of is having trouble with getting too many new scouts and not too few (granted, this is only one troop out of many).  Scouting still has a place in our society and has changed slightly over the years in order to stay with the times.  Any changes that do occur, happen very slowly because a lot of what scouting is about has to do with tradition and ritual.  I would say though that the BSA is certainly at odds with a lot of what our society now consists of.

[Paco]

I applaud the fact that the BSA are sticking to their guns when it comes to their values, heritage and background.  With society pushing to remove things like "In God We Trust" from money, "God" from the Pledge of Allegiance and "God" from so many other things, it's refreshing to see an organization take a stand.  Though I am not actively involved anymore, I do support the local BSA groups monetarily and will continue to do so as long as they stand by their principles:  

"On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the scout law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight."

Are the scout values old fashioned?  Perhaps, but they are built on a VERY strong foundation and in times (and a society like this), that's something that is sorely needed in my opinion.

[shoule02]

I applaud the fact that the BSA are sticking to their guns when it comes to their values, heritage and background.  With society pushing to remove things like "In God We Trust" from money, "God" from the Pledge of Allegiance and "God" from so many other things, it's refreshing to see an organization take a stand.

Apples and Oranges.  The BSA can and should stick with the values and traditions that they have carried for generations.  They can because they are a private organization.  When you are a Boy Scout it is because you chose to be.  They should because it is what a lot of kids (and adults) need in their life.

The U.S. as a whole is not a "private" organization.  I am an American, but I never chose to be.  It was chosen for me.  Removing "God" from certain things like money and the Pledge of Allegiance is silliness at its finest.  Keeping America a secular state is necessary for democracy.

The changes in the BSA that I am referring to are not in any way related to "values" or "morals".  Changing how the bureaucracy functions and changing material things (outings, presentations, merit badges, etc.) will impact the degree to which the BSA makes a positive impact on youth.  There will always be things that never change.

[-MAD- SARGE]

My old scout master was a lieutenant in Vietnam and for the most part our troop acted as military unit.  You had a problem, you went to your Patrol Leader.  If it didnt get solved you went to your SPL or ASPL,  then to an assistant scout master and on up. Our Scout Master took pride in selecting some of the biggest service projects up at Geronimo to be done.  We had a large troop at the time of 50.  And by gone it, if you signed up for the polar bear swim, by god you were going.  Almost everyone their first year there signs up because everyone made it sound like it was no big deal and that you were a wimp if you didn't  lol.  If I rember right I think I was there 4 times in all.  

My troop had a large age gap.  There were us "older scouts" 15-16 and the "younger scouts" 12-14".  Us older scouts were tired and bored of Geronimo, so we formed a high adventure group for ourselves.  Our summer camps consisted of white water canoeing, rock climbing and mountain biking.  It kept us older guys interested in Scouting when most guys were starting to think that "Scouts wasn't cool anymore."  And we did some older scout outings as well along with the regular outings.  Because lets face it at age 12-14 fart noises are the most intertaining thing ever imagined and the older guys did not want to have to deal with such things.

I worked very hard for my Eagle.  My project was given the requirement to have a lasting benifit, something that I could look back on in 10 years and still see some of my work.  I restored a church/school's playground, and just when I thought, "ok I have enough work here to do."  My dad guided me to do even more than what was expected.  So when everything was finished I had a few pages of extra added benifits that we preformed for them.  It was a very good feeling to look back at the project and to realize all the time and effort it took for some one to set it all up, plus all the man hours it took to actually get the job done.  

Scouting was very fun, rewarding and very challanging to say the least.  Man oh man are there stories!

[Dust2Dust]

I was a bear scout, but wished I could have stayed with it.  But when I moved here I got involved in hockey, and that took up way too much time.

[Crash Bandicoot]

I was in The Cub Scouts and then I was in the Prescott Police Explorers.

[leadmagnet]

I always thought the biggest drawback to the boy scouts was their emphasis on Christianity.

Really, quite a shame.

Lead

[Paco]

I always thought the biggest drawback to the boy scouts was their emphasis on Christianity.

Really, quite a shame.

Lead

Christianity is a "shame"?  Wow...

Boy Scouts has nothing to do with any religion.  "Jesus" - the cornerstone of Christianity is not mentioned in any BSA material.  God, however, is.

[busta_cap]

Lead is christian..but I think that he follows his own little path..