Scoutmaster Award Of Merit

Are you a committee member or a committee chairman of a Boy Scout Troop? Do you have a scoutmaster who has been doing an outstanding job? Is he trained? Are most of the boys in your troop First Class Rank or higher? If your scoutmaster has been performing well then you owe it to him to look into recognizing him with the Scoutmaster Award of Merit which is presented to deserving scoutmasters through the National Eagle Scout Association.

Here are the Requirements:
(The nominee need not be an Eagle Scout.)
• Be registered as Scoutmaster and have served in that position for at least 18 months.
• The unit must have achieved the Quality Unit Award at least once during the Scoutmaster’s tenure.
• Must have completed Boy Scout Leader Fast Start and Scoutmastership Fundamentals (or equivalent).
• Must have a record of proper use of the Boy Scout advancement program, resulting in a majority of his Boy Scouts attaining the First Class rank.
• Nominee must have a record of:
o Development of boy leadership through the patrol method
o Positive relations with the troop’s chartered organization
o Extensive outdoor program including strong summer camp attendance
o Positive image of Scouting in the community
o Troop operation that attracts and retains Boy Scouts.

Procedure:
The chairman of the troop committee has the responsibility of nominating the Scoutmaster on behalf of the patrol leader’s council and the troop committee. The nomination is certified by the unit commissioner and forwarded to the local council. Approval authority lies with the Scout executive.

For more information and an application you can check HERE on the NESA site.

From Misfits to Eagles

Okay, I just had to pass this along to you all. There is a story in the Saturday edition of the Washington Post about eleven Tigers Cubs who stayed together through Cub Scouting, into Boy Scouting, and all recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout. They were described as cry babies when they entered the troop, but through Scouting they grew into outstanding young men. Here is just a small piece of the article:

As Cub Scouts, they were so wild that the exasperated leaders insisted that their parents attend the meetings to keep things from getting out of hand. Their first hike as Boy Scouts became notable for the "strike" when the boys lay down side by side on an easy trail and refused to go on after having covered about the length of the Mall.

But something happened to these 11 whiny, quick-to-say-quit goofballs from Boy Scout Troop 681 in Falls Church. It happened somewhere along the way between pinewood derbies and knot-tying in the Scout House, the log cabin where the group met three times a month under the glassy eyes of a stuffed moose. And it happened on 50-mile hikes and canoe trips, under the watch of scoutmasters such as the retired lieutenant colonel who spun war stories and taught them how to set up an L-shaped ambush, Ranger-style.

I hope the Post leaves the article online for quite awhile, and that this gets picked up by national news organizations. Read about it HERE.

Value of the Eagle Scout

I discovered an article today that I would like to invite you to read. It is written by Harry Joiner at the Marketing Profs Daily Fix blog. It is a great little article about the rank of Eagle Scout and what it can mean to an employer. I especially like the line he wrote, "Parents: If your son wants to pursue Scouting, don't just let him -- encourage him." Do not forget to check out the comments people have left after reading the article.

You can read it be clicking HERE.

Eagle Project - Try Again

When a scoutmaster, troop committee, and council Eagle board review an Eagle project application there are a few things they keep in mind before approving it. How much planning is needed to organize and prepare the project? How will the Boy Scout show leadership during the project? Is it a worthwhile project for the community? What obstacles and challenges will need to be solved?

The Eagle Scout project is not meant to be an easy thing to do. It is a test of the Scout's skills, his determination, and his work ethic. Can he solve problems? Is he able to handle the responsibilities? Can he work well with others?

An Eagle Scout Project does not always go according to plan. Weather conditions could postpone a project. Materials may not arrive on time, or could be backordered. People would could have helped on one day may not be able to help on another day. Some people need to cancel attending the project due to last minute plans. The project may need more time to be completed. How a Boy Scout handles these and other problems is just one aspect of the Eagle project.

Here are a couple of examples of Eagle projects that needed a second round of planning or work:

About ten years ago, a Boy Scout wanted to do his project for the local elementary school. He was going to add some playground equipment and plant some trees so the kids would have shady areas in several years. I thought it was a good project. The troop committee agreed. The Scout send his workbook to the council to get approval.

I was surprised when I received a phone call a couple weeks later from the fourteen year old Scout to tell me that the council had not approved his project. He was very discouraged and did not know what he should do now. I drove to his home and we sat down ay his kitchen table to review his project and what the council wrote in their letter. It appeared that he did not do a good job of describing his project in his workbook. We talked about things for several minutes. Then I suggested he try again, this time adding more details about the project, and add a little more to the project, like planting a few more trees. He revised his plans, sent it back to the council, and received approval.

A couple of years later another Boy Scout submitted a project of building and placing various types of bird houses along an eight mile portion of the new Lake Wobegon Trail. This project received council approval. However, when the Scout did the project the only people who assisted him were family members. He used no outside help. The committee and I as the scoutmaster agreed that this did not fulfill the leadership portion of the Eagle project. His mother became quite upset with us. He was frustrated. Then he and I sat down one evening and discussed it. To make a long story short, he did the project a second time inviting other troop members and people to assist in the project. I was quite proud of him when he completed his project.

Do not let a Boy Scout get so discouraged when things do not go well that he throws up his hands and quits. As troop leaders and parents, we need to help them through the setbacks and encourage him to continue forward. Helping a Scout to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout is well worth the effort.

Eagle Scout Commitment

When I received an email from the council last month to inform me that Boy Scout Troop 68 has new Eagle Scout, it did not take me long to pick up the phone and call Mike to congratulate him. He is the seventeenth Scout of Troop 68 to attain the rank of Eagle Scout since I have taken over as scoutmaster. He is the eighteenth Scout to earn it in Troop 68's history. (By the way, that is not Mike in the picture.)

During the last 25 years, the troop's percentage of Scouts who attain the rank of Eagle is a little higher then the national average, about seven or eight percent. These boys earned the Eagle Rank because they wanted to earn it, not because they were told they had to earn it. I do encourage the boys to set Eagle as a goal, but when it comes down to it it is really their decision and no one else's.

I have seen a lot more Scouts earn the Life Rank then I have seen earn the Eagle Rank. Sometimes the Scout waits too long to finish his Eagle Scout requirements and suddenly their eighteenth birthday has arrived. (Oops, too late!) Sometimes the Scout gets too busy with a part time job, or sports, or activities, or even (gasp) a girlfriend. All these things take time out of a young man's schedule. And sometimes the Scout simply does not have the desire to earn the Eagle Rank.

I know of two times during the last two decades in which parents offered their son a car if they earned the Eagle Rank. For these boys it was like hitting the kill switch. They quit earning advancement and soon quit Scouting. It seems to prove my point when I say that a Boy Scout has to want to attain the award himself, or it will not be earned. Parents and troop leaders should encourage their Scouts and assist them when needed, but do not bribe them. I think a bribe cheapens the award and takes away some of the meaning of earning it.

Of the seventeen Boy Scouts of Troop 68 who have attained the Eagle Rank, I think only two were "strongly pushed" by their parents. The parents of the other fifteen were there to support their son but they left the decision, and the work, up to the Scout, which is the way it should be. After all, it is an award for the Scout to attain, not the parent.

I have heard of some troops who are considered "Eagle factories". I am sure many of these troop's have an excellent program that helps the boys to attain this rank. I also know there are some troops who kind of "push" the Scouts along to make as many Eagle as possible. I decided a long time ago that my troop would not be an Eagle factory. While I think it is great when any Scout becomes an Eagle, I do not think it is the troop's responsibility to make it easy every step of the way.

For example, a Scout needs to reach out on his own to earn some of the merit badges. He needs to plan out, pick up the phone, and make his own appointment with councilors. By doing this he learns important communication and planning skills. He learns how to be resourseful and do things on his own. Now, I am not saying that our troop never brings in any merit badge councilors to our troop meetings. We do sometimes. But we do not go out of our way to bring in every councilor needed to earn the merit badges required for the ranks. Besides, we have other things we like to do besides working on advancement every meeting.

I guess what I have been trying to say is that a Boy Scout who wishes to earn the rank of Eagle Scout must be committed to the goal. He needs to demonstrate that he is resourceful, that he will not shy away from work, and that he is ready to prove himself worthy of wearing Scouting's highest award on his uniform. No one else can, or should, do that for him.

Eagle Scout Makes A Difference

Whoever says that one person cannot make a difference obviously has not met Eagle Scout Andrew Larochelle. Check out what he did by reading this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer which was posted on October 12th. It is great to see a Boy Scout making a positive difference in on country.

A Special Eagle

I found this story through Digg.com tonight. It is a little old, from last May, but I think it is a great story about a Boy Scout overcoming the obstacles in his way and becoming an Eagle Scout. I do not want to spoil the surprise by saying anymore, so check out the article. Then go to Digg.com and "digg it". (I wish more Scouts and Scouters were a part of Digg and would use the network to promote Scouting more.)

The Beagle Scout

I have a scrapbook that few people have seen. In fact, I seldom take it out to look at it myself. It contains some old Scouting mementos. It has my BSA membership cards, merit badge cards, and Totin' Chip card from when I was a Boy Scout. It's pages include over twenty years of BSA cards from my stint as an assistant scoutmaster and scoutmaster of Troop 68. It also contains pictures from my elementary school years, a couple report cards, and my high school graduation program. All these things are interesting to look at once in a while, but the book also contains something that is really fun to read, or look at, depending on your point of view.

The scrap book contains fifteen comic strips that I cut from a newspaper when I was a teenager. These strips feature that wonderful dog we all know and love, Snoopy! What makes these strips so special to me is that they are the ones that feature Snoopy as a Boy Scout.

The strip begin with Snoopy as a Tenderpaw. Lucy teases him about being such a low rank to which Snoopy replies that he will work and work to reach the top and become a... Beagle Scout! As the story line continues we watch as the lovable beagle go out for a hike, and then becomes hopelessly lost. He is finally rescued by a Girl Scout selling cookies. Of course, Lucy is true to form and has to tell Snoopy how disappointed she is to see a Beagle Scout rescued by a Girl Scout.

The strip then goes on and we see Snoopy as the "Scout Leader" of a "patrol" that contains Woodstock and his friends. Did you know Woodstock's friends were named Conrad, Oliver, and Bill? I like the strips when Snoopy talks about first aid and the evening meal with his troop.

I discovered, after a quick search on the internet, that Snoopy first appeared as a Scout on May 13, 1974. I was thirteen years old at the time. Wow, I did not realize that these newspaper strips were that old. You can see this first strip here and read about Lucy criticizing Snoopy on his new identity. The strip is found at the bottom of the page.

I also discovered that there are a couple Beagle Scout Snoopy toys available on Amazon.com. One plush Snoopy seems to come with a little book conatining the Scouting comic strips. Hmmm... how much credit do I have left on my card? Oh boy! Looks like I have enough to buy two of them!

The Eagle Scoutmaster Conference

Mike called to schedule his scoutmaster conference for the rank of Eagle Scout. I had been looking forward to this call. He had finished his Eagle Project a week earlier, and his merit badges had been completed last May.

It got me thinking about this blog and the article I posted last September about scoutmaster conferences. There are a few additional points that I like to cover during an Eagle conference so I thought I would take the time to share them with you.

One of the first things we do is the uniform inspection. Troop 68 does not require a Scout to be in uniform from hat to socks, but we do require the belt, neck wear, and the shirt with all the patches in their proper place. Just as a person is expected to dress sharply for a job interview I like to see the Scout correctly dressed for his Eagle board of review and court of honor.

The Scout and I will spend several minutes talking about the merit badges he has earned on his way to the Eagle Rank. Which ones were the easiest to earn? The hardest? The most fun? Which ones did he enjoy the most? Which ones taught him the most? Why?

Holding a position of responsibility is a requirement that I like to talk to the Scout about. I not only like him to talk about the position he used for the Eagle Rank, but also discuss the other positions he has held during his tenure as a Scout. Which ones did he enjoy, or maybe not enjoy so much? What has he learned about leadership. Is it easy being a leader?

Of course, we also talk about his Eagle project. Projects seldom go as originally planned. It is interesting to hear about what did not go according to plan, and how the Scout was able to solve the problems that arose. Did he accomplish all his goals? I know the board of reviews will be covering this subject heavily so I try to prepare him during the conference.

My favorite portion of the conference is when the Scout looks back on his years in Scouting. I ask him what have been his favorite activities since joining the troop. What activities did he dislike? What are some of his best memories about Scouting? Who were the people who helped him the most during his years as a Scout? Is there anything he wished he would have done differently?

A scoutmaster needs to ask questions that are open ended, questions that require more then a simple "yes" or "no" answer. The goal is for the Scout to do most of the talking, not the scoutmaster.

As the conference comes to an end we take time to review his Eagle Project Workbook and get all the dates and information correct on his Eagle Application.

I enjoy the Eagle scoutmaster conference. It gives the Scout and myself a chance to really talk about what Scouting has meant to him. For the seventeen year old Scout it is probably the last time we will get to sit and chat about his last six years in Scouting. I just hope it will not be the last time we get to visit and chat. After all, he will soon be going off to college and begin a life on his own.

Top 10 Reasons Eagle Applications are Rejected

I have been fortunate. During my twenty five plus years as a scoutmaster I have had the privilege of seeing sixteen of my Boy Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout. It is always fun, and a little work, to sit down with them after they have completed all their requirements and fill out the Eagle Scout Application. Looking back on all those merit badges, terms of leadership, and dates of board of reviews always bring back memories for the two of us to talk about. We are careful to get all the dates right and all the information correct as the Eagle Scout candidate fills out a rough form.

There have been a couple times over the years in which the council has contacted me about merit badges listed on the application. They do not always have a record of them. They should have a record. After all, I can not get a merit badge to present at a court of honor unless I send the council an advancement form listing all the merit badges. I guess someone at the council missed recording it. Luckily, I have kept all the signed blue merit badge application cards. I make a copy of it (or scan it these days) and send the copy to the council. Problem solved.

In a recent blog BuffaloEagle from the Lone Star Scouter Blog wrote about the ten most commons reasons that Eagle Scout applications are rejected, as listed by the national office. I found it to be pretty interesting. Almost all of them deal with paper work and dates. I thought it would be great to post them here in this blog for my readers to see also. So, here they are. If reprinting this list saves one candidate trouble in the future it was worth posting it.

• No Council Number on Application. This requires the application to be removed from the daily work stack and placed in a special file until time is alloted to perform council lookups.
• Signatures Missing. This requires the rejected application to be mailed back to council. This oversight will cause a delay of at least four weeks because the postal service will be used.
• No Boy Scout joining date or wrong date. Failure to indicate Boy Scout joining date requires us to reject the application to request the proper date. This is because all requirements must be met after a boy joins Scouting.
• No Board of Review Date. We must have a board of review date to ensure all requirements were completed prior to the board of review. This date is also necessary since it is printed on the Eagle Scout credentials.
• Duplicate Merit Badges on application. A total of 21 separate merit badges must be earned. Any application that requires a correction to merit badges that are listed twice on the application will be rejected.
• Explanation for delay in board of review not furnished. We will ask for a letter when this time frame as described on the application is not met.
• Proper badges are not indicated in merit badge numbers 6 and 9.
• If six months leadership between Life Scout and Board of Review does not indicate sufficient time, we must return for correction.
• Valid leadership position between Life Scout and Board of Review. The only valid leadership positions are those listed on the 2000 printing of the Eagle Scout Rank Application. if it is not listed on the 2000 printing, it is not a valid leadership position. (NOTE: WE RECEIVE A LOT OF APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANT PATROL LEADERS).
• New Eagle Scout Rank Requirements (as of 1 April 1999) have not been met. Scouts having completed any Eagle Scout rank requirements after 1 April 1999, must earn the Personal Fitness merit badge and Cycling, or Hiking or Swimming merit badges. We must reject the application if it does not meet this new requirement.

Boy Scout soars far beyond the Eagle Rank

Here is a great story from MSNBC that you should read. It features Boy Scout, James Calderwood, who has attained all 122 merit badges. When only two to four percent of all Scouts ever reach the rank of Eagle Scout, finding a Boy Scout who attains all the merit badges is a rare thing indeed. You can read the article at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17902427/
(The picture is from the MSNBC article.)

Gerald Ford, "On My Honor"

I used to have a copy of a video that I think was called "On My Honor". It was a BSA promotional video which featured narration by former President Gerald Ford. It was several minutes long, and a very well done film. It was one of my favorite BSA videos. Unfortunately, somehow, somewhere, part of my copy was taped over. I tried calling my local council to see if they still had a copy of it. Unfortunately, they did not. I was a little upset when I discovered it was lost to me.

So, I went to the internet to see if I could discover a copy of it somewhere. So far, I have not had any luck. If any of you who read this blog have a copy, I would be willing to trade a dvd of 15 various BSA promotional films and commercials for it. Contact me through this web site.

As I was searching the internet, I discovered a site that had a speech given by President Gerald Ford in 1974 when he received the Scouter of the Year Award honoring him for being the first Eagle Scout to become the president of the United States. It is a great speech and I thought you might like to read it also, if you have not already read it. Just follow this link:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=4601

I sometimes wonder what the "Great Master of All Scouts" had to say when this Eagle Scout President arrived at the Pearly Gates. I bet both of them had an ear to ear grin when they met!

President Gerald Ford, Eagle Scout, Passes Away

Former President Gerald Ford, at age 93, has passed away. It was news that saddened me. He was the first president that I, as a teenager, really started paying attention to. I thought he was cool.

President Ford was our first and only president that was not elected to the office. He did not seek the position, but it found him. He accepted the duties and responsibilities and brought dignity back to the White House.

Some people have called him the accidental president, and in a way he was. Some called him the clumsy president. Every time he stumbled or fell we were able to see it on the evening news. Chevy Chase became a star on Saturday Night Live by mocking this former star college football player's mishaps. President Ford was the lucky president, surviving two assassination attempts.

President Ford was also the healing president. After the lies and scandals of the Nixon presidency, Ford brought openness, dignity, and honesty back to the office. He was well liked by both Republicans and Democrats. During his brief term he helped the country put Watergate and the Vietnam War behind us and began to move this great country forward once again.

A lesser known and sometimes forgotten fact is that President Ford was a Boy Scout in his youth. In fact, he was an Eagle Scout, the only one to ever serve as President of the United States. When he became the president he brought his Scouting values with him to the office - trustworthy, loyal, kind, cheerful, and brave. He did his duty to God and country. He kept himself physically strong, stayed mentally awake, and was always morally straight.

Unfortunately, President Ford did not win the next election to remain president. Fortunately, he did not forget his Scouting roots. He narrated a video supporting Boy Scouting, its ideal, and values. I wish I still had a copy of the video. It would be great to see it again.

With the passing of President Ford not only has the country lost a great leader, but Scouting has lost a great role model, supporter, and friend.

"May the Great Master of all Scouts be with us until we meet again." I hope the Great Master has accepted this great Scout into his great kingdom with open arms. I hope to meet him myself one day and share Scouting stories.

Eagle Scout Slide Shows

It was the weekend of Mike's Eagle court of honor. I awoke Saturday morning with a song in the head that I thought would be great for the opening credits of the video I planned to create from taping the ceremony. I sat down at my computer, scanned some pictures of Mike from his years in Scouting, and began to edit the opening to the video.

I began taping troop courts of honor and Eagle courts of honor shortly after our city started a community access television station. I thought it would be a great way to add further recognition for the achievements of the Scouts, and it would be one more way to keep Scouting in the public view.

I always gave the Eagle Scouts a copy of the tape of their award ceremony. I felt that it would make a nice souvenir they could watch later in life. Did any of them ever watch the tape? I don't know, but I hope they did.

Back to Mike's court of honor....

Later that morning I received a phone call from Mike's mother. One of the guest speakers had called her to tell her that he may be a little late arriving at the ceremony. She asked if I had any ideas what could be done to fill some time if he came late. I explained that I was editing a slideshow of pictures of Mike for the opening in his video. I could add more photos and lengthen the slideshow, thus making it into a four or five minute presentation. She liked the idea and offered to find some pictures of Mike from his years as a Cub Scout.

Thus, my two minute video opening became a four and one half minute presentation. The guests attending the ceremony enjoyed the slideshow, as did Mike and his family.

Since then, I have had to make a slideshow for each of the troop's Eagle Scouts for their ceremonies. I have also had three Scouts from other troops ask me to edit a show for their court of honor. The slide shows have become quite popular. When I find the time, I have been making shows for the previous Eagle Scouts from our troop.

To date, I think I have done twelve Eagle Scout slideshows. Yes, they take some time to put together, but the smiles and chuckles from the guests, the families, and especially the Eagle Scouts, have made the time seem well spent.

Several of the slideshows can be seen on our troop's website. Check them out at:
http://melrosetroop68.org/EagleHall.html
There are slideshows for about half of the troop's Eagle Scouts so far, with more coming in the future.