My scout is in college and wasn't able to attend, but it never fails to amaze me when I find myself rooting for each and every scout achievement. I think back to this year's Scout Sunday. In that service, the scouts delivered a message to the congregation as part of the service. Here is a little reminder of part of that message:
"..Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Venturing programs work with the scouts as individuals and as members of a team. The beauty of the program(s) is that no scout must lose for another scout to win. It is no accident that when everyone is trying their best, scouts experience the most learning, the most growth, and the most fun.
With these simple but meaningful concepts, we can look inward at ourselves, and outward at the wonder and beauty that nature holds. We are so fortunate to be in this area of the United States, with our great Rocky Mountains and the vast high plains. We have lots of places we can camp, fish, hike, and go on all kinds of adventures.
We are lucky enough to have parents and volunteer leaders who will take us safely to places. We don't thank the adults often enough for the love, attention, and care to get us outdoors to enjoy the nature that God has prepared for us. We also learn how to take care of the outdoors, and have a legacy of leaving destinations better than we found them. We also learn how to give to others by doing good turns and service projects. We learn the concept of servant leadership, in which we can help others outside of our pack, or troop, and our crew, as we practice being leaders..."
Now, I would like you to go back and re-read that section, carefully this time. I'll wait.........Good, now that we are all caught up, we can continue.
Troop Courts of Honor is a time to celebrate each and every scout who is working his/her way through the program. Scouts take different approaches to working "their" program. Sometimes scouts have other outside interests and those interests compete for the time available to do scouting. Sometimes scouts can juggle scouting and all their outside interests and work their way through the program and never miss a beat. Other times, unfortunately, we lose scouts to those outside interests. Sometimes, scouts find that they are actually quite good at the scouting program, and concentrate their energies on working "their" program. And they seem to finish each challenge with speed and ease, and sometimes they make it look too easy.
The scouting movement is designed to make sure the scouts actually do the work. They learn life skills (Tenderfoot - 1st class) then they have to learn how navigate the paperwork associated with merit badges. And once again, scouts have different approaches to the paperwork. Some do the fun ones first, some work the Eagle required merit badges first, and some mix fun with required. It doesn't matter, as long as they stick with it, and get the required ones in before turning 18.
Then...they have to learn even more skills. There is the Eagle Project, and those requirements are a whole other blog entry. Lets just say, that the project is a good opportunity to learn even more life skills. Some scouts, don't want to deal with it at all. Some scouts don't want to put the effort in to organizing or documenting the work. Little do they know, that most jobs we have today, require some level of organizing, and some level of documenting results. And about 7% of scouts actually complete the program prior to their 18th birthday, and become Eagle Scouts.
How many of us know kids (of any age) that can do whatever they have in front of them without a reminder or two, or three? Yeah, not many. It is so important for the scouts to have support from their family, and from volunteers working with the troop. At some point in time, the scouts will grow into the all knowing all seeing teen agers we all know. When they stop listening to their parents, many successful scouts will still listen to helpful questions and hints and tips from adult volunteers. At least we hope they continue to listen.
Have I met scouts who became Eagles who I wouldn't have recommended? Yes I have. But it isn't because I thought they didn't do the work. Those few Eagles that I wouldn't have recommended (and there were very few) was because I didn't see them as living the scout oath and law. Those scouts were smart enough not to ask me for a recommendation letter, or to sit in on their Eagle board of review. So, the entire process worked the way it was supposed to. It didn't matter what I thought, it mattered that the scouts did the work, and went through the entire process successfully. And good for them. I have not ever met an Eagle scout who skated through the program, or was passed through the program.
I'm reminded again tonight, how well this program works, for each and every scout, on their own journey.
Thanks for hanging in their on this unusually long musing on my part. Once again, it was a very good day.
The scouting movement is designed to make sure the scouts actually do the work. They learn life skills (Tenderfoot - 1st class) then they have to learn how navigate the paperwork associated with merit badges. And once again, scouts have different approaches to the paperwork. Some do the fun ones first, some work the Eagle required merit badges first, and some mix fun with required. It doesn't matter, as long as they stick with it, and get the required ones in before turning 18.
Then...they have to learn even more skills. There is the Eagle Project, and those requirements are a whole other blog entry. Lets just say, that the project is a good opportunity to learn even more life skills. Some scouts, don't want to deal with it at all. Some scouts don't want to put the effort in to organizing or documenting the work. Little do they know, that most jobs we have today, require some level of organizing, and some level of documenting results. And about 7% of scouts actually complete the program prior to their 18th birthday, and become Eagle Scouts.
How many of us know kids (of any age) that can do whatever they have in front of them without a reminder or two, or three? Yeah, not many. It is so important for the scouts to have support from their family, and from volunteers working with the troop. At some point in time, the scouts will grow into the all knowing all seeing teen agers we all know. When they stop listening to their parents, many successful scouts will still listen to helpful questions and hints and tips from adult volunteers. At least we hope they continue to listen.
Have I met scouts who became Eagles who I wouldn't have recommended? Yes I have. But it isn't because I thought they didn't do the work. Those few Eagles that I wouldn't have recommended (and there were very few) was because I didn't see them as living the scout oath and law. Those scouts were smart enough not to ask me for a recommendation letter, or to sit in on their Eagle board of review. So, the entire process worked the way it was supposed to. It didn't matter what I thought, it mattered that the scouts did the work, and went through the entire process successfully. And good for them. I have not ever met an Eagle scout who skated through the program, or was passed through the program.
I'm reminded again tonight, how well this program works, for each and every scout, on their own journey.
Thanks for hanging in their on this unusually long musing on my part. Once again, it was a very good day.
