Boy Scouts

[granfire]

I think all the groups in the US seem to wandered a long way from B-P's vision of what they should be and how these groups are in the rest of the world. For example girl Guiding here is an independent charity beholden to no one, we aren't a religious group and no one dictates how we should be run, we decide in Guiding, led by what girls want. We are nationally recognised as a major force for youth. The training for leaders ( in Scouting as well) is first class and includes 'safe Space' a child protection programme. We don't sell cookies, and we aren't at all pink and fluffy far from it. Both Scouting and Guiding are strong cohesive organisations that influence quite a bit of our society. We remain true to the Baden-Powell's ( all of them, Agnes, as well as Lord and Lady B-P) vision of how youth should be and what they should have to grow. organisations shouldn't stray from the original ideas, they were the ideal then and now.
About us

The Girl Scouts most certainly have moved away from the principles.
I mean, they still aim to grow confident women, but the methods have changed so much!

 

[Tames D]

Just a quick update. Almost 2 years later, we are still active in BSA. Both my boys are Eagle Scouts and serving their troop and community in leadership roles. I will be taking over as Scout Master in a couple of months. Although I have mixed feelings about this role, it is something I need to do.

Another update: We are still active in scouting, however we have moved on to Venturing. What Is Venturing?

This is a more high adventure "branch" of BSA. Of course, I somehow found myself in the position as 'Advisor' to the Venturing Crew my boys belong to Advisor is the Venturers equivalent to a Scoutmasters position in Boy Scouts.

Already having earned their Eagle, they now have an opportunity to work their way up the ranks to earn the Summit Award, which is the Venturers equivalent to Eagle Scout. It will look damn good on their resume's

 

[Justin Chang]

I'm told that Eagle Scout is a good thing to have on your resume.

I once went for a job interview and the gentleman doing the interview started with, "I see you have your eagle scout award, my son quit before he got his eagle. Just so you know you already got the job". So yes it does help, granted this was only a cashier job at a Wilson Farms but still it did help.

 

[Justin Chang]

Another update: We are still active in scouting, however we have moved on to Venturing. What Is Venturing?

This is a more high adventure "branch" of BSA. Of course, I somehow found myself in the position as 'Advisor' to the Venturing Crew my boys belong to Advisor is the Venturers equivalent to a Scoutmasters position in Boy Scouts.

Already having earned their Eagle, they now have an opportunity to work their way up the ranks to earn the Summit Award, which is the Venturers equivalent to Eagle Scout. It will look damn good on their resume's

I received my eagle scout but our venture group was fairly lame and all they did was go play paintball or climb a rock wall inside some sporting store and play backetball inside a gym. So instead of doing that I decided to teach the younger scouts. I learned far more teaching scouts than I did when I was obtaining my eagle badge. I even went on to teach at a scout camp in the adirondacks which I loved. I've also found in my adult life that Eagle Scouts tend to find each other somehow, we must be able to zone in on those traits and skills that are part of who we are.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I've also found in my adult life that Eagle Scouts tend to find each other somehow, we must be able to zone in on those traits and skills that are part of who we are.

This is definitely true. I don't know how many friends I've been with for a while, than somehow boy scouts comes up, one of us catches it and says he's an eagle, and the other says that he is too (or at least someone who made life before aging out). It's uncanny.

 

[Tames D]

I received my eagle scout but our venture group was fairly lame and all they did was go play paintball or climb a rock wall inside some sporting store and play backetball inside a gym. So instead of doing that I decided to teach the younger scouts. I learned far more teaching scouts than I did when I was obtaining my eagle badge. I even went on to teach at a scout camp in the adirondacks which I loved. I've also found in my adult life that Eagle Scouts tend to find each other somehow, we must be able to zone in on those traits and skills that are part of who we are.

It's too bad you had a bad experience with your Venturing Crew. In the short time we've been involved in Venturing, we've done some pretty intense stuff. I think of it as the "Special Forces" of scouting

 

[BuckerooBonzai]

My oldest son (15.5 years old) is a Life Scout and has been doing a great job with it. Still very active and did his Order of the Arrow ordeal last year and wants to do his Brotherhood ordeal/vigil this year. I have been volunteering as a parent but probably not as much as I should. I was never in Scouts growing up. I wanted to be but I grew up on a small 300 acre dairy farm in northern Vermont where I milked cows every morning and every night and hunted/fished/played in the woods/worked the farm during the day so my dad would always say, "Hell, we ain't got time for scouts. Besides, you're living the Scouts every day!" Still missed it, though.

As for Eagle helping out a resume, we just left the US Military Academy at West Point, NY after being stationed there for four years and there is NO DOUBT that Eagle rank plays a huge part in getting into the military academies. And not only Eagle rank but if you have served in the position of Senior Patrol Leader.

Really have enjoyed the peripheral role I have had with my son and Scouts. Great organization. And the good thing about the Army is that every time you move, the next post always seems to have a very active troop!

One question, though: There is not a Martial Arts Merit Badge, is there? My son is about 4 months away from testing for his 1st Dan in TKD and I have thought all along that it would make for a perfect merit badge.

 

[Justin Chang]

It's too bad you had a bad experience with your Venturing Crew. In the short time we've been involved in Venturing, we've done some pretty intense stuff. I think of it as the "Special Forces" of scouting

I had hoped that that is what it would be, a more intense version of scouting, do some wilderness survival, etc. I even went to my troop and pitched an advanced Boy Scouts just for Eagle Scouts but they turned it down.

 

[Justin Chang]

My oldest son (15.5 years old) is a Life Scout and has been doing a great job with it. Still very active and did his Order of the Arrow ordeal last year and wants to do his Brotherhood ordeal/vigil this year. I have been volunteering as a parent but probably not as much as I should. I was never in Scouts growing up. I wanted to be but I grew up on a small 300 acre dairy farm in northern Vermont where I milked cows every morning and every night and hunted/fished/played in the woods/worked the farm during the day so my dad would always say, "Hell, we ain't got time for scouts. Besides, you're living the Scouts every day!" Still missed it, though.

As for Eagle helping out a resume, we just left the US Military Academy at West Point, NY after being stationed there for four years and there is NO DOUBT that Eagle rank plays a huge part in getting into the military academies. And not only Eagle rank but if you have served in the position of Senior Patrol Leader.

Really have enjoyed the peripheral role I have had with my son and Scouts. Great organization. And the good thing about the Army is that every time you move, the next post always seems to have a very active troop!

One question, though: There is not a Martial Arts Merit Badge, is there? My son is about 4 months away from testing for his 1st Dan in TKD and I have thought all along that it would make for a perfect merit badge.

When I was teaching they told me I could not create a Martial Arts merit badge because it was too violent, I asked about the fencing merit badge and they had no reply. I don't know if they added one since then though that was over a decade ago.

It is my understanding if you are an Eagle Scout you start off a rank higher in the military.

 

[jks9199]

One question, though: There is not a Martial Arts Merit Badge, is there? My son is about 4 months away from testing for his 1st Dan in TKD and I have thought all along that it would make for a perfect merit badge.

No, there's not -- and there's pretty much not going to be, at least any time soon. There are a couple that can include martial arts, but the decision on the national level is not to have a martial arts or directly related merit badge. Some of it is about risk, some of it is about imagery and program purposes. Some commentary/info:
Why no Martial Arts?
Sports and Activities

 

[Tez3]

UK Scouts have a martial arts badge, they have a master at arms one too. The Cubs have a martial arts activity badge too, it's shame your Scouts don't. Martial Arts Activity Badge

 

[Steve]

When I was teaching they told me I could not create a Martial Arts merit badge because it was too violent, I asked about the fencing merit badge and they had no reply. I don't know if they added one since then though that was over a decade ago.

It is my understanding if you are an Eagle Scout you start off a rank higher in the military.

You go into the miltary as an E2 vs an E1. Basically, eagle scout gives you a 6 month head start. There are several ways to get a jump start on your enlistment.

 

[BuckerooBonzai]

No, there's not -- and there's pretty much not going to be, at least any time soon. There are a couple that can include martial arts, but the decision on the national level is not to have a martial arts or directly related merit badge. Some of it is about risk, some of it is about imagery and program purposes. Some commentary/info:
Why no Martial Arts?
Sports and Activities

Really great info. Thanks for the resource. And on an aside, cannot imagine why they banned "Exploration of abandoned mines". I mean, what could possibly go wrong with that hobby???

 

[shesulsa]

If anyone who remembers me is still banging around ... my son Jared just passed his Eagle board of review!

 

[jks9199]

If anyone who remembers me is still banging around ... my son Jared just passed his Eagle board of review!

Congratulate him for me.

 

[Tames D]

If anyone who remembers me is still banging around ... my son Jared just passed his Eagle board of review!

Congratulations to Jared! And to you Georgia. I know how important the parents role is in this achievement.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Just wondering, anyone else on here a boy scout/eagle scout/scoutmaster/asst scoutmaster?

I was a boy scout, a long time ago. I did not get the fabled Eagle badge although I did make it to Star which is two ranks below Eagle. Boy scouts was fun, among other things I learned some basics of first aid, basics of navigation while hiking, we would go on week long camping trips every summer, I learned how to tie some basic knots such as the square knot, and it was the first time I got to shoot a gun, during summer camp in boy scouts I was introduced to the .22 rifle and later on I got to shoot a .410 shotgun while skeet shooting. I wasn't that good at it then but I've gotten much better. Although I didn't make it to Eagle I did make it to Star which for me is good enough. It would've been nice to be an Eagle Scout but I didn't really have a burning desire for it and due to the situation with our troop as well as the situation with my family, I had to move on from boy scouts. But it was fun when I did it.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I believe Eagle Scouts who enlist in the army may be able to join as an E3 instead of E1. By comparison...my niece also started as an E3 - Private, First Class - due to her 3 years of success in her high school's Jr. ROTC. (She is a sergeant now, deployed).

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Well also supposedly being an Eagle Scout can really help you get into colleges such as West Point.

 

[PhotonGuy]

If anyone who remembers me is still banging around ... my son Jared just passed his Eagle board of review!

Wow, congratulations! If you make it to Eagle its really great. I never did make it to Eagle. Its quite an accomplishment, some people might see it as a Rite of Passage.

 

[Tames D]

Another update: We are still active in scouting, however we have moved on to Venturing. What Is Venturing?

This is a more high adventure "branch" of BSA. Of course, I somehow found myself in the position as 'Advisor' to the Venturing Crew my boys belong to Advisor is the Venturers equivalent to a Scoutmasters position in Boy Scouts.

Already having earned their Eagle, they now have an opportunity to work their way up the ranks to earn the Summit Award, which is the Venturers equivalent to Eagle Scout. It will look damn good on their resume's

Latest update: My sons have left the scouts. My older son is focused on his music degree in College. My younger son just turned 18 and immediately enlisted in the Marine Corps. I'm equally proud of them both.