Eagle Scout rank as a hook for admissions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gross parents talking about their disgusting organization that actively concealed child abuse. But hey, Jonny’s had a great experience! Doesn’t bother us a bit!

I hope you do not judge everything by what it was like 40 years ago. I was 12.

+1 It's like not wanting your kid to go to Harvard because slave labor help build it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In 2019 there were a bit more than 61,000 Scouts who earned the Eagle Scout designation.

That's a lot for sure. But, in 2018-19 -- there were over 1,006,000 kids who played high school football, heck there were just shy of 100,000 girls who played high school lacrosse. Do you think that kids put that they played a high school sport on their college applications? Mine sure did. Did they learn more playing a high school sport, or participating in a high school activity than they learned along the way to becoming an Eagle Scout? The simple answer is "no way".

The biggest thing though is that Scouting is something that regular kids, and kids with initials on their school records, and kids who are simply small or unathletic, and kids who are nerds, and kids who are handicapped can all actively participate in.

Two of my kids became Eagle Scouts. Both were pretty normal guys in high school. Played sports, participated in clubs and activities, had girlfriends, and did okay academically. But, they also participated in a fairly small (about 40 kids) boy scout troop (no girls yet that happened a couple years later), and even a troop that size had a number of kids who were not like them. The best part about Scouts (from a parent perspective) for my kids was doing things where they hung with kids who they never would have connected with in school or sports/activities. I do not know where they would ever have gained those experiences outside of Scouts. So -- yes they can now still play a mean game of Magic the Gathering thanks to younger nerd Scouts in the group. But, more importantly, that kind of thing means that they can (and do) interact well with all sorts of folks.

I would also add -- a big aspect of the normal process of advancement with Scouts is dealing with kids and adults who you do not know well. For example, kids work with a merit badge counselor to earn a particular merit badge. This involves doing the work, and having conversations with an adult who checks that they completed their required tasks and basically will have a series of conversations with them. That is not an easy thing for a 12-15 year old to do. It takes practice, but think about how helpful that is as they start to do things like interview for a job. An kid who advances through to Eagle Scout will have basically done 40-50 interviews by the time they reach that stage. For some kids it is no problem. But for lots of kids it takes practice and they get that in Scouts.

Finally -- while most things in Scouts are not about camping and outdoors, it is still a big aspect of the program. My kids love to camp now and often will swing by to pick up their tent and backpack and take off for the weekend. It is nice to know that they have that ability. My oldest did a 3 week hiking trip in 5 national parks outwest (Utah, Idaho area) with 2 friends this past summer. A great experience -- never got a motel room, never ate in a restaurant. Drove from park to park. Camped every night. Drank purified water. Ate what they cooked -- mostly packaged camp meals, dried sausages, fruit/veggies they bought between parks, and fish they caught.

Hello. You buried the lede. Exactly, scouting is for kids who can't play football or lacrosse!

[Anonymous]

It's not an achievement as much as a persistence test. Every boy or girl scout that stays in scouting until their senior year of high school will earn the highest rank (Eagle or Gold awards, respectively).

Not every kid who stays with band for years through their senior class will earn first chair.

Not every kid who stays with gymnastics will attain Level 10.

But every boy scout who remains through senior year is an Eagle.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not an achievement as much as a persistence test. Every boy or girl scout that stays in scouting until their senior year of high school will earn the highest rank (Eagle or Gold awards, respectively).

Not every kid who stays with band for years through their senior class will earn first chair.

Not every kid who stays with gymnastics will attain Level 10.

But every boy scout who remains through senior year is an Eagle.....

Who are the people posting here??? Not even slightly correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do Eagle Scouts all seem so geeky? Why do they make teenagers wear those uniforms that make them look like little boys? No way my kids would EVER do scouting after about 3rd or 4th grade. Take your kids camping and hiking if they like that stuff.

It’s a uniform, just like every other uniform. Do you ask why football players wear tight pants? Lots of grown men and women, who are leaders, continue to wear that uniform weekly for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do Eagle Scouts all seem so geeky? Why do they make teenagers wear those uniforms that make them look like little boys? No way my kids would EVER do scouting after about 3rd or 4th grade. Take your kids camping and hiking if they like that stuff.

It’s a uniform, just like every other uniform. Do you ask why football players wear tight pants? Lots of grown men and women, who are leaders, continue to wear that uniform weekly for decades.

No, I don’t ask why football players wear tight pants. I know they are tight to hold their football pads in place. Dressing 17 year old boys like 4 year olds in shorts and knee highs is odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not an achievement as much as a persistence test. Every boy or girl scout that stays in scouting until their senior year of high school will earn the highest rank (Eagle or Gold awards, respectively).

Not every kid who stays with band for years through their senior class will earn first chair.

Not every kid who stays with gymnastics will attain Level 10.

But every boy scout who remains through senior year is an Eagle.....

Who are the people posting here??? Not even slightly correct.

+1 That is definitely not how the Gold Award is earned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know an Eagle Scout who got into UVA - also the student was tops in his class.

I know many more UVA matriculants who were any and everything except a scout. So, what is you saying?

So maybe a hook then? No other stand out activities or sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do Eagle Scouts all seem so geeky? Why do they make teenagers wear those uniforms that make them look like little boys? No way my kids would EVER do scouting after about 3rd or 4th grade. Take your kids camping and hiking if they like that stuff.

It’s a uniform, just like every other uniform. Do you ask why football players wear tight pants? Lots of grown men and women, who are leaders, continue to wear that uniform weekly for decades.

No, I don’t ask why football players wear tight pants. I know they are tight to hold their football pads in place. Dressing 17 year old boys like 4 year olds in shorts and knee highs is odd.

Shorts and knee highs?... not any troop I have seen. My eagle wore the official shirt when required..often the troop t-shirt and had a sash for badges. He wore whatever shorts and jeans. Never kneehighs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do Eagle Scouts all seem so geeky? Why do they make teenagers wear those uniforms that make them look like little boys? No way my kids would EVER do scouting after about 3rd or 4th grade. Take your kids camping and hiking if they like that stuff.

It’s a uniform, just like every other uniform. Do you ask why football players wear tight pants? Lots of grown men and women, who are leaders, continue to wear that uniform weekly for decades.

No, I don’t ask why football players wear tight pants. I know they are tight to hold their football pads in place. Dressing 17 year old boys like 4 year olds in shorts and knee highs is odd.

So you actually haven’t seen a Boy Scout, it seems. Not sure where the knee-highs come from. The only scouts that look like little boys are, the little boys- Cub Scouts. It is a uniform, just like any other uniform. I guess you just don’t like uniforms, as a rule.