Eagle Scout

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telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
I had to look, I was the same in 1977, 24.
I remember waiting for last, to earn this trio, they were the most challenging:
Citizenship in the Community
Citizenship in the Nation
Citizenship in the World

Emergency Preparedness was also a lengthy endeavor.
Back then, we had to to go the Civil Defense, to earn that merit badge. I had to google that one, Congress ended that program back in 1994. That one was a lot of fun.
I earned my Eagle Scout rank in 1976. Merit Badges were challenging, but what is the biggest barrier is the Eagle Scout project. Ideally a boy meets all of the requirements through their own initiative. That was how it was for me. The Eagle Scout project requires the boy to become a bit of a community organizer and for a 13 year old boy that was quite a trip. I was able to convince several lumber places to donate wood to several Jr. Highs who then had their students make 100 wood duck houses. These house were transported to Busch’s Wildlife where volunteers hung them on trees. To this day it is something I remember with pride.
 

telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
I should add here that the BSA organization that I knew and loved is NOT the one that exists today. Even the name has changed to just scouting although I think the corporation is still bsa.. For those who may not realize it, the scouts are now an extremely "woke" type organization.

What made them work for me as well as other boys was that it provided a clear structure and road to assist boys on their way to becoming ...men.

I do not desire to take away from the accomplishments of the boys who today make Eagle. It is still a highly admirable accomplishment. But for me, in my opinion, today, that mission I referred to above is long forgotten as they include girls, and any and every gender manifestion one can imagine, both as scouts and as scout leaders.

The Girl Scouts are furious with BSA's decision to include girls and reminded the public that the 2.2 billion plus lawsuit brought by 82,000 sexual survivors is both real and vindictive of a real problem. Why would one then want to add girls to the equation.

But so be it. While I do speak highly of my time in scouting, I can assure anyone who has doubts that sexual predators really were in scouting. But most any organization may have had these issues and scouting dealt with them going all the way back to the 30s. My complaint is that by adding girls and allowing men and apparently women who are trying to figure out their own "gender" into leadership, the problems inherent in taking a bunch of boys and now girls to the woods are not going to get better.
 
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OverMountain

Lifer
Dec 5, 2021
1,394
4,961
NOVA
I should add here that the BSA organization that I knew and loved is NOT the one that exists today. Even the name has changed to just scouting although I think the corporation is still bsa.. For those who may not realize it, the scouts are now an extremely "woke" type organization.

What made them work for me as well as other boys was that it provided a clear structure and road to assist boys on their way to becoming ...men.

I do not desire to take away from the accomplishments of the boys who today make Eagle. It is still a highly admirable accomplishment. But for me, in my opinion, today, that mission I referred to above is long forgotten as they include girls, and any and every gender manifestion one can imagine, both as scouts and as scout leaders.

The Girl Scouts are furious with BSA's decision to include girls and reminded the public that the 2.2 billion plus lawsuit brought by 82,000 sexual survivors is both real and vindictive of a real problem. Why would one then want to add girls to the equation.

But so be it. While I do speak highly of my time in scouting, I can assure anyone who has doubts that sexual predators really were in scouting. But most any organization may have had these issues and scouting dealt with them going all the way back to the 30s. My complaint is that by adding girls and allowing men and apparently women who are trying to figure out their own "gender" into leadership, the problems inherent in taking a bunch of boys and now girls to the woods are not going to get better.
Recently got back into “scouts” with my son and yes, times have changed.
Some for the better. Youth protection and policy has never been better.

Different are the number of moms involved, often unfortunately due to being a single parent. It’s kind of a dumping ground for divorced moms that like to be outdoors. At least in my area.

Times change, and “BIG SCOUTING Inc.” is a bottom line type organization that has gone for the Girl Scouts jugular. Last I looked there were no Eagle Scouts on the BSA board of directors. Just corporate, been to the right schools type. I stay local and give as little as possible to BSA national. The woke stuff is not appealing to the boys or most parents.
 
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ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
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Well, I'll be damned. My wife had dug out all of our kids childhood toys last week, for a visit from our grandkids (they loved the Fisher-Price toy sets and granddaughter loved all her mothers old Barbie doll stuff). Putting it back today, we're getting rid of much of it, in anticipation of moving South in the next couple of years (wife retires next Spring).

She found all my Boy Scout stuff! Including my badge and OA items. I had forgotten about the skill badges, I don't think that program lasted long.

My Eagle project was a shared project with my buddy - he put in a bridge over a small creek on the Appalachian Trail (using two telephone poles). I used railroad ties to make steps down where the trail crosses the road near Smithsburg Maryland. The bridge was replaced a few decades ago, and the trail relocated slightly. But my steps still there, deteriorating.

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Seeleybc1

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 29, 2022
180
1,018
Palmer AK
Very cool. That stuff is quite important, in general, but especially at that age. I believe my brother and I benefited greatly from Scouts