reveals<\/em> character.\u201d<\/p>\nMany Webelos parents today insist on their sons choosing: Scouts or sports; not both.\u00a0 In creating this Solomon\u2019s Decision for their sons, they\u2019ve somehow forgotten that Scouting is all about building citizens of strong character with mental and physical acuity.\u00a0 Somehow, they think sports will do this.\u00a0 It won\u2019t, according to Coach Wooden.\u00a0 Moreover, most middle and high school sports, and even college sports, aren\u2019t necessarily translatable into life-long ways of life; they\u2019re short-lived activities governed by adult coaches.\u00a0 Scouting, on the other hand, is youth-directed with adults standing by as mentors and life-guides.\u00a0 Where sports tend to be all-or-nothing (miss practice and you can count on warming the bench, or worse), Scouting is flexible.\u00a0 Where sports tend to favor the exceptional, Scouting is inclusive and accepts all regardless of ability.\u00a0 Where the very nature of sports creates more losers than winners, Scouting is all about all winning at no expense to any other Scout; all have the same opportunity to cross the finish line.<\/p>\n
Scouting versus<\/em> sports is simply not a decision any young man ever has to make, because Scouting\u2019s always there with open arms.<\/p>\n\n
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Eagle as a High School Graduation Present<\/strong><\/p>\nIn Cub Scouts, boys advance one rank a year, earning their final rank\u2014Arrow of Light\u2014at the dusk of their Cub Scouting days and just a few moments before they graduate from the program and\u2014we would hope\u2014move on to Boy Scouting.\u00a0 Based on this experience, it would be a natural conclusion that Boy Scouting works the same way: Earn Tenderfoot at about age 11 and then continue through the remaining six ranks over the next six or so years, so that Eagle rank is earned at age 17.\u00a0 Logical, yes?\u00a0 But the answer\u2019s no.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t how the Boy Scout advancement program works.\u00a0 In fact, it would be perfectly normal\u2014and it\u2019s certainly not rare\u2014for a Scout to go from Tenderfoot, through Second Class, and First Class as well on or even before his 12th birthday.\u00a0 Star rank in a four or so more months, Life six months or so later, and the final rank about six months after than, and we have a 14 year-old Eagle Scout.\u00a0 The important idea here is this: This is how it should be!<\/p>\n
Yes, the BSA allows for Eagle rank to be earned right up to the day before a young man\u2019s 18th birthday, and this is a good thing.\u00a0 But it\u2019s hardly the \u201crule of thumb\u201d to follow, because this Scout never, ever gets to wear his Eagle Scout rank badge proudly on his uniform, and that\u2019s unfortunate.\u00a0 It\u2019s not all that much different from completing all of one\u2019s curriculum requirements for a degree and never getting to wear the cap-and-gown.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had the honor of sitting on the boards of review for several hundred about-to-be Eagle Scouts.\u00a0 Of those who are, or almost are, 18, I\u2019ve asked, \u201cWhat advice would you, personally, give to a brand-new Boy Scout about rank advancement?\u201d\u00a0 Every one of these young men has said exactly the same thing: \u201cIf you want to go for Eagle, don\u2019t do what I did\u2014earn it no later than your freshman year of high school!\u201d\u00a0 (Maybe we should listen to the Scouts themselves?)<\/p>\n
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The World\u2019s Oldest Patrol Leader<\/strong><\/p>\nWe\u2019ve all seen him at one time or another: The Scoutmaster who ignores The Patrol Method, who runs or has something to say for each of the seven parts of a meeting when the only troop-visible moment he\u2019s supposed to have is the \u201cScoutmaster\u2019s Minute.\u201d\u00a0 He can\u2019t resist making all the announcements, running the games, teaching the skills.<\/p>\n
The Senior Patrol Leader\u2019s been relegated to a \u201cgo-fer,\u201d or worse, often with no actual leadership at all.\u00a0 The Patrol Leaders are in name only; treated identically to the Scouts in their supposed patrols.\u00a0 En masse, the Scouts are made to squat on the floor in submission while this, \u201cthe world\u2019s oldest Patrol Leader,\u201d lectures at them.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s only one solution, of course.\u00a0 But it takes folks with the understanding that it\u2019s not Scouting unless the Scouts themselves are in charge of themselves, and one more thing: backbones.<\/p>\n
HappY ScOuTing!<\/strong><\/p>\n