Proud Mom brag

[kimberbakos]

He did it! My son passed his BOR yesterday and is now proudly calling himself an Eagle Scout. He didn't have his BOR on 2/25 like he had originally wanted to (same date his great-grandfather became an Eagle Scout) and doesn't have a full MB sash for his Eagle COH (he's lacking 5 MBs - he has 43), but in the end those things didn't matter or dampen his excitement last night. He did what he's said he'd do since he was a Tiger Cub - become an Eagle by age 13, and he did it with 7 months to spare.

[wagionvigil]

[jr56]

Great news. Congratulations.

[smtroop168]

He did it! My son passed his BOR yesterday and is now proudly calling himself an Eagle Scout. He didn't have his BOR on 2/25 like he had originally wanted to (same date his great-grandfather became an Eagle Scout) and doesn't have a full MB sash for his Eagle COH (he's lacking 5 MBs - he has 43), but in the end those things didn't matter or dampen his excitement last night. He did what he's said he'd do since he was a Tiger Cub - become an Eagle by age 13, and he did it with 7 months to spare.

Your son made Eagle at 12 yrs 5 months?

[kimberbakos]

No, he's 13 years, 5 months. He wanted to be a 13 year old Eagle, the same as his great-grandpa. He busted his tail to do it, since he had his crossover 2 year and 2 months ago. I wish he'd apply himself half as well at school - LOL!

[gwd-scouter]

Wow. Hope he stays active with his Troop. Imagine all the palms he could earn.

[lifescoutforlife]

Congrats to your son, my son made Eagle 3 weeks after his 14th birthday and is getting ready to get his 2nd palm. His ECOH is this Saturday and he leaves for Sea Base next Thursday as his reward for making Eagle.You should be very proud of him for setting a goal and going after it. Tell him congrats and all of you need to start planning his ECOH.

[divermann]

Congratulations to him and you I received my Eagle at 14/5 and ended up w/ 4 Palms. A suggestion if I may; as he continues in Scouting, encourage him as much as may be needed but never push. My parents were great when it came to this. Secondly when he completes 8th grade and is 14, have him check out VENTURING, I wish the program had been around in its current form when I was a yut Congrats and best wishes again!

[kimberbakos]

I'd love for him to check out Venturing, although he wants to earn all 121 MB's and the Hornaday Awards, so I see him staying w/ Scouts for quite awhile. He's going to Jamboree next summer and I know that will pump him up to keep at these big goals He's got enough MB's so far that he's already got 4 palms coming and almost done with a fifth, so as long as he keeps earning them, I know he'll stay active to keep getting them.
Thanks for the advice about not pushing. He's one of these kids that sets big goals but doesn't have the ablity yet to chart a course to get there. So although I don't push, I do have to guide. But I hope to see this change as he matures.

[smtroop168]

He's one of these kids that sets big goals but doesn't have the ablity yet to chart a course to get there. So although I don't push, I do have to guide. But I hope to see this change as he matures.

I'm glad your son made Eagle but your "ability and maturity" comments are big reasons why a large number of scouters do not believe in young Eagles. If he doesn't know how to chart a course to get to big goals...how was he able to make Eagle?

[kimberbakos]

I had to help him make a framework/timeline for getting from Scout to Eagle by the age that he wanted to be there. Once he knew what he needed to accomplish by when, he went to town getting it done. But had I simply let him do it without showing him the stepping stones from rank to rank, he'd just get overwhelmed and give up.
That's what the teachers do - leave it all up to the kids, saying that in 7th grade they should be totally independent - and he's not successful there at all, unfortunately.
He's got ADD, and needs help getting perspective and focus.

[smtroop168]

I just want to clarify that I'm not pinging on you or your son. It just the comments we hear from members on the forum about young Eagles and you mentioned two of the arguments ("ability and maturity") they use to state their case. They feel there is more push by parents than pull by the scout.

Just curious on why he wanted to make Eagle by age 13?

[ronin718]

Just curious on why he wanted to make Eagle by age 13?

Perhaps for the same reason my son is trying to earn Eagle before he turns 14.... family history. Both of my wife's brothers and many of our nephews earned their Eagle before they turned 14.

And perhaps they're LDS, which has a history of younger Eagles.

[Trigirl]

Congrats to your son kimberbakos! My son is on track to make Eagle at 13 yrs 11months. His goal was to be Eagle while 13 because his father was Eagle at 13. His other big motivator is finishing before starting high school.

I can totally relate to wishing he were that focused at school! My scout is in 7th grade and has totally disconnected there - but he is on FIRE for scouting. I think it is because he is getting what he needs out of the program - a chance to try new things, real leadership opportunities vs. mamby pamby school clubs, and men who guide and motivate him to take risks and try new things.

His first year in scouting he was a little discouraged - couldn't figure out how to use the book and rank advancement seemed a little mysterious and he was shy about approaching the leaders. A strong and incredibly gifted SM and a host of other male leaders has made all the difference. They helped to guide him and gave him the 'push' he needed to get on track. They do that for all of the boys. Some just stay on track at a moderate pace and some take off like rockets - every boy has his own rhythm.

In the wild, Eagle moms don't let their young decide when to 'pull' themselves out of the nest - they PUSH them out - mom and dad will soar down and save them a few times, bring them back up to the nest- then PUSH them out again. Over and over again, until the baby Eagle finds its wings.

Frankly, I think more of our young men these days need to be PUSHED out into life! And what a better place to be pushed than Boy Scouts with all of the amazing role models in the form of leaders and older scouts to soar down and lift up a boy if he is falling? It is a special place and a remarkable program.

[smtroop168]

Could be lots of reasons. I like to have hip pocket stories when I talk to the "Advancement Surpessors".

Eagle at 13 5/12th w/43 MBs is a significant effort that anyone should be proud of. Almost 2 MBs/month plus rank requirements is a full time scouting effort With ADD it's even more laudable. Also it can't happen without significant parental assistance to get him from place to place.