Need help with Life - Eagle Process

[Cowboy]

We have not forgotten the other boys involved, which is why we will be taking the issue back up in the future. The reason for the wait is this: Our son would receive the negative fallout of our "meddling" immediately. We could transfer to another District (only 30 miles away) but that would mean leaving his Troop/friends. I would just as soon see him complete his project here and then be able to help us with this matter. We have no other sons left to join and no local family who can feel the repurcussions of creating a flap. If I make "enemies" in the local units, so be it. I can drive somewhere else to be involved.

[Cowboy]

Been a month since an update, so:

Big thanks go out to one of our fellow boarders. She volunteered to help financially with his project. Restores faith in humanity! You know who you are and Mrs. Cowboy sends you a hug.

He finally squared away all of the financing on Tuesday (5 May) while I was dealing with the organization on other matters he called the DAC and was told that he could drop off his workbook on his way home. We stopped by and she made arrangements with him to pick it up on Thursday after school. We picked it up on Thursday expecting another "roadblock". Instead there was a nice note saying that he was very well prepared, just make sure that he itemizes all funding/expenses. He immediately sent out an email to the Troop (and Scouters) letting them know that he was starting this weekend and would like help. He went out Friday and collected materials. Saturday started. We were all worried that he would not be able to start because of the short notice, OA service project and Mothers Day weekend. One of the scouts showed up right at 9, one of the "professionals" showed up at 10 and another Scout with both parents showed up at noon. He managed to get everything that he had scheduled for the first weekend done. There are a couple of people who have said that they would call around noon if they were able to help today (Mothers Day) so he may actually be able to get ahead of the game. We (Mom & I) have made it very clear that although we can and will help, we are mainly there to provide transportation and technical/skilled help.

It was kind of funny: The first scout to show up kept coming to me to ask what to do, and I had to bite my tongue and remind him that he had to ask "the boss". The "professional" used to work for me when I owned the construction company and my son was in grammar school. He thought it was quite funny that I now had to take direction from the young one in the group.

[wagionvigil]

Fantastic

[Trigirl]

Congratulations to your Life Scout! It sure has been a long time coming and I think he deserves an award for Perserverance. Not to mention being so well prepared in planning that he could implement instantaneously! Post again and let us know when he is finished - Best of Luck!

[Cowboy]

The other family showed up on Sunday afternoon. Mom wasn't feeling good, so they let her take a nap without noise in the house. Although there is still about 2 full days worth of work to be done, people who drive past it are fooled into thinking that it is complete. As shrubs get planted and the final mulch gets installed it will really "bloom". Our last ESLP (still no EBOR) was the installation of a drop box for old US Flags. My sons project is to redo the landscaping, install gutters, etc at the AL Post in town. They will be holding the first Flag Burning Ceremony on 2 June, so he is set on getting everything done in time for that. I think it will happen.

[evmori]

Congrats!

[RWSmith]

Seems like some good news, Cowboy. ( Yes, I'm still registered on this board. ) I'm very proud to see you getting such good and friendly advice in this thread.

I must say, the hardest part of Scouting is not about the boys, or the program, or summer camp, or whatever... It has been getting old farts (like me) to realize that we are (or were) doing some advancement thingy wrong... and have been for many years. In fact, it was probably learned from the prececessor who taught it to us. You know, word of mouth. Like somebody said earlier, "we've been doing it that way since B.P. was a boy." Yeah, whatever.

Whether that somebody has been a valuable asset to Scouting (for example, a DAC for the last 15 years), or just signed up last week, they should --IF AT ALL POSSIBLE-- be won over by 'seeing the light'. You can't mess with YPT, or safety, or advancement! But, if they refuse to come around? Well, that's just gonna suck, know matter how it falls out. Yes, one way or another, it's gotta change. And I applaud you for biding your time. Your a Dad first, Scouter second -- nothing wrong with that.

[Cowboy]

Woohoo!!!!
He "finished" the physical project yesterday. There were a couple of small changes. He did not need to replace lights and fixtures because the Post had already done that by the time he got approval. He had some paint left over, so he also painted the front door and frame. Just one of those small things that made everything come together. He is still going to try to get more mulch donated (planned for the minimum and it could use more) and one of his wrestling coaches said that he would donate some flowers to dress things up more. But the project as proposed is complete. Now for the paperwork. He got everyone sent off and just hung out with a (former scout) friend for the evening. Seemed to be a lot more relaxed with the major weight off. He can not Board for 2 months yet, but that is not a concern to him.

[wagionvigil]

Great Glad to hear something positive

[Bill Pitcher]

Way to go Cowboy and Jr Cowboy! Now he soars with Eagles !

[Cowboy]

Continuing updates: (Also known as Dad Bragging)
As you noted he was done before Memorial Day. I can't remember of I said it before, but his project was to give the American Legion Post a facelift. Landscaping, painting, rain gutters, etc. As all of the Legionairs arrived for the Parade on Monday, they commented and congratualted him on doing a fine job. Two former SM's showed up and congratulated him also. As we were standing around talking to people after the Memorial Ceremony Mom & I overheard a comment: "Boy, main street is starting to look nice again. It is good to see them fixing up the Legion."
He was pushing hard to get done before the first official Flag Burning Ceremony at the Post on 2 June. He has been looking forward to participating in that. On Thursday we received his Baseball schedule for the season. He has a game on that Tuesday and Mom & I are assigned to the concession stand that night too. Since he has NYLT and CIT this summer he will be missing 7 out of 12 games already, and we just can't justify pulling him for one more. He was pretty upset by the schedule conflict, but in true Chip fashion, accepted not being there and moved on with life.

[Cowboy]

Update:
After several months of SMC's and continuing to keep a stiff upper lip, this past week has been a whirlwind for him. He was asked to be the first youth in the council to take the new LNT Trainers Training. Actually it was offered (and accepted) to both of us so that the Council would have a fully Trained Training team to conduct council wide training. Yesterday he was the first Scout in our council in memory to be the lead chair on a Merit Badge at our annual Merit Badge Clinic. Conducted two full (16 am & 9 pm) sessions for Coin Collecting. He had a registered MBC sitting in and assisting, but he was the responsible one for it. Did very well if I say so myself. After a full day of presentation, he had his FINAL SMC for Eagle. Everything is now signed off and he is heading for his EBOR.

[smtroop168]

Update:
After several months of SMC's and continuing to keep a stiff upper lip, this past week has been a whirlwind for him. He was asked to be the first youth in the council to take the new LNT Trainers Training. Actually it was offered (and accepted) to both of us so that the Council would have a fully Trained Training team to conduct council wide training. Yesterday he was the first Scout in our council in memory to be the lead chair on a Merit Badge at our annual Merit Badge Clinic. Conducted two full (16 am & 9 pm) sessions for Coin Collecting. He had a registered MBC sitting in and assisting, but he was the responsible one for it. Did very well if I say so myself. After a full day of presentation, he had his FINAL SMC for Eagle. Everything is now signed off and he is heading for his EBOR.

Just curious and since you emphasized the word...what is a FINAL SMC for Eagle? How many others did he have?

[Cowboy]

Technically only one. Actually 3. Very long story involving age and fears of an Eagle Scout and his parents leaving the Troop. Finally got it through some peoples heads that road blocks were not going to keep him active and things finally progressed. As soon as his EBOR is completed, I will be addressing some issues at the unit & DAC levels.

[wagionvigil]

This is totally unacceptable. Time for new troop leadership

[FrankJ]

If we fired the troop leadership every time they did not follow every rule--BSA would have be a lot smaller than it already is. The Charter org is primarily responsible for finding leaders for its unit. We need to find a better way of teaching the Charter Org what the policies are.

[cballman]

That would be called Basic Leader Training and Outdoor leader skills. BSA has training available for everyone. And then they offer other courses like Roundtable and University of Scouting. All that has to be done is to educate the people as to what needs to be done. The BSA offers so much on how to do the things right but then WOW what happens? When I started being a scout leader a few years ago I thought that because I am a Eagle Scout I knew what I was doing. Boy was I wrong the way that I saw things when I was a child and the way things are now are just a lot different then I saw as a child. We as trained leaders need to push training and the proper way to do things. When we need to LEAD we need to lead by EXAMPLE. As I tell my older boys that they need to lead by example, What one do the younger boys look for the GOOD example or the BAD example, Which one do you want to teach them?


And the last thing since your Troop is part of the Chartering Org. then you must screen the leaders before they are presented to the Committie Chairman. The process must come from each person involved with the Troop. To make a Troop successful it must be ran almost like a Troop with different Patrol committies. WOW wants to stop and mak you think about it now dont it?

[wagionvigil]

Frank Although I agree with you.There are leaders and Troops out there that know the rules BUT they make their own up. DO you not think that if just one leader or unit in each council was made an example of that the rest would get the Message? They are going to drop leaders right and left soon that are not currently trained this will take affect in then near future. Taking SM Fundamentals 20 years ago is not going to cut it.

[FrankJ]

I wish I had a good answer to this, but I really do not. Training is always good. But training is only as good as the training staff. A well run, well attended round table is great. It also depends on a staff to make it happen. Having a good set of unit commissioners, who have experience, that know the rules & are diplomatic enough to be heard is priceless. There is a wealth of material, both print & on the internet. The problem is wading through the chaff. Getting the charter org a vision of what the unit should be that matches both their goals & the goals of the BSA. If I could answer that one, I would be doing something other than engineering.

At the end of the day you have to keep pushing to make your part of the world a little better with the tools you have.. As some one on another list is fond of saying, "All scouting is local"

Sorry for all the off topic platitudes. I think my medication is a little off today.

[wagionvigil]

Scouting is local but the Rules are national