Who was in Boy Scouts/ Is an Eagle Scout?

[rickb]

Some years ago I posted a poll asking Whiteblaze members what rank they reached.

Some 470 people responded.

I was surprised that about 30% reached Eagle.

Then I thought about it and wasn't so surprising after all

[slbirdnerd]

My dad is Eagle and my son is currently Star and working toward Eagle. I'm a Scouter, and would have loved Boy Scouts for Girls--or, Venturing if they'd had it back then! My son's crossover (all the gear he needed) to Boy Scouts from Cubs is what got me backpacking. Why did I wait so long???

Tipi, man, sorry it was like that. I'm glad my boy is having a positive experience with it though--he needed/needs it.

[Scorpion]

Became an Eagle Scout in 1958. I'm still active with the scouts and went to Philmont last year. Glad to have been in the scouts.
Scorpion GA-Me 04

[hikehunter]

Hey..."Odd Man".....
My best friend and I made a "sky hook" with piano wire and a construction hook.....
The scoutmasters almost peed themselves with laughter....
at night it looked as if it were floating in mid-air.

[likeahike]

Was in the scouts for a couple of years. We had a small troop sponsored by a church, but did little camping or hiking. Then we got a new scoutmaster who increased our hiking/camping to at least one weekend a month. Had blast! Unfortunately the church elders objected to us camping on Sundays so they just dumped us. Our scoutmaster and some parents scrambled to find new sponsorship, but the troop just kinda fizzled out. Just as well for me, my interest in girls and baseball left little time for scouting.

[HeartFire]

I was a Scouter, both of my sons are Eagles

[colorado_rob]

I made it to "Life", not quite an Eagle... but Boy Scouts introduced me to the outdoors and hiking/backpacking, been doing it since. We had a very active Troop. Great organization. My son only dabbled then dropped out, alas.

[Odd Man Out]

Hey..."Odd Man".....
My best friend and I made a "sky hook" with piano wire and a construction hook.....
The scoutmasters almost peed themselves with laughter....
at night it looked as if it were floating in mid-air.

Excellent. Good to "be prepared" ;-)

[MuddyWaters]

Scouting is what you make of it. A lot depends on the adult leaders, they can shape the troop, or let it founder. The most valuable offerings is the chance to assume leadership roles, and to interact with adults. But its fun things that will keep kids in the troop. Things that 13 yr old boys want to do. Focus on things that the 10 t o 12 yr olds can do as well, and you will lose the older boys. They need activities that excite them . I was a leader for several yes, still am technically, but couldn't get the troop to do much outside of their standard yearly plan.

Scouting today is changing as society changes. I don't know if that's good or bad.

My son dropped out at life, two reasons:
1. Conflicted with sports too much
2. There were no cool/popular kids left in it. Everyone left was an "odd" kid, and scouts was all they did. These weren't kids he wanted to be friends with, or even wanted to be seen with.

Kids have so many choices of activities today, especially athletics. IMO scouting has an image problem, and has lost many kids because of it.

I hoped philmont would keep him interested, maybe he'd want to do Rayado or work there as a ranger in college. Nope, he found the songs, skits, cheers all immature and questioned the sexual orientation of more than a couple of male rangers.(not that there is any thing wrong with any orientation)

[linus72]

While cleaning out the old family home over the weekend, found a bunch of scouting photos from Cub, Webelo and Boy Scouts, which was great. But even cooler was I found my Pinewood Derby racer!

pinewoodracer.jpg

[rafe]

For an irreverent view of the Boy Scouts, go to youtube and search for Tom Lehrer's ditty, "Be Prepared."

[Nooga]

During my thru hike, there was a group of about 8 of us thru hikers at a trail magic in VA. The subject of scouting came up and 4 were Eagle scouts. I was really surprised.

[Tipi Walter]

I've seen a few boy scout troops over the years and you can see some of them in my Boy Scout keyword pics here---

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/keyword/boy%20scouts/


I do have one interesting story of a boy scout group doing some winter backpacking on Bob Bald in East TN. They set up under a leaning dead tree in a windstorm---


Here's the Death Tree when standing and a common place for backpackers to set up. Unwise.


Later in the year a group of boy scouts come up and set their tents right under the Death Tree which is visible in the background, and leaning. I tell the scout leader it would be good if he moved his camp. Blank stares.


Okay, the scouts get away with their lives but JUST 4 MONTHS LATER the death tree falls! Luck was with the boys.



Finally, I gotta add this neato pic of some boy scouts caught in a nasty October sleetstorm and preparing to bail off the mountain. I like the kid in the middle with the giant frozen tarp.

[OwenM]

We moved when I was a Life Scout. The troop I joined afterwards was not nearly as active outdoors as the previous one, and my interest quickly faded. Had a lot of great experiences with the original troop, though.

[Bear Cables]

Both of my sons are Eagle, 2000 and 2003. I was their cub scout den mother and packmaster. They were in a great troop. Lots of camping and backpacking. I was privileged to hike Philmont and canoe Boundary Waters with both of them. Later as a Venture Crew leader we sailed Sea Base with my younger son. They both consider Scouting as a highlight of their boyhood years. Now they each have a son and talk about their sons being scouts though that is a few years away as the boys are 1 and 2.

[Bear Cables]

Also my Dad was Life Scout then WWII broke out and he joined the Navy. My uncle, cousin and his son were all Eagle.

[Bear Cables]

One more thought...on the first AT hike I made with my sons, then both in college they recieved their trail name from another hiker we shared the shelter with...he was also an Eagle. He named them Firebreather and Ranger

[bobp]

Finally, I gotta add this neato pic of some boy scouts caught in a nasty October sleetstorm and preparing to bail off the mountain. I like the kid in the middle with the giant frozen tarp.

I like the expressions on the kid and older guy left of center -- an attempt at a smile. A Scout is cheerful.

Adult leadership in Scouting is balanced on a knife's edge. It requires someone stupid and crazy enough to volunteer to do it (I think a fair number of people here might concede that the presence of teen-aged boys, a lack of alcohol, and the need to carry extra gear for those teens diminishes the potential enjoyment of the outing), yet smart enough to avoid the dangers, let the boys make safe mistakes, and ensure that everyone has fun, and sane enough to guide everyone through the inevitable problems, major and minor, that might occur. I don't know that I ever got the hang of it (others may disagree, but I think I was OK on smart, but a bit lacking on sane, and weak on patience).

In the end, you rely on those Scouty things you say at every meeting. And one of those lifesavers is "A Scout is cheerful."

[Biggie Master]

Also my Dad was Life Scout then WWII broke out and he joined the Navy. My uncle, cousin and his son were all Eagle.

As far as I'm concerned, your dad's an Eagle too. WWII was a heck of a service project, and I thank him for it!

[Biggie Master]

Oh, I don't think I threw my name into this pot. I received my Eagle rank in 1980, as did my regular hiking buddy.