Eagle Scout Roll Call!

Rcjames1

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Hey all,

I was just browsing ShadowSpear and noticed a fellow Eagle Scout. I searched the site and couldn't find a thread for the Eagle Scout community, so if there already is one I apologize.

I imagine there's a plethora of Eagle Scouts here.

RJ

Eagle Scout 2010
 
Haha it's pretty hard to get kicked out of cub scouts. :thumbsup:

I'm not sure what you mean by
Eagle Scout "community"?
. Of course there's a community; it's a big deal to become one. Less than 6% of all scouts achieve the rank (scouting.org 2013).
I hope you were joking but can't tell over the internet...
 
Why would we have a BSA-specific forum on a site that isn't in any way, shape, or form established for the purpose of scouting? There are certain skills and values that are common to both organizations, but that's about the extent of the connection.
 
Well there goes my attempt at making a good thread. I don't get it; there's plenty of topics under general discussion that aren't related to spec ops.
I guess I didn't mean that we needed a BSA forum, just a place to say hi.
 
Well there goes my attempt at making a good thread. I don't get it; there's plenty of topics under general discussion that aren't related to spec ops.
I guess I didn't mean that we needed a BSA forum, just a place to say hi.

That's fair. I'm right around the 15th anniversary of my Eagle COH. It runs in the family - my brother, father, and grandfather are/were Eagle Scouts. The experience varies from troop to troop (and even with in that, the generations within - mine went WAY downhill about 5 years after I left), but there are a lot of people I met there who I'm proud to know.
 
Oh wow. That's awesome! My dad was in scouts until Second Class or so, but as you were saying, experiences are different across troops. His meetings took place far away from their house in rural Alabama.

And yes I can fully agree that it's swiftly decreasing in not necessarily value, but difficulty, to get to Eagle.
It's morphing into this commercialized money machine and it makes me sad.
National Jamboree was a prime example of that.
Glad to meet you! ;-)

RJ
 
I'm sorry - Eagle Scout "community"? I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. :ack:

I was well on my way thru the Eagle Scout pipeline, but got DQ'd from Cub Scouts for eating the Brownies. :p

Color me unsurprised.


With regards to Scouts, I only worked up to 1st class due to a multitude of personal and family reasons, but I had a good time of it all the way through. Troops vary significantly, I am totally glad that I was in the one I was in. My best friend in high school was in a different troop, and once he came to one of our meetings and an outing the only thing that kept him in that troop was his parents and the church tie. We just had a well knit group and kept things organized and enjoyable. We also lots of more "useful" outings like hitting up orienteering courses, week long winter trip for maintenance at the district camp, and had events monthly without fail, whereas they had trouble getting things together for events every other month that were of note.

I'll be using BSA stuff like my old handbook and merit badges as a template for doing future activities with my daughter, as she enjoys the outdoors more than it seems GSA does. Hopefully she keeps that attitude as she matures further.
 
I always wish I would have done it. I was too busy with sports year round... My brother in law is an Eagle Scout, I'm proud of him.
 
I was working on star, but you need support from parents to go too far, and I had none. I remembered that when my son got started. Cub Scout to Weblows, Boy Scouts Order of The Arrow, Eagle Scout and his Troop went to Philmont. His Eagle Socut was awarded the summer prior to his freshman year in high school. I was proud as hell of him. His Troop was in Columbus, MS, and I have never seen a better supported troop. When they left for the Philmont trip, we had a brand new school bus, a small one, for them to make the trip. What a great Boy Scout Troop!!
 
I really, thought Scouting was fun through the tenderfoot time...I stopped at second class, should have made star...female scout master, you maketh no sense. The troop gave me a bad taste in my mouth, before I got there they had 50 scouts the years before, and then I got into 6th grade and there were 15 of us, and it didn't get any better until I was well into high school. I still get correspondence for support from them...they're like your college, always want your money.
 
I really, thought Scouting was fun through the tenderfoot time...I stopped at second class, should have made star...female scout master, you maketh no sense. The troop gave me a bad taste in my mouth, before I got there they had 50 scouts the years before, and then I got into 6th grade and there were 15 of us, and it didn't get any better until I was well into high school. I still get correspondence for support from them...they're like your college, always want your money.

The sucessful troops have a lot of backing. We as parents kicked in as much $$ as we could. Then we hit the phones and knocked on doors to gain sponsership in the troop. The Columbus,MS troop was well known, and as a result of a lot of work by the parents. The entire community was behind our Boy Scout Troop. It was the best troop I have ever seen; well lead, and well backed.
 
We just had a well knit group and kept things organized and enjoyable. We also lots of more "useful" outings like hitting up orienteering courses, week long winter trip for maintenance at the district camp
I think being organized is one of the biggest factors to a successful troop. O, summer and winter camps, how could one ever forget those? Glad you had a good troop; I also have a friend that was in a different troop that wasn't as organized as us. Sometimes he came on our monthly trips, too.

you need support from parents to go too far
^I agree with this wholeheartedly. If your parents are not completely behind you through scouts, then your chances are slim of Eagle. I was fortunate enough to have incredible support/pushing from my father. And I am glad your son had that as well. :-) Seriously, I am just as proud of the dedicated parents as I am of the scout.

I was awarded my Eagle Scout in 1997
Awesome! Glad to meet another.

cars, football and girls came
One of my other friends let weight lifting get in his way and make him quit. I never really understood that, but to each his own.
 
I was a 1st class Scout and then a Sea Explorer. Great experiences, both of them. But Sea Explorer was tremendous fun because we had an old donated 32' Tahitian Ketch to play around on, wooden hull, teak deck and masts, brass fittings, and an old Chrysler inboard we called "the iron sail." We sailed to Martha's Vineyard, Block Island, Mystic, New London, Point Judith RI, even at night, in fog, in any weather. Lots of great adventures for a group of 13-16 year olds. Sailing was a great way to learn teamwork and responsibility.
 
@Ocoka One , I'm not even going to lie. I'm very jealous of that! It sounds so adventurous and exciting!!

It takes a lot of dedication to reach Eagle Scout, so my hat's off to any kid who manages to reach that goal.

I was lucky to grow up not far from the water and the Sea Explorers in my town were lucky to have a donated boat.
 
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Interesting to see how much effect circumstance puts on one's scouting/childhood activity success. Donated boat, Navy Lt as a scoutmaster... that's incredible. Regardless, that's really cool! I see that you're in the Marines; I would have thought your SM may have had more influence of you choice of branch. If you don't mind me asking, why did you choose Marines? (Or not choose Navy?)
 
I started cub scouts with a group of friends. Our parents were VERY supportive, almost too supportive. They set goals for us all, had to have "Star" in order to get driving permits, had to be Eagle to get drivers license. We all worked up through Life and my group of friends went on to get Eagle, while I was more rebellious and didn't like all the pressure from home. After my parents realized that I wasn't "in it" anymore they gave up the pressure and let me move on. Do wish that I had gone on to Eagle just to say so, but honestly I don't think it would have changed anything.
 
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