Monmouth Boy Scouts Council to Charge Annual Fee of $52

WINS ^ | 01.23.06

[RonF]

Our Council doesn't charge any extra money over and above the National fees. This is the first time I've heard of a Council that has done this. But as you say, this is the Council that was afflicted by the Dale vs. BSA case. This is why the Equal Access Act and the Support Our Scouts Act were passed. The strategy by the opponents of the BSA's membership criteria has been "death by a 1000 cuts". File a huge number of lawsuits, lose them all, but deplete the BSA's treasury so that they waste their resources on lawyers instead of spending it on the youth that it was intended for. These acts help stop that.

[RonF]

I must say that I have worked with numerous female Scouters and have found them active, able, and dedicated. I know of more than one unit that would not exist due to lack of leadership if women were not allowed to be unit leaders. I have been in Scouting as an adult for over 13 years and have been very active at the District and Council levels and I have never met a female Scouter who was in Scouting for a political/social agenda.

[RonF]

Send me a motivated boy on his 14th birthday and he can get to Eagle a little after his 16th birthday.

I served 8 years as a Scoutmaster, and my own son made Eagle. But I'll say this; there are 8 methods in Scouting. Advancement is one of them. A great many kids go in and out of Scouting without making Eagle (including myself), but they still get a heck of a lot of good out of Scouting. I give all the support I can to help a motivated Scout make Eagle, but I don't see the percentage of kids who make Eagle in a Troop as a measure of the effectiveness of that Troop. Eagle has to be something that the Scout wants to do, not something that I push the kid into because I think that it's the best thing for him or because it makes me look good. The worth of an Eagle is as much the journey it took him to make it as it is the rank itself. If you turn a Troop into "Eagle School", I'm not so sure the kids benefit so much from it.

[MarMema]

Send me a motivated boy on his 14th birthday and he can get to Eagle a little after his 16th birthday.

That's pretty much what our new SM said.

And I agree that not all Scouts want to make Eagle, and will get a great deal out of Scouting without doing so. Our younger son (adopted) has delayed development and really struggled to make 2nd Class. It took him three tries to pass the SM conference. He is getting an enormous amount of personal growth from Scouting.

The thing that makes me angry are the people who hold Scouts back because Eagle is only for "the few". We were really proud of our (older) son because he came home and told us he wanted Eagle, after being told it was next to impossible. We changed troops and he proved he was willing to work hard to get there - so far at least.

Can you tell me about the 8 methods? I am very interested..

[MarMema]

I *love* that site, but recently they are really falling behind on updates. I noticed Computers is outdated the other day, for example. I emailed them and offered to help out, but nothing from them yet.

Anyway Electronics is on mom's want list, but so far he has not really gone for it. It actually looks like a fairly demanding MB to me...

Here is what he has now (non-Eagle) -
Art
Animal Science
Computers
Space Exploration
Fishing
Fire Safety
Reading
Nuclear Science
Snow Sports
Forestry
Woodcarving
Basketry
Leatherwork
Photography
Canoeing
Whitewater

He is going to be working on Wilderness Survival next...did you know there is a movement to have it added as a required Eagle badge?

Look at all that "free education" from a lot of professionals. How can any club or other activity come close by comparison in terms of what they have to offer?

[MarMema]

I give all the support I can to help a motivated Scout make Eagle, but I don't see the percentage of kids who make Eagle in a Troop as a measure of the effectiveness of that Troop.

I have been giving this more thought and I see what you mean, I think, now. It would be hard to tease apart into separate issues all of the great things about Scouting. I think the wonderful friendships, both for our boys and for us, are a huge part of what we like about it.

Scouting is about GOOD PEOPLE, if I had to sum it up into one thing only.

[Myrddin]

Looks like he already has a pretty good selection of elective badges. That set of 15 more than fills in the difference on top of the required Eagle badges. It might be better to lock onto the required ones at this point. Aside from the required badges, the project is going to be the most significant hurdle. He still has a service project to do for his Life badge.

My Life service project was done at a widow's house on the edge of town. I took my patrol out and we cleared the brush for a 300 foot radius from her home. She had a farm with a barn and field around the house. The brush had grown fairly heavy and we had lots of brush fires (1970) in the area.

I think the Wilderness Survival badge would be an excellent upgrade to the required Eagle badges. It is a very useful skill. Many of those skills were traditionally part of the 2nd and 1st class requirements.

[MarMema]

That sounds like a great service project. Did you come up with it on your own and get approval from your SM?

Seems like mostly around here they call it service time. For Star he worked a few days at a food bank - his idea, and he used the same work for his Community badge so the time was well-spent.

He signed up to work at a fundraiser breakfast or something, and our troop gives credit on service time for Scouting for Food. Both of those will happen after he reaches Star this coming Sat. That should give him 4 hours at least.

Which other merit badges did you earn? My son loves to look at the older merit badge names. It sure tells you a lot about our society and how it has changed to look at the merit badges for each generation.

[MarMema]

I think the Wilderness Survival badge would be an excellent upgrade to the required Eagle badges

You're certainly not alone. One of the reasons we're going to just get it and be done with it is so that we don't get hit with it as a requirement at the last minute.

[GSWarrior]

I believe that when and if the Boy Scouts are completely self funded, the left wing fundamentalists will not relent on their assault.

There is a lot of money to be made in the boycott industry.

[Myrddin]

We did lots of service projects as a troop. Lots of "care" packages stuffed to send to our troops in Vietnam. There was no "service requirement" at that time. We just did it because we wanted to help.

My Life service project was approved by the Scoutmaster. Many of the scouts who participated were given credit toward their advancement as part of the overall effort.

I haven't looked at my merit badge sash in a very long time. In addition to the required badges, I recall: Music, Bugling, Electronics, Electricity, Radio, Firemanship. I'll have to pull it out to check for the remainder. The uniform has been put away since 1972.

[RonF]

1. Ideals
Each Scout commits himself to the personal behavior guides and standards in the Scout motto, the slogan, the Oath and the Law
2. Patrols
Patrols give Scouts experience in teamwork, democracy and leadership.
3. Outdoors
Scouting emphasizes outdoors activities which foster an appreciation of nature and our ecology. Along the way, Scouts practice and learn new skills and develop confidence in their own abilities to cope with obstacles. Scouting is outing!
4. Advancement
The advancement program provides Scouts with a ladder of skills to climb at his own pace. On the way up, he has many opportunities to learn and to be recognized for his achievements.
5. Personal growth
All of the other methods contribute to the personal growth of a Scout through experience. The quest for growth is a method, too.
6. Adult association
Adult leaders, male and female, provide an example to Scouts of the high character they should strive for in their personal growth.
7. Leadership development
Making boys get leadership experiences is one of the most valuable things Scouting does.
8. Uniform
The uniform reminds a Scout of who he is and what is expected of him. It identifies him as part of a patrol, troop, council and worldwide youth movement. He can take pride in being a Scout, and in the achievements shown on his uniform and sash. Even neighborhood gangs recognize the importance of wearing a uniform, their colors.

We were taught these when I took Wood Badge. These are from National.

[RonF]

I think Cooking MB should be required for Eagle, myself.

[RonF]

For anyone who's interested, I'm going to be SPL of Des Plaines Valley Council's Wood Badge course C-20-06 at 9/15-17/06 and 10/6-8/06. If you are a Scouter who has taken basic training and hasn't taken Wood Badge, you should consider it!

[MarMema]

Better Cooking than Env Science. My son thinks Fire Safety should be Eagle.

[MarMema]

Thank you for posting these for me!

[Coleus]

Congratulations on your position! Do you already have your third bead or are working on it now?

I'm not too thrilled with the new course, it's just too bad the BSA didn't leave it the way it was.

[Coleus]

There is a lot of money to be made in the boycott industry.

>>

that's what it's all about, with racism too, just ask Jessie Jackson and AL sharp-ton. As long as Jessie can shake down Anheuser bush and other companies that benefit he and his sons who own the largest beer distributer in Detroit, you will continue to see them and the others in the news making trouble and hiring their protesters.

[Coleus]

I have never met a female Scouter who was in Scouting for a political/social agenda. >>

how do you know?

[MarMema]

It might be better to lock onto the required ones at this point.

Thanks for the suggestion yesterday. I spoke with my son about it. Last night he made arrangments to do the first 4 requirements of Communications this Sat. with his MBC.

He's doing this one with the troop advancement chair because it looks so difficult in terms of arrangements.